The sporting club of Mijas Union Basket wanted to make a profound impact by addressing the lack of diversity in their teams. Despite having a passionate group of trainers, all their players were all male. To incite change, they called upon Soroptimists for their assistance in establishing a girls’ team.
Members of the Soroptimist Club of Costa del Sol welcomed the idea of sponsoring a team of girls aged 8-10 years old. They recognised the immense benefits of sports, especially team sports, in fostering children’s social, physical and psychological development. Moreover, having an all-girl team proudly wearing our Soroptimist logo during games presented a valuable opportunity to raise the visibility of our organisation.
Engaging in sports opens the door to breaking down gender stereotypes and the accompanying inequalities. It cultivates enhanced self-confidence, transferable team-work skills, and promotes female leadership – an evident phenomenon observed through women’s involvement in traditionally male-dominated sports, such as football or basketball. Sports serve as a way of freeing oneself from physical and moral obstacles that can help overcome beliefs and complexes.
The Soroptimists committed to sponsoring the girls for two years. During that time the team wear the Soroptimist logo during basketball games and social events. The team, known as Soroptimist Mijas Union Basket, is very active on social media bringing significant visibility to the Soroptimist Club of Costa del Sol.
To date, this successful initiative has sponsored the kit and covered part of the players’ fees for 35 girls! Since the project began, the club has gone from having a single girls’ team to six girls’ teams, offering these young girls the opportunity to experience freedom, self-fulfilment, and personal growth – an apprenticeship that will guide them throughout their lives.
The results have been astounding, with a wave of positive energy permeating everyone involved. Consequently, the Soroptimists have decided to extend their sponsorship for an additional two years, continuing their support until the end of 2024.
Report your Club or Union’s project in the Project Focus Report (PFR) section of our extranet, and your project could be selected to be ‘The project of the month’, bringing it greater visibility.
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