EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — Hundreds of girls participated in an event at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center to celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day on Wednesday.
National Girls and Women in Sports Day celebrates the extraordinary achievements of women and girls in sports, according to a press release.
On this day, communities across the country host events to highlight female athletes, including a local celebration at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center.
The event was designed to educate, inspire and celebrate the achievements of female athletes and help lead the next generation forward. Joyner-Kersee moderated a roundtable discussion at the event.
She said the event is also used to teach young girls how to use sports for good.
“It’s really a way to encourage, inspire young female student athletes to be the best that they can be,” Joyner-Kersee said. “But our twist on it is how you can use sports for good. You learn discipline, you learn how to set goals, not just in athletics but in academics and hopefully as a part of your growth path of being a winner in life.”
Several former female athletes and businesswomen also took part in the discussion and offered advice on the importance of equal opportunity in sports.
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