Empowerment Through Play: Girls' Leadership Camp Inspires Ahead of WNBA All-Star Weekend

On July 16, a basketball camp for 150 middle-school girls celebrated inclusion and leadership, pairing Paralympic athletes with emerging players just days preceding the WNBA All-Star Game. Organized by the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, Group 1001, and the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF), this two-day clinic focused on dismantling barriers through athletics. The “I’m GREAT” initiative (Girls Respecting Each Other And Themselves) aimed to equip girls aged 11 to 14 with essential life skills via mentorship and basketball training. Women coaches directed activities designed to enhance confidence and decision-making abilities. In honor of Disability Pride Month, U.S. Paralympians Lindsay Zurbrugg and Emily Ann Oberst facilitated a wheelchair basketball clinic, offering participants practical experience with adaptive techniques alongside Indiana nonprofit Turnstone. Steve Salem, Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation’s President and CEO, emphasized the transformative impact of such mentoring programs on at-risk youth, supported by partners like Group 1001 and WSF.