Event Seeks to Spark Girls’ Interest in Sports

A fledgling Venice community sports organization is setting out to prove that low-income girls can thrive through sports if they are offered role models and encouragement to overcome barriers of gender and economics.

To that end, women representing diverse sports such as volleyball and surfing will meet with girls today during “Venice Girls Sports Day,” sponsored by Sister Sneakers, from noon to 5 p.m. at the Oakwood Recreation Center. Organizers of the free event invited girls from the 15 federally subsidized apartment buildings in the Oakwood neighborhood.

Professional volleyball player Maggie Philgence, members of Loyola Marymount University’s women’s basketball team and women surfers will demonstrate their skills in hopes of sparking the girls’ interest in sports, said Julie Lee, founder of Sneaker Sisters. Sports not only makes girls physically stronger but can strengthen them mentally, Lee said.

“I think physical empowerment translates into personal empowerment,” said Lee, a former youth gymnast.

The nonprofit organization is focusing on low-income urban areas, where young girls may be curbed by cultural beliefs that discourage sports for girls or the fees often required to join organized teams. The organization, which is drawing support from several community leaders, plans to eventually pair girls with women athletes as mentors.

“It’s not just about sports, it’s about what happens off the court,” Lee said. “Maybe some girls won’t get pregnant or they won’t become swayed by drugs if we can help channel them into sports at a young age.”

Despite the advances of women in professional and organized youth sports, encouragement for young girls in playing sports is still lacking, Lee said.

“A lot of coaches don’t know how to coach girls and then they say, ‘We don’t need sports for girls because they aren’t interested,’ ” Lee said.

“I just think that if you tell girls they can do it, pretty soon they start believing it.”

Lee said that Sister Sneakers, which was launched in November, has not had a hard time finding women willing to volunteer their time for the cause.

“You don’t need to do a lot of explaining about what we want to do,” Lee said. “One woman firefighter said, ‘I’ll be there for every single event.’ ”