In 1987, women's and girls' organizations celebrated the first National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) to commemorate Flo Hyman, a volleyball player who died of a heart attack while competing in a tournament in Japan. This year NGWSD will be celebrated on Wednesday, February 6, and sponsoring organizations include the Girl Scouts of the USA, the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport, and the Women’s Sports Foundation.

All 50 states celebrate NGWSD, and many hold community-based events, award ceremonies and other activities honoring the achievements of girls and women in sports. How can you celebrate NGWSD with the women and girls in your life? Try these tips:

• Visit your local bookstore or library to learn more about your favorite women in sports. From fast-skiing Picabo Street to dunking Lisa Leslie, books and magazines such as Sports Illustrated for Women often carry features and stories about women in sports.
• Celebrate by participating in your favorite sport or by trying something totally new. If you usually run three miles before work, try in-line skating with some friends instead.
• Take your daughter, sister, wife, mother or friend to a live women's sporting event. Check your local college or university for matches, tournaments or games. If you can't get to a game, settle down for a night of women's sports - in front of the television.

Sources:  Women's Sports Foundation, www.womenssportsfoundation.org; NGWSD Central, www.aahperd.org/ngwsdcentral/.