Sandra Sims University of Alabama at Birmingham Charity

Sandra Sims University of Alabama at Birmingham Charity Bryan University of Louisiana at Lafayette

For more than 110 years NAGWS has been a voice in the world for all girls and women in sport – athletes, teachers, coaches and administrators at all levels. Helping NAGWS are advocates who are lawyers and politicians, moms and dads, friends and neighbors. We all must join in to be an advocate for this important cause.

On February 6, 2013, NAGWS celebrated the 27 th annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day. NAGWS is one of five coalition members who plan the Washington, DCbased celebration on Capitol Hill and prepare the materials and products available for you to host an event in your school or community. The four other coalition members are Girls Inc. , Girls Scouts of the USA, National Women’s Law Center and Women’s Sports Foundation.

IDEAS for this celebration: Banquet celebrating girls and women in sports. School assembly honoring girls and women who play sports. Day long events at a university for young athletes involving speakers and sports clinics. Other ideas?

"No person in the United Stated shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal assistance. "

Researched Women in Intercollegiate Sport for 35 years. Acosta/Carpenter. “Women in Intercollegiate Sport. A Longitudinal, National Study, Thirty Five Year Update. 1977 -2012”. http: //www. acostacarpenter. org/

Help your community understand gender equity/Title IX by hosting a Backyards and Beyond Gathering, premiering NAGWS' new 3 -disc DVD set on Title IX, or leading your class or group in a Generations of Title IX storytelling session.

A grassroots program which organizes a Gathering of community members in backyards across the nation to learn about and advocate for issues which promote education, advocacy, implementation, and vigilance surrounding social justice issues that are relevant to girls and women in sport.

Backyards and Beyond was created following a model of community organizing to bring persons together around a common issue to achieve civility, equity, and the preservation of rights for girls and women in sport.

"Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home – so close and so small they can not be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of individual persons: the neighborhood, the school or college, the factory, farm or office. Such are the places where every man, woman and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerned citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world. "

Let’s Move! Active Schools Cheerleading Position Statement GLSEN Sport Project Others?

Develop a plan of action each year. Follow your plan. Collaborate with others. Celebrate victories. Redesign the plan if you do not have success.

To develop the plan you must answer a few questions. What? Why? What? Who? How? When?

WHAT am I passionate about? WHY am I passionate for this cause? What is one goal that would I like to see accomplished? WHO must I influence in order to accomplish this goal? STRATEGY & TIMELINE (How and When) How I will accomplish my goal: When I will accomplish my goal:

Use the strategies and timeline that you set up to follow in a step by step order. Make sure you list all of the strategies that you will need to complete the plan of action

Working with others who are passionate about your cause will give your voice more power. Utilize strength in numbers to complete the plan.

Enjoy the victories, no matter how small they are! Praise your champions who are leaders for your group. Give awards to policymakers who help you along the way.

Plans are made to be flexible. If the plan does not work the first time, redesign it to address what you have learned in the process of promoting your cause. A new plan should be made each year to update where you are and where you want to be.