ACAC championships about empowering women in sport

Starting Feb. 26, top female volleyball players from across the province will gather at Medicine Hat College (MHC) for the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) championship, with women’s basketball teams taking to the court the following week in pursuit of their own championship title.

“During these events we want to promote female athletes in our region and use this opportunity to empower girls and women to be physically active and participate in sports,” explains Dragana Vukovic, Alberta Sport Development Centre (ASDC) coordinator at MHC and member of the championships event committee.

“We are inviting all females to take part in some of the special events we are organizing during the championships, and of course, come to the games and show support to the athletes.”

The special events include the “Fill it With Females” night and “Get Benched” program, which are collaborative efforts made possible by the Medicine Hat College Rattlers, FAME – Females in Action Moving and Empowering, and the ASDC, with support from the championships’ community sponsor, South Country Co-Op.

For “Fill it With Females,” all girls ages 10 to 17 are invited to attend the ACAC awards ceremonies. The volleyball ceremony was Wednesday, Feb. 26 and the basketball ceremony is March 4 starting at 6 p.m. in the Eresman Theatre at MHC.

Every girl and chaperon in attendance will receive a championship t-shirt and hear inspiring stories from national level players.

Following each ceremony, girls will get an opportunity to meet players from the championship teams and learn about their experiences as college athletes. Girls younger than 10 are also welcome to attend accompanied with a parent or a coach.

The “Get Benched” program offers a unique courtside experience. Selected girls will have the opportunity to join one of the championship teams on their bench at every game during the volleyball and basketball championships.

The value for females participating in physical activity and athletics is significant, but the statistics are concerning. According to the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity, only 2% of girls aged 12 to 17 receive the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity daily and if a girl doesn’t participate by age 10 there is only 10% chance she will be physically active at age 25. By age 14, girls are twice as likely to drop out of sport than boys, and only 25% of coaches in Canadian sports are women.