Hawks Empower Next GEN at ‘Lady Ballers Summer Hoop Fest

For the second year, the Atlanta Hawks hosted  75 plus female hoopers ages eight to 15 at its 2023 Lady Ballers Summer Hoop Fest presented by Gatorade. The Summer Hoop Fest is a continuation of the Hawks’ Lady Ballers Program that aims to support youth basketball participation and improve the overall youth basketball experience for girls.

The four-day program is designed to empower and inspire the participants by displaying the various avenues and life lessons sports can provide.

On Wednesday, the Lady Ballers were taken through a yoga session and mindfulness exercises to provide the campers with healthy tools to practice mental health. To wrap up the Summer Hoop Fest presented by Gatorade, the Hawks hosted a pep rally on the final day, which featured a surprise appearance from Hawks Entertainment including the ATL Dancers and Harry the Hawk.

“We are thrilled to team up with Gatorade for Lady Ballers Summer Hoops Fest to showcase the power of basketball and sport to these young athletes by allowing them to compete as well as interact with some incredibly inspiring women in sports,” said Hawks’ Vice President of Community Impact and Basketball Programs Jon Babul.

The Hawks Foundation and Gatorade provided scholarship opportunities for campers in attendance as part of Gatorade’s Equity in Sport initiative, a multi-year commitment to help millions of kids get in the game by helping break down barriers young athletes face.

“We hope these Lady Ballers leave this camp feeling empowered to take on challenges in sports as well as everyday life.” Babul.

The program is also a part of the 2023 Jr. Hawks Summer Camps presented by adidas. For more information on the Lady Ballers Program, visit Hawks.com/LadyBallers. To learn more about camp opportunities and other youth basketball programs with the Hawks, visit HawksBasketballAcademy.com.