The sixth annual Chicks Play Hard event, offered in partnership with Seattle Parks & Recreation, will take place Saturday, Oct. 27, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Miller Community Center.
The free event is a volunteer-run day of sports, music and art exploration for girls ages 9 to 13. Chicks Play Hard welcomes keynote speaker Tia Jackson, the new University of Washington women's basketball coach. Jackson is a former WNBA player for the Phoenix Mercury and served as assistant women's basketball coach at Stanford and Duke University.
Chicks Play Hard aims to build and promote self-confidence in girls by providing them with a nurturing environment in which they might try different activities and develop self-expression and increase confidence. Girls participate in three hour-long workshops, led by women experts and high school students, and are encouraged to try new activities, learn from positive female role models and have fun.
Chicks Play Hard workshops will include boxing, writing, creative art, double dutch and more, taught by a range of local teachers, artists and athletes. The double dutch sessions will once again be led by On the Double (dutch), a Capitol Hill-based troupe which has performed at Bumbershoot, Northwest Film Forum and at the Henry Art Gallery. Boxing will be led by high schoolers who attend Cappy's Boxing Gym.
Anna Collins, who founded Chicks Play Hard is also expected to attend the Oct. 27 event. Collins is a Harvard-educated athlete, musician and Microsoft executive. Her concept of community service is built around mentoring; during summers at Harvard she coached youngsters at local basketball and volleyball camps.
"Chicks Play Hard encourages girls to be risk-takers, to view themselves as multitalented in all of their gifts, and to be creative, strong and competitive, daring and adventurous," said Collins.
The Miller Community Center is at 330 19th Ave. E. Registration is now open for this event. To register, visit www.chicksplayhard.org, the Miller Community Center or e-mail chicksplayhard@gmail.com to coordinate registration.
A Seattle Parks & Recreation participation authorization form must be completed and signed by a parent or guardian. For more information, call Mary Guiden, 854-3786. Space is limited to 80 girls.
