Through sports, girls learn important life skills such as teamwork, leadership and self-confidence. Compared to boys, however, twice as many girls drop out of sports by the age of 14 (Women's Sports Foundation), which can be attributed to societal barriers primarily faced by girls.

It's integral for young girls to have female mentors in sports, their local communities and their everyday lives, yet only 28 percent of youth sports coaches are women (The Aspen Institute). Her Time To Play aims to increase opportunities for women in coaching and athletic leadership, across the youth sports landscape.

The program's free curriculum pairs on-court training with off-court life skills lessons to build girls' confidence, prepare them for the challenges of adolescence, and teach values like teamwork. Each chapter highlights personal life experiences and stories shared by WNBA players, with all 12 WNBA teams represented throughout the curriculum.

Her Time To Play offers introductory-level curriculum (designed for volunteer coaches or administrators teaching the game for the first time or to players at the introductory level) and advanced-level curriculum (designed for seasoned coaches or administrators who have mastered teaching the fundamentals of the game and or have competitive to elite level players.)

Administrators can even apply to receive free USA Basketball Licensing!

Member benefits include administrator curriculum, Jr. NBA size 5 and 6 basketballs, WNBA posters, headbands, workbooks and wristbands for all girl participants.

Learn more and register for Her Time To Play before December 31, 2018.

Courtesy of NAA.

Photo courtesy of jr.nba.com.