SportsMom Foundation Selects Its 2022 Inaugural Class of Recruits
Six outstanding girl student-athletes were chosen from the Washington, D. C. and Mid-Atlantic regions to receive athletic and academic support, increasing their chances of playing at the college-level and beyond
WASHINGTON, March 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The SportsMom Foundation ("SMF") announced today, with its board of directors and player-assessment committee, the selection of six girl student-athletes for its 2022 inaugural class of recruits. SMF is a national nonprofit dedicated to helping middle and high school girls prepare for successful academic and athletic careers in college and beyond.
In January, the Foundation announced it would begin taking applications for its initial class of three to five girl student-athletes and indicated its initial focus on basketball student-athletes in middle and high school. The Foundation chose basketball as its first sport due to the strong intersection of interest, need and opportunity within the greater Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) and Mid-Atlantic areas. It received significant interest from more than 25 applicants dedicated to improving their basketball skills, athletic conditioning, and academic achievement. Based in the DMV, SMF attracted most of its applicants from the region, as well as from Philadelphia, PA and beyond.
Here is the list of recruits: Layla Burton, 9th Grade, Parkdale High School (Riverdale Park, Maryland); Jayda Dixon, 7th Grade, Saunders Middle School (Dale City, Virginia); London Liley, 9th Grade, Maret School (Washington, DC); Jamia Taylor, 9th Grade, Dunbar High School, (Washington, DC); Emorean Thomas, 9th Grade, Dunbar High School, (Washington, DC) and Shayla Smith, 9th Grade, Universal Audenried Charter High School (Philadelphia, PA)
"We are excited to announce our first class of recruits," said Stacey D. Stewart, SportsMom Foundation Founder, President, and Board Chair. "After closely reviewing each application, assessing players' performance on the court, and conducting interviews, we are confident the student-athletes selected are focused, committed, and ready to excel both on the court and in the classroom. We are incredibly thankful to our financial partners, coaches, advisors and, of course, the parents and guardians who stepped forward in support of our mission and players. We were also excited by the incredible demand from outside of the DMV and, therefore, decided to expand our initial class to include a student-athlete who will represent the start of our objective to grow nationally."
Selected recruits participated in a half-day skills assessment at Sidwell Friends School, received written recommendations from their coaches, and were interviewed by SMF board and player assessment committee members. Each girl selected will receive a financial allocation of $5,000 to $7,000 per year from SMF to help offset basketball club fees, and other costs associated with academic tutoring, advanced athletic training and conditioning and more preparing them to be college-recruit ready.
SportsMom Foundation will continue its efforts throughout 2022 and beyond to support girl student-athletes in sports other than the initial group focused on basketball. Additional sports will include, among others, track and field, volleyball, soccer, and lacrosse.
To learn more about SportsMom Foundation and to support its' work with girl student-athletes, visit www.sportsmom.org.
SOURCE SportsMom Foundation
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