WNY Girls in Sports Strategic Plan

2017-2022

Strategic Plan United Way of Buffalo & Erie County WNY Girls in Sports

IMPACT YOUR “ SPORTS WHOLE LIFE...

THERE ARE A LOT OF TIMES YOU’RE GOING TO LOSE IN LIFE AND YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD FROM THERE. ” MARY WILSON

2017-2022 United Way WNY Girls in Sports Strategic Plan In partnership with the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, the United Way is researching and developing strategies to expand the role and impact of United Way WNY Girls in Sports on girls and young women in the region. The 2017-2022 Strategic Plan provides the foundation on which this research and expansion can occur. The plan articulates United Way WNY Girls in Sports’ vision, philosophy, and mission, and delineates core functions of the initiative.

The Strategic Plan is the roadmap for WNY Girls in Sports to positively affect girls and young women through broad-based, collaborative efforts. Key goals are to foster growth, research evidence-based best practices and measure impact, engage the community, invest in programs, and advocate for the health and well-being of girls and young women in Western New York.

This is a working document that sets the direction for United Way WNY Girls in Sports over the next five years and will enable it to increase its impact in Western New York.

We will:

• Foster the growth of United Way WNY Girls in Sports by building on the good work of prior and existing programs

• Research and apply evidence-based best practices and identify clear, measureable goals with action plans for creating and measuring impact

• Engage community partners, stakeholders, students and families in building collaborations and designing solutions

• Invest in sustainable programs that further support the mission, vision, and philosophy of United Way WNY Girls in Sports

• Advocate for the importance of sports for girls and young women in Western New York

Bridget Niland

Michael Weiner

Chair, Strategic Planning Committee

President & CEO

Director of Athletics, Daemen College

United Way of Buffalo & Erie County

“ WHETHER IT’S

RUNNING OR GOING TO THE GYM, SPORTS MAKES A DIFFERENCE, AND AFFECTS YOU IN A POSITIVE WAY. ” MARY WILSON

United Way WNY Girls in Sports is an initiative of the United Way of Buffalo & Erie County, under its Health and Wellness platform.

Through a biannual event, WNY Girls in Sports introduces thousands of girls and young women to the joy of sports. Mary Wilson created WNY Girls in Sports to improve the lives of girls in Buffalo through sports. Her personal love of sports, combined with her knowledge of the array of benefits for girls that are fostered through sports, led her to first partner with the Buffalo Bills and then the United Way of Buffalo & Erie County to bring together girls and sports.

Twice a year, over 100 volunteers come together to introduce girls to sports that they may not otherwise experience. These events empower girls to have the confidence to pursue their new interests outside of the event. Not only do the girls get to try new sports, but they also learn life skills and make new friends along the way.

United Way WNY Girls in Sports events are made possible through volunteers from the official program partners who operate each of the sports stations. The volunteers range in age from high school and college athletes to local coaches and professional athletes.

Our program partners include Algonquin Sports for Kids, Canisius College, Daemen College, Girls on the Run, Niagara Frontier Jr. Olympic Volleyball Club, The First Tee of WNY, and the University at Buffalo.

Over the past year, United Way WNY Girls in Sports has entered into a planning process for growth, made possible through a generous endowment gift to the United Way of Buffalo & Erie County from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation. This gift sustains core United Way WNY Girls in Sports programming for years to come and allows for core program enhancements, including implementation of the evidence-based fitness and nutrition program, CATCH (Coordinated Approach To Child Health), in Buffalo Public Schools.

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GIRLS IN SPORTS ARE:

MISSION • Promote sports and fitness among girls and young women • Make United Way WNY Girls in Sports programming available on a regular, year-round basis

• Deliver consistent messages and activities that will lead to healthy choices and development of essential life skills

• Create access and pathways for girls from underserved neighborhoods to participate in sports programs at the local, high school, and collegiate level

VISION United Way WNY Girls in Sports will empower girls and young women to be healthy, confident, and self-aware through their participation in sports and physical activity.

In addition, United Way WNY Girls in Sports will broaden its reach in underserved neighborhoods throughout Western New York.

PHILOSOPHY United Way WNY Girls in Sports is a collaborative, community building initiative that leverages strengths of partners, participants, and families to encourage girls and young women to lead confident and healthy lives.

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WNY GIRLS IN SPORTS STRATEGIC PLAN, 2017–2022

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GOAL ONE

Establish a dynamic structure that supports and advances core operating functions.

United Way WNY Girls in Sports will work with stakeholders to determine the level of support needed to carry out its core functions and achieve its vision. The key challenge for United Way WNY Girls in Sports in the next five years is to establish a structure that fosters the growth of its mission and the core operating functions of research, community engagement, program investment, and advocacy.

Build on existing United Way initiatives to ensure success.

United Way WNY Girls in Sports is an initiative of the United Way’s health and wellness platform. Enhanced programming will build on existing United Way initiatives, such as Soccer for Success, Play 60, and CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health), that create opportunities for youth to engage in activities to support their health and life success.

FOSTER the growth of United Way WNY Girls in Sports by building on the good work of prior and existing programs.

Encourage community collaboration.

Regular, ongoing feedback from stakeholders will determine the best path for achieving United Way WNY Girls in Sports mission and main objectives. United Way WNY Girls in Sports will ensure that it builds on existing resources in the community and integrates new initiatives to fill gaps in services.

Our vision is to ensure that all girls and young women from underserved neighborhoods have access to high-quality sports programs that support physical and personal growth.

Such an initiative is timely and necessary as evidenced by increasing obesity rates in our community and the continued inequity in girls and young women participating in sports.

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GOAL TWO

Conduct research and communicate findings.

In September of 2016, the United Way of Buffalo & Erie County Community Report on Girls in Sports was published and key findings were presented to the community.

The report provides a baseline assessment of gender disparities in activity and sports participation for girls in the City of Buffalo and draws on local and national research to identify key barriers to access and strategies to expand access to sports participation for urban girls. This report is the first in a series of reports that will draw attention to the importance of sports participation and physical activity for girls particularly in underserved communities in WNY.

Identify key issues regarding gender disparity in sports in our region.

Building on our initial findings, United Way WNY Girls in Sports will conduct ongoing research and data collection to inform and enhance key program dimensions. Topics to be explored include the engagement of elementary age children, charter school participation rates and opportunities, and intramural opportunities in both public and

RESEARCH evidence-based best practices to identify goals and build action plans to create and measure impact.

charter schools. Information gathered will be used by United Way WNY Girls in Sports to identify program participation goals that will allow measurement of our progress in expanding access to sports and physical activity.

United Way WNY Girls in Sports will produce reports and informational materials that broaden community and key stakeholder awareness of the importance of access to sports and physical activity for girls. This ongoing research will critically inform program development and advocacy to best serve and represent girls and young women.

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GOAL THREE ENGAGE community partners, stakeholders, students, and families to build collaborations and design solutions.

Invite families to access and participate in sports.

United Way and its partners will align United Way WNY Girls in Sports with organizations conducting successful family engagement activities, and involve families through information sharing and regular communication to build continuous pathways for girls and their families to get involved in sports.

Build social capital.

United Way WNY Girls in Sports will engage key community stakeholders, potential partners and investors to United Way WNY Girls in Sports, and engage them in planning activities to build a broad base of support and engagement for United Way WNY Girls in Sports’ mission and activities.

Create the WNY Girls in Sports brand experience.

Using multiple channels, the United Way WNY Girls in Sports marketing plan will inform and engage girls, young women, and their families through printed materials, social media and the development of a website. The plan will provide information about programming and offer mechanisms to obtain input and feedback about program performance and new program development.

United Way WNY Girls in Sports will address the key barriers that limit access to youth sports for parents and families.

United Way WNY Girls in Sports will bring the community together to collaboratively improve the well-being of girls and young women in Western New York through participation in sports and physical activity.

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GOAL FOUR

Introduce young girls to sports early and continually reinforce opportunities to participate.

United Way WNY Girls in Sports and its partners will develop comprehensive policies, procedures, and protocols from early childhood through middle school to ensure the delivery of high quality services that inspire young girls to continue in sports through their high school and college years.

Inspire high school, college-aged, and other young women to share their love of sports with younger girls.

United Way WNY Girls in Sports partners will create a system to recruit, train, and evaluate coaching staff and volunteers. This coach and junior coach training

INVEST in sustainable programs that further support the mission, vision, and philosophy of United Way WNY Girls in Sports.

program will provide opportunities for high school age athletes to coach and mentor the next generation of girls.

Utilize sports to teach and reinforce important life lessons.

United Way WNY Girls in Sports partners will work together to create curriculum guides in various sports to facilitate the development of age-appropriate sport and life skills. These curriculums can be implemented through sport activities and

By supporting and facilitating the work of its official program

shared with the WNY community.

partners, United Way WNY Girls in Sports will work with coaches to introduce young girls to sports early and to continually reinforce opportunities through elementary, middle, and high school. United Way WNY Girls in Sports will guide girls and young women through each step of the health, wellness, and athletics pipeline.

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GOAL FIVE ADVOCATE for the well-being of girls and young women and the importance of providing them access to sports.

Raise awareness on key issues impacting United Way WNY Girls in Sports.

United Way WNY Girls in Sports will identify an advocacy platform of key issues to be incorporated into the United Way of Buffalo & Erie County Advocacy Agenda.

Empower and inform girls and young women to stand up for themselves.

United Way WNY Girls in Sports will harness the voices of participants to advocate for change. Participants will be educated on the current state of affairs and empowered to go out and fight for their right to access to sports.

Educate and inform policymakers, community leaders, parents and concerned citizens.

United Way WNY Girls in Sports will identify opportunities to educate and inform policymakers, community leaders, and parents on the importance of physical activity and sports for the health and well-being of girls. Utilizing grassroots and grasstops advocacy, we will target strategic actions with the greatest potential and evaluate these efforts.

United Way WNY Girls in Sports will stay informed about policy decisions that impact girls and young women’s access to sports. United Way WNY Girls in Sports will further advocate for the overall health, wellness, and education of girls and young women in Western New York. Building on United Way’s advocacy platform, United Way WNY Girls in Sports will become a trusted and ef fective voice for girls and young women through its ef forts to promote their ability to be involved in and benefit from sports.

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Strategic Planning Committee We express our sincere appreciation to our volunteer committee chairs and members, whose guidance helped shape this strategic plan.

Bridget Niland* (Chair)

Patty Jordan-Smith

Christie Nelson

Daemen College

The First Tee of Western

City of Buffalo Office

New York

of Strategic Planning

Nekia Kemp

Rachel Pawlak

Buffalo Police Athletic

Daemen College

Cheri Alvarez YWCA of WNY Russell Andolina Buffalo Soccer Council Andrew Bennett The First Tee of Western New York Debbie Bolt Lawley Services Renee Cadzow D’Youville College Anna-Lesa Calvert Algonquin Sports Inc. Dan Cross-Viola Say Yes Buffalo Marie Curran Buffalo State College Gretchen Geitter Buffalo Bills

League

Sheri Scavone

Robin King

WNY Women’s

Daemen College

Foundation

Kimberly Luce

Kathleen Twist

Child & Adolescent

University at Buffalo

Treatment Services

Gail Tylec

Michelle A. Martin

Niagara Frontier Jr.

Girl Scouts of WNY

Olympic Volleyball Club

Michele Melligan

Assunta Ventresca

Empower Girls Buffalo

Buffalo Public School

Steve Mesler Classroom Champions Amy Moritz

System Linda Walleshauser Canisius College

The Buffalo News Traci Murphy Canisius College

United Way of Buffalo & Erie County Staff Suzanna Challen

Mary K Comtois

Karen Christie

Rema Hanash

UNITED WAY OF BUFFALO & ERIE COUNTY

Emily More

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