Clemson celebrates National Girls and Women in Sports Day with free clinic

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - Clemson Athletics celebrated National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) with a free clinic Sunday ahead of the Clemson women’s basketball game at Littlejohn Coliseum.

The clinic was free for kids in sixth grade and under.

NGWSD was chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1986 to honor female athletic achievement and recognize the importance of sports and fitness participation for all girls and women. NGWSD has evolved into a vibrant movement that celebrates the power of women in sports and the continued push for equity, especially as the 50th Anniversary of Title IX is acknowledged nationwide.

Parents to two young girls, Lindley and Josh Cauthen said the clinic was a great chance for their daughters to try new sports.

“They’re playing basketball right now, we tried softball and soccer so we’re hoping that they land on something but they just got to try lacrosse for the first time, and maybe they’ll find something new that they like!” said Lindley.

“To see them be able to do that, I think is important,” added Josh. “It’s a new perspective for me being a girl dad. I grew up playing sports but being able to see them experience it is great.”

The Sunday clinic included several student-athletes from Clemson’s women’s programs. They led the kids through a series of skill-based challenges for their respective sports.

Members of the cheer, dance, lacrosse, gymnastics, golf, rowing and volleyball team were all on hand.

Clemson Student Athlete Development Director Tori Niemann said events like this provide important visibility that is valuable to the kids as much as it is for the student-athletes.

“We believe ‘you can see her, you can be her’ and so want our female student-athletes here,” Niemann explained. “They look forward to it every year and they know that they’re able to make the impact but I think it’s also impactful to see the young girls and boys looking up to them.”

The official date of NGWSD, set by the Women’s Sports Foundation, is Feb. 1, 2023.

Copyright 2023 WHNS. All rights reserved.