On Saturday, January 27th, 27 of PYB’s “HoopHer” participated in the 2nd annual field trip to Archmere Academy. “HoopHers” is a Female Empowerment Initiative comprised of PYB female student-athletes, program staff and volunteers focused on empowering each other to succeed athletically, academically, personally and professionally. For the second year in a row, PYB has partnered with Archmere Academy’s women basketball team to expose our Middle School Partnership Program female student-athletes to an academic and athletic environment that far exceeds your average institution.
After the 45 minutes drive from Central High School to Claymont, DE, the girls filed off the bus and were greeted by Archmere’s Head Coach, Dan Pisani, coaches and players. The action-packed day started with a basketball drills session where PYB girls showcased their ball handling and shooting skills that they had practiced in their own middle school gyms that prior Thursday. The drills session ended with an intense shooting competition, which turned The Great Auk’s gymnasium into a frenzy of cheering, laughter, and excitement!
Following the basketball-based portion of the day, the Archmere staff and players led a campus tour, which had the PYB girls awestruck by the expansive campus grounds and beautifully maintained facilities. The tour guides made stops at the science building, art classrooms, and mathematics wing and shared stories with the girls that highlighted Archmere Academy’s commitment to its students and its dedication to academic excellence.
The trip concluded with a delicious lunch where Archmere players and PYB girls sat together and shared stories, before hearing from several guests including Coach Pisani’s former players, including Lincoln University Assistant Coach Cherelle Dennis, as well as other coaches in the area. The women shared stories about their experiences in high school, college, and more generally as female student-athletes. They offered advice to the young girls to help guide them as the navigate their middle school, high school, and future years. Following the speeches, the speakers welcomed questions, which enabled the PYB girls to promptly inquire about how they could pursue an education at Archmere Academy; an admiral goal for any young student-athlete!
The entire PYB staff, especially our “HoopHers” would like to off a special thank you to the Archmere girls’ basketball program and the Denning Family for a wonderfully enriching experience. We look forward to many more years of partnership!
Up next for HoopHers: A League of Their Own.
