The Atlanta Hawks partnered with Google for the first Lady Ballers clinic of the year in March, providing girls aged eight to 15 with on-court practice and hands-on STEM-based activities. 40 young female athletes of all skill levels participated in the clinic hosted at Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation and Aquatic Center.
To celebrate Women’s History Month, the organization wanted to create a special clinic to spotlight the importance of women’s sports. Jon Babul, Vice President of basketball programs for the Atlanta Hawks, said, “We have a responsibility. We are the pinnacle of basketball in our state. We’ve got to set the example.”
During the Saturday afternoon clinic, athletes ran drills focusing on shooting mechanics, rebounding, ball handling, footwork, defensive positioning, and passing. The STEM component included the creation of “trashketballs” and “moon darts” led by Google volunteers and Hawks staff, teaching the athletes about force, motion, and gravity, and how they relate to basketball.
“If you run at a certain angle and you’re trying to cut off the person you’re guarding, you know, it’s science, it’s math, and we’re just connecting the dots,” Babul said.
Since the beginning of the Lady Ballers program in 2018, over 1,000 young female athletes have participated in clinics and camps. The intention behind the program is to create a safe, encouraging space for girls to learn the sport and foster a lifelong love for basketball.
“Girls are trying the game, but then they’re leaving the game in seventh, eighth, ninth grade for a handful of reasons, but we know that some of those reasons are controllable,” Babul said. “Did they have a good experience? Did they play for a good coach that was positive and a good role model?” The Hawks host clinics for coaches as well to ensure that young athletes get the best instruction possible.
The Lady Ballers’ clinics and camps are open to all young girls who want to learn basketball, whether it’s their first time on a court or their hundredth.
“We spend a lot of time with intent to bring in the right people to be able to design great experiences for girls of every skill level,” Babul said. “We have 100% confidence in our coaches that there’s a passion there, there’s smiles, there’s interpersonal relationships being developed, especially during a week of camp.”
Through its eight years, the Lady Ballers organization has established itself as one of the leading basketball developmental programs in Atlanta. The staff has seen girls come back year after year to continue their sports education. Babul said, “Girls basketball is so important, and I believe that providing a great experience that’s safe, that’s fun, that’s enjoyable and educational, if you can do that and check those boxes, they will come back. And that’s what it’s proven.”
