BAWSI mobilizes the women’s sports community to engage, inspire, and empower girls from under-resourced neighborhoods and children with disabilities.
BAWSI’s Leadership Accelerator for Children and Youth through Sport provides free, inclusive, school-based sports and leadership programs that remove financial, logistical, and accessibility barriers to participation for children and youth from under-resourced neighborhoods. Programs are delivered in partnership with schools and community organizations and emphasize positive coaching, developmentally appropriate instruction, leadership development, and exposure to athlete role models, college campuses, and career pathways.
Activities:
Elementary School (Grades 2–5)
BAWSI Elementary School program provides weekly afterschool sessions offered in fall and spring that introduce participants to physical activity, teamwork, goal-setting, mindfulness, and leadership through fun, high-energy games and sport-specific skill development. Sessions are structured around rotating activity stations that build fitness and motor coordination, introduce healthy competition, and reinforce leadership skills through a “word of the week,” journaling, and reflection. Fifth-grade participants engage in additional weekly leadership sessions as junior coaches and have opportunities to plan and lead activities for younger children and youth. All participants are invited to BAWSI Game Day field trips at local college sporting events, providing exposure to athlete role models and college campuses. Delivering programs on school campuses removes barriers related to cost, transportation, and access.
Middle School (Grades 6–8)
BAWSI Middle School programming addresses the well-documented drop-off in sports participation during adolescence through BAWSI PE clinics, afterschool sports clinics, and drop-in sessions that build confidence and skill in both traditional and non-traditional sports. Participants receive leadership sessions that reinforce lessons learned through teamwork and competition, and participants are invited to college and career field trips to meet leaders, learn about postsecondary pathways, and begin envisioning themselves as future leaders. These strategies normalize continued participation in sports and support healthy habits during a critical developmental period.
High School (Grades 9–12)
BAWSI High School programming supports continued sports participation, leadership development, and career exposure through BAWSI Club, leadership sessions, afterschool drop-in sessions, and mentorship opportunities. High school participants have opportunities to attend College Game Day and Career Game Day field trips, connect with career mentors, and serve as role models and volunteers for younger BAWSI participants. This “pay it forward” approach reinforces leadership identity while strengthening the pipeline of youth who remain engaged in sport and leadership through adolescence.