Girls Hoops Academy - Samuel W Shaw Afterschool Program

The Girls Hoops Academy was offered in the fall of 2024 as an afterschool girls program at Samuel W Shaw School in Calgary. This project was created when the basketball coach noticed that many girls were interested in basketball but had not had skill development opportunities to play on the team. This project was free, after school, once a week from October to December for 38 girls ages 10 - 15 who were looking to develop their fundamental movement skills, teamwork and leadership skills in a fun, relaxed environment. For many of the girls, this was their first experience being part of an organized sport. 

The project provided many great opportunities for the girls:

• They had an opportunity to go to watch the MRU Women’s Team play
• They were linked to other low cost opportunities within the community and YMCA programs. 
• They were able to have a guest coach who was an Indigenous Women lead a session as well as girls from a high school team to help with skill development. Both opportunities provided role models for the girls to learn from. 
• All participants reported a positive experience and the lead coach noticed the leadership and confidence development that occurred during the project.