February 10th 2024.
On February 7th, National Girls and Women in Sports Day, there was a special announcement made by the Women's National Basketball Association and Voice In Sport. Together, they revealed an incredible community partnership in collaboration with the WNBA Changemaker Collective. The goal of this collaboration is to support and empower girls in sports, both on and off the court.
According to Fast Company, VIS (a digital platform created by women) and the WNBA Changemakers (which includes companies like AT&T, CarMax, Deloitte, Google, Nike, and U.S. Bank) are dedicated to creating positive change within the sports industry for girls and women. This partnership is a significant step towards achieving that mission.
Colie Edison, the WNBA chief growth officer, highlighted the importance of this partnership by saying, "The WNBA Changemaker Collective is made up of a powerful group of organizations with a common goal of empowering underrepresented groups, girls, and women through the power of sports. By joining forces with Voice In Sport, we are thrilled to expand our impact and engage even more girls and women in sports. Together, we can build a supportive environment for the next generation of leaders."
By 2024, the WNBA Changemakers and VIS aim to provide services to over 50,000 girls in sports. As part of this initiative, VIS has announced that 12 WNBA players will serve as VIS Mentors. These incredible athletes, including Ariel Atkins, Aliyah Boston, Alysha Clark, Natasha Cloud, Izzy Harrison, Lexie Hull, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, Haley Jones, Nneka Ogwumike, Satou Sabally, Erica Wheeler, and Katie Lou Samuelson, will help accelerate access to role models for young players.
The partnership between the WNBA and VIS will officially begin this month, delivering services to thousands of girls in sports across the United States. This initiative, supported by the WNBA Changemakers, is pioneering as it is the first time a professional league has invested in virtual mentoring and educational content on a large scale for young female athletes. Throughout the year, the VIS platform and the 12 WNBA player VIS Mentors will host over 144 Live VIS Virtual Mentoring Sessions.
Stef Strack, the founder and CEO of VIS, shared the transformative goals of the initiative, saying, "To keep girls in sports, we need to rethink the entire ecosystem and support athletes holistically. We need to give more visibility to professional women athletes and experts in areas such as sport psychology, nutrition, and sport science. At Voice In Sport, we are creating the services and content that we wish we had when we were young athletes. I am proud that we now have amazing partners like the WNBA and the WNBA Changemakers who are just as committed to making a change in this space as we are."
Ariel Atkins of the Washington Mystics, one of the WNBA players serving as a VIS Mentor, emphasized the importance of role models, saying, "For girls to stay in sports, it is crucial that they have someone to look up to and guide them along the way. I am honored to be that person for so many girls through the Voice In Sport mentorship platform. Not only am I looking forward to providing advice and support for the unique challenges that women athletes face, but I am also excited to celebrate their successes and be a reminder that they can achieve amazing things in their sport."
This collaborative effort is a reflection of the WNBA Changemakers' commitment to advancing underrepresented groups, girls, and women through various impactful initiatives. The partnership with VIS aligns perfectly with their broader goals and marks a significant step towards creating a world where girls and women are highly valued in the global sports landscape. This is just the beginning of a powerful and meaningful partnership that will continue to make a positive impact for years to come. Stay tuned for more updates on this groundbreaking initiative.
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