St. Bonaventure University will host its annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day event on April 21. 

Local high school girls and their coaches will participate in two 45-minute sports sessions with St. Bonaventure’s female student-athletes and staff, among other activities.

The high-schoolers can choose softball, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, rugby, tennis, swimming (dry land drills) or cross country clinics; or they can participate in a fitness challenge presented by the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) and physical education and sport studies majors or a roller derby exhibition.

Students from the following schools will attend: Allegany-Limestone, Archbishop Walsh, Austin, Bath, Bradford, Bolivar-Richburg, Ellicottville, Fillmore, Franklinville, Gustavus Adolphus Learning Center, Genesee Valley, Hinsdale, Olean, Portville, Randolph, Salamanca, South Park and Southwestern. 

“Some schools also bring middle school girls, and some teachers bring students on campus (who) may not be on an athletic team,” said Dr. Paula Scraba, associate professor of physical education at SBU who organizes the annual event. “This is a great opportunity for them to experience being on a college campus or to participate in an environment where physical activity is a fun learning component as opposed to a competitive component.”

Students will arrive between 9 and 9:25 a.m. At 9:45 a.m., they will listen to a keynote address from Sr. Maria Pares, O.S.F., New York State Hall of Fame Basketball Coach. Sr. Maria coached women’s basketball at Sacred Heart Academy and Canisius College in Buffalo, as well as Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Following lunch with SBU athletes, participants will have the time to talk with Sr. Maria in a question-and-answer session.

The day will end with a tour of campus for those interested and a visit to the SBU Bookstore. Students may also choose to continue the ROTC fitness challenge or talk with coaches.

National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) began in 1987 to honor Flo Hyman, an Olympic volleyball player, for her athleticism and promotion of equality for women’s sports. Hyman died of Marfan’s Syndrome in 1986 while competing in Japan.

The NGWSD’s mission is to “develop and deliver equitable and quality sport opportunities for all girls and women through relevant research, advocacy, leadership development, educational strategies and programming in a manner that promotes social justice and change.” 

NGWSD has continued since then to highlight the accomplishments of past female athletes and recognize current sports achievements, the positive influence of sports participation and women’s continuous struggle for equality and access to sports.

The event is funded by a Visiting Scholar Grant, St. Bonaventure’s Office of Alumni Services and St. Bonaventure’s Division of University Relations.

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 About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, we believe in the goodness of every person and in the ability of every person to do extraordinary things.  St. Bonaventure University cultivates graduates who are confident and creative communicators, collaborative leaders and team members, and innovative problem solvers who are respectful of themselves, others, and the diverse world around them. Named the #3 best college value in the North by U.S. News and World Report, we are establishing pathways to internships, graduate schools and careers in the context of our renowned liberal arts tradition. Our students are becoming extraordinary.