This years WISPA (Women In Sport and Physical Activity) event takes place on Thursday 10th March 2011. Last years event was a huge success with a range of girls in year 9, in and around Leicester getting involved in new sports giving them a huge experience and bringing them back into the world of sport.
More than 170 girls attended the event last year coming from 17 Leicester City Schools, including two specialist schools
WISPA is an organisation trying to get year 9 girls into sport, using sports that are not necessarily taught in schools, for example; BMX, Trampolining, Zumba Dance, Street Dance, Skipping, Free Running and many more.
The event falls within international women’s week and brings girls together giving them a brand new experience. One of the main benefits of WISPA’s yearly event is that it boosts all of the girl’s confidence.
WISPA’s aim each year is to re engage girls with sport and to promote different sports that are not so well known. They unite girls from different backgrounds and broadens each and everyone of the girls’ perspective of sport, showing them that it is not just for boys.
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WISPA has been running the event for seven years now and every year they try and engage more and more girls through a steering group made up of Key stage 4 & 5 young leaders. These young leaders use both their positive and negative experiences of school sport to help shape an event relevant to young girls.
Each event is organised by a group of around 15 volunteers from schools and college’s in Leicester, we are called the steering group and also attend and lead the event. We organise press coverage, promotion, sponsorship, and the activities taking place on the day.
The group of around 15 girls are involved in the WISPA project because it builds confidence and gives us experience in organising sporting events. The steering group is lucky enough to have some girls that were previously involved in the day, getting them re-involved in sport and the WISPA project.
Kim Mogg, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
