February 6, 2019 marks the 33rd Annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day (NGWSD). For more than three decades, this celebration has empowered women and girls to get moving, reap the benefits of physical activity and push past their limits both in sports and in life. The confidence, strength and character gained through sports and physical activity are the very tools girls need to become strong leaders, in their own lives and in the world.
National Girls & Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) began in 1987 as a special day in our nation’s capital to recognize women’s sports. The day united premiere organizations and elite female athletes to bring national attention to the promise of girls and women in sports.
In 1987, NGWSD also served as a remembrance of Olympic volleyball player, Flo Hyman, for her athletic achievements and dedication to promoting equality for women’s sports; Hyman died of Marfan’s Syndrome in 1986. NGWSD has since evolved into an event to acknowledge the accomplishments of female athletes, the positive influence of sports participation and the continuing struggle for equality for women in sports.
NGWSD is powered by the Women’s Sports Foundation, supported by its team of champion athletes and celebrated throughout the year by schools and community-serving organizations across all 50 states.
Chief Executive Officer
The Women’s Sports Foundation is the ally, advocate and catalyst dedicated to ensuring all girls and women have the opportunity to realize their power through the benefits of sports and physical activity. Founded by Billie Jean King in 1974, we seek to strengthen and expand opportunities for all girls and women of all backgrounds to participate in all sports at all levels through research, advocacy, impact and a wide variety of collaborative partnerships. The Women’s Sports Foundation has relationships with more than 1,000 of the world’s elite female athletes and has positively shaped the lives of more than 3 million youth, high school and collegiate student-athletes. To learn more about the Women’s Sports Foundation, please visit WomensSportsFoundation.org or follow us at @WomensSportsFdn and facebook.com/WomensSportsFoundation.
