A student throws a football at a target during National Girls & Women in Sports Day 2024

Springfield City School District and Wittenberg University have partnered for the third consecutive year to celebrate National Girls & Women in Sports Day by bringing new athletic opportunities to young women.

A student swings at a softball in a cage150 girls from the District’s 10 elementary schools took a field trip to the University, where they tried their hands at various sports, including soccer, lacrosse, softball, basketball and volleyball. The girls were mentored by Wittenberg student-athletes and coaches.

A student gets instruction about how to pass a volleyball from a Wittenberg student-athlete during National Girls & Women in Sports DayAccording to the Women’s Sports Foundation, 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 women athletes to bring national attention to the promise of girls and women in athletics. NGWSD has since evolved into an event to acknowledge the accomplishments of girls and women in sports, the positive influence of sports participation and the continuing struggle for equality for women in sports.

NGWSD is officially recognized this year on Feb. 7. More images from the events are available on the District's Instagram here.