Members of the Gavilan College women's basketball team took time out of their busy schedules prior to the start of the 2024-25 season to volunteer with Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative (BAWSI) on Oct. 11. The Rams helped coach and mentor young girls at a BAWSI event at Hubbard Media Arts Academy in East San Jose.

BAWSI and the efforts of the Gavilan women's basketball team were recently highlighted in a news story by the San Jose Mercury News.

According to the story, BAWSI was founded in 2005 by soccer stars Julie Foudy and Brandi Chastain and sports executive Marlene Bjornsrud with the aim to inspire and empower girls in underserved communities to play sports through free afterschool programs.

Rams women's basketball players set up five stations that dozens of girls rotated through during the afternoon session. Girls practiced dribbling a basketball, hopped through hula hoops laid out on the ground, learned teamwork by passing pool noodles in a circle, and tossed a football. The last station was discussion and training in leadership.

Gavilan head coach Carlton Fortenberry was honored to be a part of this great experience for the young girls but also for his student-athletes as well.

"Gavilan College is committed to serving our community and empowering young girls through basketball," Fortenberry said. "The opportunity to work with BAWSI provides our players an invaluable opportunity to lead and learn new skills."

Read the full story online at https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/12/30/wish-book-bawsi-girls-sports-women-leadership/

Gavilan Women's Basketball Volunteers with BAWSI (Photos by Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)