Girl Power: Inspiring the Next Generation of Women Athletes

What is more inspiring than real-life female role models in sports?

Play Like a Girl has teamed up with the National Archives Museum in Washington, D.C. to host a career-inspiring experience in sports for middle and high school girls nationwide.

Girls and their families will hear from real-life women role models whose backgrounds in sport led them to success on and off the field of play. We will talk about the struggles and accomplishments of these inspiring athletes as well as their own work to break social barriers and protest injustice in the world.

Join us live at the National Archives Museum in Washington, D.C. or virtually from anywhere for an evening of pure inspiration as we talk all things girl power and sports.

A panel of accomplished women in sport will recount their career journeys and how they tackled the belief that “girls can’t do that,” inspiring girls like our favorite girl, 13-year-old Zebobegim Shamsieva, who will travel from Nashville to D.C. for the event where she will learn to pursue her dreams, trust her inner voice, and never settle for “no.”

Natalie Kalibat, American sportscaster and former diving champion, will moderate the discussion between Play Like a Girl Ambassadors Monica Abbott, one of the most decorated players in the history of softball; Bethany Donaphin, former WNBA basketball player who is now Head of League Operations; and Patricia Mangan, two-time Olympic alpine skier. These four remarkable athletes will share how a background in sports led them to success—on and off the field of play.

Dr. Kimberly Clay, founder and CEO of Play Like a Girl, will deliver welcome remarks. Play Like a Girl is a national nonprofit organization that leverages the skills girls gain from sport to help prepare them for competitive, male-dominated careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

All American is free and open to the public and is on display in the Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery of the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC, through January 7, 2024. This 3,000-square-foot exhibit showcases more than 75 items including original records, artifacts, and photographs. Among other exclusives, visitors can read the original Title IX policy document prohibiting sex discrimination in education (on limited display) and “meet” historic athletes who cleared roadblocks, shattered stereotypes, and paved the way for today’s titans!

The National Archives Museum is home to the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. These founding documents, along with the Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery, the Public Vaults, and the David M. Rubenstein Gallery, featuring Records of Rights, are open for visitors from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily.