Girl Scouts of the USA is relaunching its GirlSports
initiative and is proud to announce Nestlé USA as the inaugural GirlSports
sponsor. GSUSA and Nestlé USA are proud to continue Girl Scouts’ century-long
legacy of committing to girls’ leadership by actively engaging millions of
girls in sports, nutrition, and healthy living.
Since 1912, Juliette Gordon Low, founder of Girl Scouts, believed
that health, nutrition, and fitness were essential to the Girl Scout
experience. Girl Scouts hiked, played basketball, went on camping trips, and
were encouraged to prepare healthy meals. We recognize now more than ever that
we need to engage girls through sports and healthy living. We know that girls
who play sports earn better grades, develop more confidence, and get more
involved in their communities.
“Today’s youth have been raised indoors,
away from the physical activity that was so common just a generation ago,” said
Anna Maria Chávez, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA. “GirlSports is about
reminding girls of the importance of staying active and staying fit, and
teaching them how they can have fun in the process.”
The GirlSports initiative has been around for decades and utilizes
the Legacy Athlete badge program to connect girls to health, leadership,
learning, and teamwork through sports. Girls also earn five age-appropriate
badges that teach them about fair play, practicing with a purpose, good
sportsmanship, cross-training, and coaching.
In collaboration with Nestlé USA, we created the new GirlSports
booklet, which illustrates and explains the existing sports programming and/or
healthy-living initiatives of each council, and provides councils with a
turnkey asset to engage donors and recruit girls, parents, schools, and others in
the community. This new 12-page booklet also highlights our current program
offerings for girls in sports through the five athletic badge offerings, the
Make Your Own badge, and online activities on our website
ForGirls.GirlScouts.org.
“Nestlé USA is proud to be Girl Scouts
of the USA’s inaugural GirlSports sponsor,” says Kenneth W. Bentley, vice president
of community affairs & educational programs. “At Nestlé USA, we are
committed to delivering ‘Good Food, Good Life’ to communities nationwide. The
GirlSports program is one of many ways we support this message. Our partnership
will encourage girls to take a holistic approach to health by playing sports,
eating healthy, and building self-esteem.”
With GirlSports, Girl Scouts continues the mission of inspiring
girls to achieve leadership roles in all aspects of society, helping them get
there through sports and the leadership skills they learn in the process—no
matter what paths they choose.