If there is a poster child for #IPlayLikeAGirl, it is me. Here’s me, just making history like a faux celeb trying out for a football team. I’ve actually made this point a bunch of times in conversation: I don’t want to play football like a man, I want to play football like a woman. It’s different, and it’s still awesome.
The Play Like A Girl organization (iplaylikeagirl.org) is launching a hashtag campaign showcasing the power of active play, physical activity and sports to improve overall health and quality of life for girls. Obviously, I agree.
Dr. Kimberly Clay, Founder and Executive Director of Play Like A Girl says, “Each [girl] has used participation in sports as a major step in overcoming significant hurdles in their lives including bullies, body shaming, low self-esteem, debilitating accidents and injuries, and life-threatening illnesses.”
“Through Judo, I found the strength and confidence I needed to achieve my dreams,” says Nikki Kubes, U.S. Judo Olympian featured in the #IPlayLikeAGirl ad campaign. “After the Olympics, I set my sights on a new dream. I’ve always trained with the boys, fought with the boys, and always knew there was nothing a girl couldn’t do. So now I work with the boys and my dream is to be the best police officer I can be.”
The #IPlayLikeAGirl campaign draws inspiration from Sport for All, Play for Life: A Playbook to Get Every Kid in the Game recently released by the Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program, in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Nike, ESPN, the Clinton Foundation and the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition. The report outlines a national plan to re-imagine organized youth sports, prioritizing health and inclusion, while recognizing the benefits of unstructured play.
Share how you play like a girl with a tweet, photo, video or message to join the conversation and inspire young girls everywhere to be active.