Stronger Girls Project

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If you are interested in volunteering to help make a difference in our community please reach out today by using the conversation tool in the bottom right corner!

Read below to learn more about the project! We are so excited to get startet!!

Dream Big Basketball Academy is starting its “Stronger Girls Project” with the objective of using basketball as a way of helping all our current female participants as well as girls in the community. The objective of our program is to create an extension of our organization that will cater strictly to girls. Our program currently has more male participants than female. We would like to change this. Girls tend to drop out of sports in their teens. This is not because they are less interested or less talented but because they have negative experiences such as unpleasant coaching, male dominated/focused skill situations or peer pressures. We aim to give girls a place to play when they feel that their only option is to quit. “Stronger Girls Program” is based on research in the benefits of sports for females from building confidence and self-image to a sense of belonging and overcoming obstacles and goal setting. 96% of C-suite executives participated in sports as teenagers. 

The program will use the 17u group as mentors/basketball counselors for weekly clinics.  Participants will engage in 1 on 1, small group and team settings involving basketball skills and team building exercises led by their mentors. Each weekly session will have a specific theme/topic that will be openly discussed. It may involve an exercise, a Q&A or a simple open forum for mentors and participants to voice their feelings or concerns. Some sessions will involve professionals to come and share their expertise with the group regarding fitness, nutrition, leadership, self-awareness, etc. 

We are so excited to announce that we have received a grant from the Penninsula Community Foundation, in the Lake Norman area, NC. Thank you! Now we are working hard to get more of our activities outlined, up and running!

We will kick off this project on Tuesday March 5th 2024, 6:00-7:30pm at Huntersville Elementary School. All girls in grades 6-10 are welcome to join. The goal is to expand with more age groups very soon. 

We will organize a girls only summer day camp during a week of 2024 and the summer of 2025. More details tba. 

Dream Big Basketball Academy is a 501©3 non-profit organization founded by former college and WNBA player Keri Holm and certified professional basketball coach George Holm. We are striving to make a difference in the lives of children by providing positive role models and excellent coaching. We use the game of basketball to mentor youth and make a difference in our community. Since we were founded in August 2012, more than 7000 youth in ages 3-22 have taken part in one or several of our programs. Over the last few years we have offered scholarships for kids in need.