HER TIME TO PLAY It can be challenging to stick with sports as a young girl, especially in a male-dominated sport like basketball. By the age of 14, girls drop out of sports twice as often as boys. That’s why the WNBA and Jr. NBA created a nationwide initiative called Her Time To Play, a program dedicated to championing change on behalf of girls and women and providing them with ways to connect, collaborate, and actively engage with one another through the game of basketball.
Led by former TCU player and present City of Arlington employee, Lorie Butler- Zarate, the Arlington Parks and Recreation’s Athletics Department joined this initiative. Offering Arlington’s first Her Time To Play basketball clinic this spring at Meadowbrook Recreation Center, 20 girls came together to take part in the inaugural event. The Jr. NBA kindly donated 10 women’s size basketballs to the program, as well as other gifts. The program provides basketball curriculum developed specifically for young women, as well as lessons that teach the girls life skills, like how to face challenges, gain confidence, and learn values both on and off the court. Her Time To Play participants enjoyed a special visit from Sandora Irvin, former WNBA player and TCU Hall of Famer. Irvin gave the girls some words of encouragement and served as a great role model to these young athletes. The girls also received tickets to a Wings game for the opprtunity to get on the court and meet the team in the tunnel. This first clinic was very appreciated by participants and parents alike, with many expressing an interest in continuing the program throughout the year. Arlington Athletics plans to offer additional clinics through the Her Time To Play initiative to continue inspiring young girls to learn and enjoy basketball. For more information, please contact Lorie Butler-Zarate at 817-459-5468.
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