Today, we join others in the sports community in celebrating the 31st annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day.

The NFCA is proud to stand with the many organizations, schools, teams, government and community groups that pause on the first Wednesday each February in all 50 U.S. states to recognize the advancement of girls and women’s sports. Nationally, thousands of supporters will come together to host hundreds of local events across our country.

This year’s slogan, “Expanding Opportunity,” will focus on issues surrounding the protection of rights secured under Title IX in anticipation of the law’s 45th anniversary and ensuring equal access to sports, particularly in underserved and minority communities.  The NGWSD Coalition members the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF), National Women’s Law Center, and Girls Inc. will meet with the Office on Women’s Health and other key government leaders on Capitol Hill in both the Congress and Senate. The briefing and panel discussion featuring professional and collegiate athletes, and Title IX experts will take place in the Capitol Visitor Center and is sponsored by the Office of Senator Patty Murray (D-WA).

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, while playing in a tournament in Japan. 

Since then, NGWSD has 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. 

— Information courtesy of NGWSD