On Saturday, Feb.1, Kingswood Oxford celebrated Girls in Sports Day, an annual program aimed at involving young girls in neighboring towns in sports. The event celebrates the implementation of Title IX, an act made specifically to provide girls with equal opportunities to participate in school sports with comparable resources and support to boys’ programs.
In honor of this, KO looks to recognize the significance of providing young girls with an opportunity to get involved with sports from a young age. The day allows students in grades four through eight to pick three sports to play with KO students and coaches for the morning.
Athletic Director Josh Balabuch talked about the different sports offerings the program provides for young girls to try. “We’re always looking to add different sports, particularly the ones we offer here at KO,” Mr. Balabuch said. This held true this year, as squash was added to the program, alongside established sports offerings like dance, lacrosse, soccer, volleyball, tennis, basketball, theater, softball, track and field, esports, and field hockey.
The day has laid the foundation for many successful KO athletes. “We have had students from Girls in Sports Day come to KO, but that isn’t the sole intention,” Mr. Balabuch said. Successful former KO athlete Lexi Vail ’22 played softball at the event and later volunteered. This helped show Mr. Balabuch how eager KO students are to give back to the younger generation, making the student volunteering one of his favorite aspects about the event.
Senior tennis player Yzzy Albert volunteered at the event and talked about her experience helping to run activities throughout the day. “It was a great opportunity to show girls the sport that I love to play,” Yzzy said. “I got to teach some girls how to play the sport, but I also just wanted to make sure everyone was having a good time.” When describing how she came to be involved with the program, Yzzy explained that prior to coming to KO she had participated in the program. “ I remember participating in the same event when I was the same age as the girls and I absolutely loved it, so I knew at some point I wanted to help out with it,” Yzzy said. Yzzy is a great example of the kind of active and eager volunteer that Mr. Balabuch referred to.
Yzzy also stated that the information she learned during the day caused her to become more interested in the history of Title IX, since that was the first exposure she had had to it. The idea of equality really resonated with Yzzy and was a huge takeaway from the day.
Mr. Balabuch explained that the program has been around for a long time and has undergone many minor changes throughout the years. The largest change of late was implementing an online signup system, allowing people to sign up for specific sports in advance. Mr. Balabuch also explained that one important element of the program is that it has remained free throughout its entire existence at the school and is focused on accessibility for all.
Finally, Mr. Balabuch expressed his gratitude for the coaches who took time out of their days to help with the event. “It’s a fantastic event,” Mr. Balabuch said. ”I love how much student ownership there is, and I appreciate all of our coaches.” After another successful year, the KO community looks forward to another Girls in Sports Day next year!
