Sports / Recreational - Just for Girls!

Why our Programs are Important to Girls:

Girls receive 250,000 commercial messages by the time they are 17 years old, telling them what to eat and what to look like, but not encouraging them to be physically active (Girls, Inc., 2008).

To combat the negative physical and psychological health hazards affecting girls, North Star Youth Partnership and its community collaborators provide sport and physical activities and educational interventions that support health and wellness to girls ages 7-18.

Studies indicate that adolescent girls who are involved in sports are healthier, have higher academic achievement, and are less likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors or use tobacco, drugs or alcohol than teenage girls who are not involved in sports (Riegle-Crumb, Pearson & Crissey, 2005; Girls, Inc., 2002; and Wellesley Centers for Women, 2005).


Girls & Sports Day GoGirlGo! Peer Assistance
Leadership Program

Program Benefit:
This annual event educates girls about the benefits of good health and encourages them to participate in sports. It is part of North Star’s WINGS (Women Involving Neighborhood Girls in Sports) program. Click here to read our Girls & Sports Day Flyer front.

Girls & Sports Day Flyer Back

Click here to print out the Registration and Permission Slip 2011  Sports Day


The Program:
Sports stations introduce participants to both traditional sports (e.g., basketball and soccer) and non-traditional sports (e.g., Tai Chi and Capoeira), as well as team and individual sports. Volunteer professionals (i.e., professional and college athletes, coaches and female high school athletes) teach participants basic rules, use of equipment and techniques, and guide them as they turn instruction into action. Girls & Sports Day participants are divided by age into three groups and activities are tailored to be age-appropriate. At the end of the day camp, participants are provided with a sports bag filled with healthy snacks, information and other items that reinforce what was learned.

Fee:
The registration fee is $15 and waivers are in place for girls who cannot afford the fee.

 Program Benefit:
This program combines physical activity with an educational intervention to reduce and prevent risky behaviors. Elementary and middle-school girls learn to cope with circumstances and change behaviors that threaten their well-being as they embrace a physically active lifestyle over the course of 15 weeks.

The Program:
Each week a different GoGirlGo! lesson (i.e., bullying, leadership and refusal skills) and a different sport are presented to the girls.
Program Benefit:
Our girls' sports and recreational programs uniquely feature the inclusion of high school girls that serve as Peer Mentors to the group. These girls are participants in North Star’s Peer Assistance Leadership Program, a Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) model program, which provides a framework for specialized training for teens who wish to provide one-on-one peer support.

The Program:
Sports in the program include rock climbing, soccer, fencing, basketball, gymnastics, and volleyball.