Dance Clinic for National Girls and Women in Sports Day

By Katie Dusza, News Editor

Canisius held their National Girls and Women in Sport Day pregame clinic this past Saturday, Jan. 24. At this one hour camp, Canisius’ female athletes spent the morning teaching kids from all around western N.Y. the basics of their sports, followed by a free women’s basketball game for attendees.

Female student-athletes from across Canisius athletics set up interactive stations, allowing the girls to sample a wide variety of sports. The atmosphere was described as "uplifting and motivating" as participants branched out to try sports that they may have never played before, bringing together Canisius athletes and aspiring young athletes from the area for a day of skill and confidence-building

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As an extension to the event, the Canisius dance team hosted their annual “Junior Griff Dance Clinic.” This is a fundraiser where the dance Griffs get to share their love of dance with girls from all over Western N.Y. The girls joined the team for a high-energy morning focused on technique and community. 

The clinic was followed by a Canisius women’s basketball game where the junior dance Griffs were given a true "game day" experience, forming the tunnel for the starting lineup and performing their choreographed routine during halftime alongside the dance Griffs. The game was also alumni night for the basketball team, bringing back former Griffs to be recognized alongside the current athletes and the clinic attendees. 

According to junior Ava Wohlleber, captain of the dance team, the clinic was about “inspiring the next generation of dancers, teaching them skills and helping build their confidence. They got to do something new. Not every kid gets to dance on the court during a college basketball game, so they were excited for that.” Wohlleber also praised the Canisius women in sports day by stating the importance of, “showing the girls role models in athletics and showing them, if they have that great work ethic, they can end up in collegiate athletics.”