Hoophers, a Philadelphia Youth Basketball Program

HoopHers, A Philadelphia Youth Basketball Program

Joanne Loeza

California State University, Long Beach

PPA 696

The Philadelphia Youth Basketball organization is a dynamic sports-based youth development organization that seeks to create opportunities for young people to reach their potential as students, athletes, and positive leaders (Philly Youth Basketball, 2018). The non-profit organization offers a variety of basketball programs for their young athletes.

The HoopHers program’s mission is to empower young women to be confident student athletes (Philly Youth Basketball, 2018). Basketball has been an important aspect in the City of Philadelphia, where it can be seen throughout their many playgrounds, school gymnasiums, and recreational centers (Philly Youth Basketball, 2018). There is an abundance of opportunities for young boys that want to play the game but not enough opportunities for young girls that want to do the same. For example, the availability of open enrollment for competitive basketball tournaments/leagues for girls is less than half compared to boys of the same age (Philly Youth Basketball, 2018). In addition, most of these girl tournaments have to take place outside of city limits due to gym availability, making girls travel greater distances to play (Philly Youth Basketball, 2018). All these difficulties contribute to female student-athletes having a higher drop off rate for participation in organized team sports (Philly Youth Basketball, 2018).

Philadelphia Youth Basketball (PYB) and Philadelphia Triple Threat (PTT) have created a partnership to make a league that addresses the disproportion between the opportunities for young men and young women (Philly Youth Basketball, 2018). PYB is aware that there is a strong constituency of female professionals who are eager to mentor young girls and show them how to overcome the challenges female athletes face (Philly Youth Basketball, 2018). They want to be able to connect with other like-minded women and help motivate them. PYB’s goal is to enhance their own programs and expand to underserved group of girls and women throughout Philadelphia with their HoopHers Initiative (Philly Youth Basketball, 2018).

        Since the Fall of 2015, they have been conducting workshops centered around principles of female empowerment.  They have organized field trips to nearby high schools where they participated in a skills and drills session led by the high school aged girls (Philly Youth Basketball, 2018). In addition, they have discussions amongst each other about females in sports. In May of 2016, PYB and PTT put on their first Girls Empowerment Program, a day-long program including basketball skill development, competitive gameplay, and personal development activities centered on what it means to be a female student athlete (Philly Youth Basketball, 2018).  After these two events, there was a lot of feedback received from participants, volunteers, and the community about the big need of these programs to create female-based empowerment basketball program (Philly Youth Basketball, 2018).