The sound of squeaking sneakers, the whoosh of basketball nets, and the excited shouts of young female athletes filled the courts of Sutton Middle School on Wednesday morning during the Lady Ballers Summer Hoop Fest. Powered by Google, the annual week-long event organized by the Atlanta Hawks and College Park Skyhawks hosted 100 girls ages eight to 15 from the metro Atlanta area as they put their basketball skills and their STEM knowledge to the test. The Wednesday event featured drills, competitions, and Google-led STEM activities aimed at empowering the young ballers on and off the court.
While shooting from different ranges, the girls scribbled in their Google notebooks as the majority female basketball development team taught them about predictability, how to chart their shooting, and how to calculate their shooting percentages. They participated in activities that incorporated science and data analytics to show them what goes into not only playing the game but also handling the business side of it.
Since 2017, the Lady Ballers Summer Hoop Fest has focused on creating a safe space for young female athletes in the metro Atlanta area to grow their skills, gain confidence, meet new friends, and stay active during the summertime. Jon Babul, Atlanta Hawks vice president of community impact and basketball programs, said the program has helped over 2,000 young girls.
“In the metro Atlanta area, most of the camps are boys only or co-ed, and for a young girl to walk in, 90 boys and 10 girls, that can be intimidating. So, our focus is on providing an environment where the girls can thrive, feel empowered, and make new friends. But more importantly, they get the confidence and esteem,” Babul said. “The continuation of that year after year and to see these girls grow from the time they’re eight years old to now — some of our girls are even seniors in high school — is really rewarding for us.”
The event also featured a leadership panel titled “Girls in STEM: Why We Belong Here.” It featured Naomi Davis, Google digital strategy specialist; Janice Koon, Hawks and College Park Skyhawks senior vice president of NBA G League and 2K Operations; and Brittany Simone, Google program manager of integrated planning transformation. They discussed being women in male-dominated fields, cool projects they’ve worked on, the importance of teamwork, and how they were encouraged to pursue STEM fields.
“The Atlanta Hawks and the College Park Skyhawks really invest in being true to Atlanta. And with that comes the next generation of female athletes and students,” Babul said.
