Young Girls Learn Life Skills Through the Sport of Basketball from Hawks Basketball Academy and Atlanta Dream Forward Nia Coffey
ATLANTA – To close Women’s History Month, the Atlanta Hawks Basketball Academy hosted nearly 60 girls at its Lady Ballers Women’s History Month Clinic presented by Ken Nugent at Whitefield Academy on Saturday, March 25.
The Lady Ballers Program aims to support youth basketball participation and improve the overall youth basketball experience for girls. At the clinic, the girls focused on sharpening basketball fundamentals as well as strengthening transferable life skills such as teamwork, leadership, and self-confidence.
“Our Lady Ballers program fosters an amazing environment that cultivates confidence, competition, and so many other life skills for these young athletes,” said Hawks’ Vice President of Community Impact and Basketball Programs Jon Babul. “We are thankful for Nia Coffey to join us in inspiring the next generation of basketball players and fans.”
At the clinic, Atlanta Dream forward and fifth overall pick in the 2017 WNBA Draft Nia Coffey surprised the girls and coached them through various drills at the clinic. To close the clinic, Coffey spoke to the young athletes about her journey in sports as a female athlete.
“Clinics like this are so important because they give young girls an opportunity to meet and interact with professional female athletes like me that look like them,” Coffey said. “My career has gone through so many twists and turns, and sports have taught me so many valuable life lessons, so I love having the chance to teach the next generation the things I have learned and empowering them to go after every one of their dreams.”
Additionally, Hawks’ partner and personal injury attorney Ken Nugent provides scholarships annually for youth basketball programming, such as the Lady Ballers clinic, through the Score for Scholarships program. Since the program began in 2017, Score for Scholarships has provided access-to-play opportunities through Jr. Hawks programs to more than 1,800 Metro Atlanta youth. Ken Nugent has donated $153,735 to the Score for Scholarships initiative since its inception. On Saturday, nearly a dozen participants were awarded scholarships to attend.
“As a longtime Hawks’ partner, I am proud to sponsor the Lady Baller’s clinic as part of my Score for Scholarships commitment,” said Nugent. “As the father of two daughters and three granddaughters, I am especially proud to do so during Women’s History Month. The opportunity to provide scholarships to these girls and instill the basics of teamwork, leadership, and self-confidence is a privilege I take very seriously, and I am honored to be a part of the team.”
The Hawks began its Lady Ballers program in 2017, which aims to help young girls develop a lifelong passion for the game through positive engagements with female role models and coaches in a safe learning environment. For more information on the Lady Ballers Program, visit Hawks.com/LadyBallers. To learn more about camp opportunities and other youth basketball programs with the Hawks, visit HawksBasketballAcademy.com.