BAY AREA WOMENS SPORTS INITIATIVE INC

Programs: Bawsi girls: a weekly after-school program that connects second through fifth grade girls living in underserved neighborhoods with volunteer female athletes from nearby colleges and high-schools. The goal of the program is to change the young girls' beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors about physical activity while building important developmental assets. Rather than focusing on building skills in specific sports, the bawsi girls curriculum is designed to foster a love of physical play through fitness- and team-based games. Each girl is given a personal pedometer to help her set and track her progress on activity goals each week. In addition to the movement-based components of the curriculum, the volunteer athlete-coaches engage bawsi girls in animated "locker-room" conversations on important personal traits like integrity, determination and courage. Every bawsi girl is also invited to attend at least one bawsi game day. These special events bring bawsi girls to a college campus to watch female athletes compete in a sporting event. In addition to providing an opportunity for the girls to bond with athletes who sit alongside them in the stands, these events are often the girls' first exposure to a college environment. Sixty-five bawsi girls meet once per week for 75 minutes at each elementary school site, for a total of eight weeks in the fall, and for another eight weeks in the spring. In addition to the 8-week bawsi girls sessions, the athlete leaders will teach the graduating group of up to 15 bawsi girls the value of stepping up to lead in their community . One athlete leader for the site will meet with this group of girls 8 times over an additional 4 weeks to assist the girls in developing and implementing their own service learning activity within their community. Total number of girls registered = 925average weekly attendance = 81%percentage of girls that want to be a leader always or most of the time = 80%percentage of girls that now set goals for themselves always or most of the time = 74%percentage of focus girls that want to exercise more and join more teams now = 98%

bawsi rollers: a program that provides boys and girls with physical, cognitive, and hearing disabilities the opportunity to get active on the playground while also building self-confidence. Participants also explore topics such as goal setting and teamwork. The program engages elementary school students with physical, cognitive, and hearing disabilities in a curriculum that includes adapted basketball, tag, volleyball, hockey, kickball, soccer, bowling and other sports and games that develop hand-eye coordination, strength and teamwork. Bawsi rollers also practice goal setting, teamwork and healthy competition each week so that they develop both physical and mental skills. Like all of bawsi's programs, bawsi rollers is led by athletes who serve as coaches and positive role models. World-class athletes including paralympians make special visits to share stories and motivate bawsi rollers. The number of participants can range from eight to forty children dependent on the population of special needs students at a particular elementary school or hospital. Bawsi rollers meet once per week for 60 minutes at each site, for a total of eight weeks in the fall, and for another eight weeks in the spring. Total number of children registered = 311average weekly attendance = 83%

special project - bawsi hosts a female alumni athlete network event for the community, once each year.