A Place to Play. A Reason to Stay. Bringing Leaders Together to Keep Girls in Sport
Connecting GTA was proud to support Cali Prep Girls Basketball, a division of The Hoop Factory present a forum designed to bring together leaders from business, sport, government, and the community to advance an important conversation: how we create more opportunities for girls to stay engaged in sport.
The conversation focused on a shared belief that sport is about far more than competition. It is a powerful platform for building confidence, resilience, teamwork, leadership skills, and a sense of belonging. However, many girls face barriers that impact their ability to continue participating, including access, scheduling, cost, confidence, support systems, and the quality of their overall experience.
An opportunity was created for leaders to listen, share perspectives, and explore how organizations and individuals can contribute to creating more inclusive, supportive environments where girls feel valued and empowered to continue their sporting journeys.
The forum reinforced that meaningful change requires collaboration. No single organization can solve the challenge alone, progress depends on partnerships between sport organizations, community leaders, businesses, families, and advocates who believe every girl deserves the opportunity to play.
Cali Prep Girls Basketball has thoughtfully integrated a system of support that recognizes the complete development of the athlete. Through access to health sciences practitioners and a broader network of expertise, Cali Prep focuses not only on physical performance and injury prevention, but also on the mental, emotional and personal development of each player.
This holistic approach reflects the belief that developing confident, resilient, and successful female athletes requires supporting the whole person; the body, the mind, and the individual journey behind every player.
The keynote speaker, "Keesa K", Nakissa Koomalsingh, founder and CEO of Hoopqueens, accentuated the importance of creating environments where girls feel supported , valued and empowered, emphasizing that keeping girls in sport also requires more infrastructure with dedicated access. Prior to her address, the forum heard from Kevin..... who each shared powerful personal stories.
Connecting GTA is proud to support initiatives that bring people together around community impact and help create pathways for the next generation of female athletes, leaders, and changemakers.
The conversation has started and together we can certainly help keep girls in the game.
