Athletic Department Partners with National Nonprofit Promoting Girls in Sports

GoGirlGo! Boston will be headquartered out of the William J. Holmes Sports & Fitness Center. "We are excited to be at Simmons because of the rich history of empowering women," said program director Whitney Post. "It enables us to have a location central to many sports and community activities. We are excited to work with Simmons, as well as other local colleges, to engage female athletes to mentor young girls through the GoGirlGo! Program."

According to Simmons Athletic Director Ali Kantor, who is serving on the 2008 Women's Sports Foundation Boston program Grants Allocation Committee, the benefits will be reciprocal. "Our mission and theirs are so compatible. Having the program housed in the William J. Holmes Sports & Fitness Center allows us to work collaboratively and synergistically along side each other," she said. According to Kantor, Simmons athletes can benefit from GoGirlGo!'s connections to establish opportunities for community outreach efforts and conducting clinics on fitness and sports.

The need for programs and partnerships like this is greater than ever, according to the Women's Sports Foundation. A 2007 study by the foundation concluded that girls in the metropolitan Boston area were less active than their state- and country-wide counterparts, and more susceptible to high-risk behavior. GoGirlGo! Boston gives girls aged 8-18 the opportunity to be physically active, boost their self esteem, and to understand that sedentary lifestyles have dire consequences. The program provides financial and technical support to schools, parks, and nonprofit organizations that conduct sports and fitness programs for girls.

For more information on the GoGirlGo! program, visit www.gogirlgo.com.