Feb. 21, 2000
KALAMAZOO -- The contributions female athletes have made to sport will be celebrated Wednesday, Feb. 23, during WMU's eighth annual observance of National Girls and Women in Sport Day.
"We want to note the achievements of area women through a collaborative effort among the academic, athletic and student affairs units on campus and the local high school athletic community," says Debra S. Berkey, chair of health, physical education and recreation, and one of the event organizers.
"Usually when people think about these accomplishments, they think about the athletes. There are so many more dimensions when you take into account the contributions made to the development of sports over the years by coaches, administrators, trainers, boosters and others."
National Girls and Women in Sport Day was organized by the Women's Sports Foundation in 1987 and is observed nationally on Feb. 9.
This year's local celebration will feature a soccer skills clinic at the Student Recreation Center for middle school girls and a private honor award reception for 31 outstanding high school athletes and two individuals being honored by the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.
All middle school participants and reception honorees will be recognized at a halftime ceremony during the WMU versus Central Michigan women's basketball game, which starts at 7 p.m. in University Arena.
The high school students, all seniors, will receive National Girls and Women in Sport Day Awards. They were nominated by principals, athletic directors and coaches representing 27 area school districts. Recipients were selected based on academic, athletic and community leadership accomplishments.
The HPER department honorees are 1974 alumna Karel Bailey, a member of the WMU Athletic Hall of Fame, and Candace Roell, former chair of the Department of Women's Physical Education.
Media contact: Cheryl Roland, 616 387-8400, cheryl.roland@wmich.edu
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