Title IX Gave Girls the Right to Play. Our Girls Sports Sampling Clinic Makes Sure They Do.

Girls drop out of sports at twice the rate of boys. Project Play: Southeast Michigan’s Girls in Sports: Title IX Celebration is pushing back — with a record-breaking day of sport sampling, community and 150+ girls choosing to play.

Sports have never been equally accessible for every child, and certainly not for every girl. Across southeast Michigan, youth face real, persistent barriers to play, including rising participation costs, limited transportation and a lack of recreational infrastructure. For girls, the challenge runs deeper. According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, without enough visible role models, meaningful encouragement or spaces that reflect their presence in sports, by age 14, girls are walking away from athletics at twice the rate of boys. The confidence, leadership and physical literacy lost upon their exit don’t just disappear—they go unrealized.

Project Play: Southeast Michigan’s Girls Sports Sampling Clinic is the powerful answer to that.

On June 26, the Girls in Sports: Title IX Celebration returned for its fourth year to the United Wholesale Mortgage Sports Complex in Pontiac, and this year was the biggest yet. The highest-attended clinic in the event’s history welcomed more than 150 girls, who sampled a record eight sports, including rugby, pickleball, soccer, field hockey and more. Girls ages 5–14 rotated through stations led by Project Play’s skilled partner organizations in a space built for participants to explore.

The event coincided with the 54th anniversary of Title IX, the groundbreaking legislation that reshaped access to sports and education for girls across the country. That legacy showed up in every corner of the UWM sports complex, where the spirit of the day — anchored by free admission, engaged coaches and a multi-sport format — embodied Project Play’s dedication to uplifting girls in sports and the values central to the Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports, which champions eight fundamental rights youth have when it comes to developing as people through sports. Specifically, children’s rights to have fun, develop at their own pace, receive positive coaching and play in a safe and welcoming environment.

Sports sampling sits at the core of the clinic’s design. The Aspen Institute suggests multisport pathways are linked to less burnout, less social isolation and greater lifelong enjoyment of sport. According to the Aspen Institute’s State of Play 2024 Report, the average number of sports played by youth ages 6–17 has dropped 13% since 2019, positioning events like Girls in Sports as purposeful, energizing pushback against that trend and a day where girls don’t have to choose — they just get to play.

“Girls That Play Lead the Way reflects what Project Play alongside partners from across the region are working to achieve every day: creating opportunities for every child to grow, belong and thrive through quality sports and play,” says Pat Sharrow, executive director for Project Play: Southeast Michigan. “It’s a reflection of the vision behind the Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports, where every child deserves a positive, inclusive and meaningful experience through sports and play.”

The day ended with shared reflections on new experiences and unexpected discoveries, a group photo on the turf, refreshing popsicles and gear giveaways from Project Play and its partner organizations.

“The girls’ energy was incredible! They were smiling, encouraging one another and willing to make mistakes, trying something completely new in a low-pressure environment surrounded by their friends, and every sport we introduce them to teaches something different, whether it’s agility, spatial awareness or teamwork, helping them become more adaptable and confident no matter which sport they ultimately choose,” says Margi Whittingham, programming director with Great Lakes Regional Field Hockey. “In just one day, we were able to introduce more than 150 girls to a sport many Michigan families have never had the chance to see or try, and watching them discover a new passion, build confidence and realize they belong in sports is incredibly rewarding to me, as a parent of two girls, and to our entire organization.”

Project Play: Southeast Michigan is an initiative of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, supported by the Aspen Institute and the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation. Learn more at projectplaysemi.org.