NEWS RELEASE: Sport Oregon To Launch New ‘SHE FLIES’ Initiative With Virtual Event On Thursday, April 29
Initiative aims to foster safe community spaces for equitable opportunities, further empowerment for girls and women
PORTLAND, Ore. – Sport Oregon today announced that it will host a live virtual launch event for its new SHE FLIES initiative on Thursday, April 29. The virtual event will feature a host of informational content about SHE FLIES in addition to a panel discussion with female athletes from a variety of professional and amateur sports backgrounds and ages.
The launch event is free to anyone who would like to join and will take place via Zoom from 4-5 p.m. Registration for Thursday’s SHE FLIES virtual launch event is available here.
Thursday’s panel discussion will be moderated by former internationally ranked track and field athlete and current Oregon22 Athletes & Teams Experience Director, Sasha Spencer. The panel will feature a number of accomplished athletes and coaches from the area, including: Sofia Castiglioni, an accomplished cross country and track team competitor at the University of Portland; Michelle French, a former U.S. Women’s National Team soccer standout and current women’s soccer head coach at the University of Portland; Jenny Hill, a Special Olympics World Games and USA Games gold medalist who has competed in seven Special Olympics sports over the better part of two decades; Sue Hill, a volunteer local program director and coach for Special Olympics for almost 25 years; Destiny Rodriguez, a nationally ranked state and regional girls wrestling champion at West Linn High School; and Rocky Rodriguez, a midfielder for Portland Thorns FC and a member of the Costa Rica Women’s National Team, scoring 42 goals and making 75 international appearances for her native country.
The SHE FLIES initiative is inspired by a fundamental belief that people learn to soar as confident individuals, team players and strong leaders through sports. A nod to Oregon’s state motto of “She Flies With Her Own Wings,” the initiative’s aim is to foster safe community spaces where all girls and women have equitable opportunities and are further empowered to use sports to take flight and realize the many benefits participation provides.
SHE FLIES includes three pillar areas of focus. With girls being twice as likely to drop out of sports by age 14 (compared to boys) and participation rates ranking statistically lower for girls of color or from low-income households, a key focus area is that of “keeping girls in the game.” Secondly, the initiative aims to empower women coaches, with statistics showing less than 30 percent of youth coaches being women. Lastly, SHE FLIES strives to inspire a “fitness-for-life” mentality, encouraging a life-long pursuit in sports and of staying healthy through regular exercise.
Sport Oregon’s commitment to engaging more girls and women through the initiative includes three main programming pieces. A substantial component is the development of a grant program that will be open to community programming groups already addressing the barriers girls face throughout the state. Additionally, Sport Oregon is introducing a community awards nomination campaign to elevate the accomplishments of female athletes in the community, while inspiring new conversations about how to better engage and support girls and women in sports. The two pieces will come together with an annual SHE FLIES Celebration that will bring together sports leaders and coaches, participants and supporters to further empower girls and women in sports.
Thursday’s virtual launch will serve as the initial iteration of the SHE FLIES Celebration event, but future plans include an annual, in-person gala event.
