2023.03 -- US Storybook 2022 updated 4.14 - Flipbook - Page 75
HER TIME TO PLAY WITH THE LA SPARKS
In September, PeacePlayers at ICEF View Park School in Los
Angeles were visited by the LA Sparks for a WNBA fit clinic,
followed by a panel discussion to encourage girls to stay in the
game. The program was a part of Her Time to Play, a national
initiative of the NBA and WNBA dedicated to providing women
and girls with ways to connect, collaborate, and actively engage
with one another through the game of basketball. Panelists
included educator Brittanee Oakley; Natalie White, Senior Vice
President of the LA Sparks; PeacePlayers LA Director Evan
Unrau; and entrepreneur LaSandra Dixon. PeacePlayers Los
Angeles Program Manager Natalie Gutierrez facilitated the
panel, creating space to acknowledge both the amateur and
professional journeys of the panelists through sport.
Sparks Coach LaSandra Dixon weighed in on the event, sharing
that “The panel was amazing because it was so diverse but
so close to home. I love the fact that we had individuals on
the panel that all had different current connections to the
game of basketball. The space allowed us to remind the girls
in attendance that we were once young girls learning and
developing our games just like them. I think it’s important to
expose girls to women in different professions because they’re
so many different types of girls with different personalities,
backgrounds, and abilities. If we can water seeds that are
already within girls, with representation, they can see, hear,
and know whatever they dream is possible. To me sport
doesn’t only prepare young people for the next chapter in their
life but aids them in decisions they’re making in their daily
lives. Sport teaches you how to handle falling short, how
to communicate, and how to work with others towards a
common goal.”
PEACEPLAYERS UNITED STATES STORYBOOK
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