Purdue athletes help celebrate girls in sports

PURDUE UNIVERSITY, Ind. (WLFI) - Hundreds of children got a rare opportunity to get one-on-one skill training from Purdue athletes, but there was one catch they were all girls. It's all part of National Girls and Women in Sports Day celebrated Sunday by the Purdue Athletic Department.

Young girls were able to play everything from volleyball to soccer alongside Boilermaker athletes. Purdue fan experience assistant Sam Davis said the clinic is a great opportunity to work with aspiring female athletes.

"I played sports in High School and stuff and when you would play basketball you would see the boys playing and the girls were kind of second. I think this kind of highlights girls' sports. I think it's something really special for girls," Davis said.

Female athletes from almost every Purdue sport were at the clinic in Lambert Field house and said they had just as much fun as the girls who participated.

"It's just like a great opportunity to see who all is out there and how much they really do support us and watching and playing volleyball and just to watch little kids learn and try. It's awesome," Purdue volleyball player Sam Epenesa said.

"I think it's a great opportunity for girls this young to be able to come out and do this," Boilermaker volleyball player Kate Workman said. "There are girls here who are like three and four and that doesn't happen very often where they get a chance to come and play with girls who are on the Purdue volleyball team here. I think that's a really good opportunity for them."

Admission to the clinic was free and the celebration of female athletes carried over to the women's basketball game that followed against Michigan. 

National Girls and Women in Sports Day started in 1987 as a day of recognition for achievements by female athletes and to promote healthy living. It also highlights the continuing struggle for equality and access for women in sports.

This was the third year Purdue celebrated the event.