Three up-and-coming high school seniors created Volley4Change to help combat the injustice they witnessed first-hand when they grew up playing youth sports.
“Volley4Change is an initiative to address the inequalities that exist within volleyball, especially the economic and geographic barriers that prevent many girls of color from excelling in the sport,” said co-founder Meg House. Worth said.
credit: Heidi Randava
The newly formed nonprofit helps girls overcome racial and economic barriers to entering competitive volleyball, the second most popular sport for girls in the United States, according to the National High School Association. It’s intended to help.
National team volleyball player and soon-to-be Evanston Township High School senior Houseworth and fellow ETHS senior Margaret Adams have joined Niles West High School senior Sherry Animashawn as part of Volley4Change. Launched a free summer tournament. In a letter to the Roundtable, AnimaShawn wrote that she “want to give equal opportunities to girls of all backgrounds to become a volleyball player at the high school level.”
Volley4Change campers and coaches gathered at Clark Street Beach on Saturday, July 30th.
“This is our final day of tournaments. Beach days and potlucks to celebrate what we’ve created. It’s so special to have all the girls here,” said Houseworth, attending camp Girls who hadn’t been there were invited to join in the fun, she added.
The camp was held at Mason Park on Tuesdays and Fridays in July from 10am to noon.
“There were outdoor nets on the lawn and coaches to help the mostly middle school girls develop their skills and sportsmanship within the team. The youngest will be in fourth grade, and the oldest player will be in ninth grade,” Adams said.
They announced the camp on their Volley4Change Instagram account. Interested families were able to fill out a Google form sent to middle school students. Information about the program was also sent to junior high school physical education teachers.
All three teenage organizers played high school volleyball at ETHS, but Anima Shawn and Adams are no longer competitive. Two years later she transferred from ETHS to Niles Her West. Anima Shawn is also the founder of the Her Rising Initiative, a nonprofit that partners with programs in Evanston and Chicago to improve students, female athletes and immigrants.
As Anima Shawn wrote in a letter to the Roundtable, their shared experience was that volleyball “became more segregated at the high school level, and competitive players all joined club volleyball, earning between $3,000 and $10,000 per season.” It is a barrier for low- and middle-income groups as it can cost
Club volleyball consists of independent organizations that train student-athletes in the sport of volleyball so that they can continue to compete during the school offseason. The club rents gym space and time for practice, and there are administrative costs such as recruiting girls to play for the club. The cost of entry is even higher due to tryout fees, tournament admission fees, transportation costs, etc.
According to market research firm Wintergreen Research, disparities in access to youth sports are growing, largely due to skyrocketing costs for year-round training programs and youth sports becoming a $19 billion annual industry in the United States. There is evidence that the A company that tracks the industry.
The cost of club volleyball is out of reach for many low- and middle-income people, keeping many girls away from their favorite sport.
With more than 450,000 participants, volleyball has had the most steady growth in attendance among the girls’ high school sports over the past 50 years, surpassing basketball as the second most popular women’s sport in the United States. Women’s outdoor athletics continues to rank second. No. 1 in popularity, according to data from the National Association of High Schools.
Volley4Change was funded by a Community Building Grant from Evanston Cradle to Career. There were 23 participants in the training camp.
“We definitely want to continue the initiative,” Houseworth said. “We hope that we can provide scholarship funds for girls to pursue club volleyball for free during the winter, which is the off-season for junior high school volleyball. We will also try to host open gyms at the Evanston Community Center and ETHS.”
“The subsidy was a factor…” Adams said. “…it even allowed us to promote this,” Houseworth said as he completed Adams’ sentence.
“A big thank you to Cradle to Career and Kim. [Kimberly Holmes-Ross, Director of Community Engagement at Evanston Cradle to Career]said Houseworth.
“She was amazing,” added Anima Shawn.
“It’s empowering to know that these girls can experience volleyball and help develop their skills and talents, just like we did when we were younger,” Adams said.
“We are also trying to acquire young girls from us. [volleyball] We need to implement programs at ETHS and Niles West to keep the camps going,” Animashawn said.
Many campers spoke enthusiastically about their experiences with the program. What they had in common was an appreciation for the experience and skills they gained. Below are excerpts from interviews with eight of his Volley4Change campers.
“The camp has been great since the first time we went,” says Jada S.
“I made new friends. I learned how to serve, bump and set. I had a lot of fun and want more,” said Dasha T.
“This camp has been a really great experience. It’s a chance to make new friends, learn new volleyball techniques, and improve things that need improvement,” said Vivian M.
“I loved the camp. I love that the camp is free because I’ve been there, and it’s been a great experience,” said Olivia P.
“This camp was really fun. We made new friends and the coaches were nice. They were easy to talk to,” said Bailey S.
“I love camping. I’ve made a lot of new friends, learned a lot more technical things about volleyball, and improved my skills,” says Jasmyn W.
“It was a good experience and I improved my volleyball.
“I learned new things. I learned how to serve and bump and set,” said Hannah P., the program’s youngest camper.
A few parents also stopped by for a culminating Beach Day celebration. Independent film producer Mychal Mitchell thanked the organizers and volunteers for their hard work in making the camp a success. “I love seeing her daughter Vivian participate in this program,” Mitchell said. “I am a former athlete myself, and apart from religion and family, nothing beats sport.
Mitchell said of his daughter, “I admire her drive and enthusiasm to be a part of volleyball.” [coaches] I try to inspire others. If her daughter can participate in something, I would like to let her participate. We live here, we love Evanston, we love the beach. ”
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