PERA Hosts Youth Sports Clinic to Celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day
February 6 marked the 33rd annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD), which celebrates the extraordinary achievements of women and girls in sports. On NGWSD, Wellesley’s Department of Physical Education, Recreation and Athletics traditionally welcomes the community to a basketball game and recognizes Blue achievements of the past year. This year, PERA added a youth sports clinic for local girls.
Olivia Holbrook ’20, Faye Washburn ’20, Alex Kew ’19, and Pippa Cronin ’21 get their group ready for the Blue basketball game and excited to learn some new skills to try out on the court.
Go Blue! More than 60 local girls attended the NGWSD clinic, which was run by Wellesley coaches and members of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. “I think our student-athletes and coaches were just as excited as the girls that participated,” said Emma Cohen, PERA’s coordinator of facilities and events and the primary organizer of the clinic. “We were thrilled by the turnout this year, and we’re hoping it continues to grow next year.”
Caitlin Aguirre ’20 looks for a path to the basket as teammate Alyssa Cho ’21 watches during the first half of Wellesley’s game versus MIT. An All-Conference selection last season, Aguirre is one of the top five scorers in the entire NEWMAC Conference this season, averaging over 14 points per game for the Blue.
Jada Wiltz ’22 sets up the Blue offense in front of one of the largest crowds of the season at Gracia Mangano Martore ’73 Court. The crowd had the chance to celebrate the past year in Blue athletics at halftime, as NCAA, NEWMAC Conference, and Seven Sisters participants and champions were recognized during a ceremony.
Clinic participant Dylan O’Meara leads the line through the obstacle course at the end of the NGWSD girls sports clinic on the Dorothy Towne Fieldhouse Tennis Courts. Clinic attendees received a Wellesley Athletics T-shirt and practiced soccer, volleyball, and basketball skills before ending with the obstacle course.
