As part of the fourth annual Jr. NBA week, the WNBA and NBA have launched the Her Time To Play campaign, which is aimed at inspiring girls aged 7-14 to play and stay involved with the game of basketball.
The effort is being done in collaboration with several nationally recognized organizations, including the YMCA, USA Basketball, the Women’s Sports Foundation, the Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association, and the Boys and Girls’ Clubs of America.
Representation matters.
–Skylar Diggins-Smith, Her Time To Play ambassador
Her Time To Play is an important step towards ensuring that young women have access to mentors and others invested in helping them achieve success.
Its curriculum included 12 lessons on a myriad of topics from self-confidence to healthy eating to teamwork to body image. Those chapters also featured life stories from some of the W’s biggest stars – including Elena Delle Donne, Brittney Griner, and Nneka Ogwumike.
The initiative also aims to increase the number of women coaches. The Jr. NBA announced it will give 500 woman coaches the chance to obtain a coaching license through USA Basketball. Select coaches would be honored at next year’s Jr. NBA Youth Basketball Leadership Conference.
This is an important initiative from a WNBA standpoint because of fostering a generation of young girls that can look up to those currently in the W and say that they aspire to be them when they grow up. There is a built-in market of girls playing basketball that the league ought to tap more into, which will only increase the WNBA’s visibility as a whole.
Not to take away from the LeBron James, Stephen Curry’s, and Kevin Durant’s of the world, but how gratifying would it be if a generation of young girls said Candace Parker or Breanna Stewart or Diana Taurasi or Maya Moore or Elena Delle Donne or A’ja Wilson were their favorite players.
For @Chiney321, basketball is a unifier and it all starts at the youth level. What is basketball to you? #JrNBAWeek I #HerTimetoPlay pic.twitter.com/zzw8GhoFQs
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 12, 2018
ICYMI: At Wednesday's @ATLHawks game, the @AtlantaDream's @Da20one and Hawks Vice President of Basketball Development Jon Babul talked all things @jrnba! #HerTimeToPlay #JrNBAWeek
Learn More: https://t.co/8fFbAjYurj pic.twitter.com/xAUmJDQNvl
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 12, 2018
#TBT "Do you have any advice for a girl who's just starting to play basketball?" 💞👊 @Kelseyplum10 #HerTimeToPlay #DayOfTheGirl pic.twitter.com/hUyCkqIgcF
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 11, 2018
#JrNBAWorldChampionship Ambassador @Candace_Parker on the value of the global game! #InternationalDayOfTheGirl #HerTimeToPlay 🌎⭐️ pic.twitter.com/YY2rInZrWi
— Jr. NBA (@jrnba) October 11, 2018
In honor of #InternationalDayOfTheGirl, we salute all of the women and girls who strive to be the best that they can be everyday! @ a girl who inspires you ⬇️✨#ShowUp🗽 #HerTimeToPlay #WatchUsWork pic.twitter.com/MEMd5TQALl
— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) October 11, 2018
It's important for young girls to have strong female role models and coaches! #HerTimeToPlay https://t.co/1HVSlOc8KA
— FeverCares (@FeverCares) October 10, 2018
As @jrnba's #HerTimeToPlay continues, @NBA 🌟s shout out the #WNBA 💯👏 pic.twitter.com/4wduhhjhbS
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 10, 2018
