Northern Illinois University Athletics will celebrate National Girls & Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) on Wednesday, February 5 prior to the Huskie women’s basketball game versus Kent State with a Panel Discussion featuring three successful former NIU female student-athletes as well as a pregame Youth Sports Clinic. Both events begin at 5 p.m. with the game set to tipoff at 6 p.m.

NIU Hall of Fame volleyball player Kristin Hoffman (NIU ’12), recently elevated to partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP in Chicago, Huskie basketball alum Kristen Brown (NIU ’03), who serves as deputy athletic director and senior woman administrator at the University of Nebraska and Cindy (Hemstad) Tucker (NIU ’94), a member of NIU’s Hall of Fame 1991 women’s gymnastics team who is currently director of rehabilitation services at Northwestern Medicine, will join host Courtney Vinson, NIU executive associate athletic director for sports administration and senior woman administrator to discuss Growing the Game: Women’s Athletics Then and Now. The event will be held in the South Lobby of the NIU Convocation Center and is free to attend with purchase of a game ticket.

“National Girls & Women in Sports Day holds great significance for NIU and this panel specifically reflects our proud history of women in sports,” Vinson said. “I’m excited to talk about the growth we’ve seen in support for women’s athletics over the past few years, and how to continue that momentum, as well as the benefits that competing as college athletes at NIU has had on our panelists, each of whom came from unique backgrounds at different times and have followed distinct career paths. I hope fans and alumni will join us and see what a difference their support of the Women’s Excellence Fund, can make in the lives of NIU’s female student-athletes.”

Participants at the youth sports clinic, open to children ages 6-12, will interact and play with student-athletes from the Huskie women’s sports programs, cheerleaders and dance team at different stations in Victor E. Court from 5-5:45 pm. Each attendee at the clinic will receive a free T-shirt (while supplies last) and free admission to the NIU-Kent State women’s basketball game. Parents and family members accompanying all children pre-registered for the clinic will be emailed a link to purchase discounted tickets to the game. Pre-registration will close at 5 p.m. on Friday, January 31 and is highly encouraged. The clinic will be open for walk-ups on game day as space allows.

In conjunction with National Girls and Women in Sports Day, NIU is providing multiple ways to support Huskie Athletics’ Women’s Excellence Fund, which benefits NIU’s nine women’s sports programs. Purchase tickets to the NIU-Kent State game on February 5, a $2 donation will be made to the Women’s Excellence Fund for every ticket purchased, with the opportunity to make an additional donation upon checkout.

In addition, the unique NGWSD T-shirts which every participant in the Kids’ Clinic will receive is also available for purchase in adult sizes with all proceeds benefiting the Women’s Excellence Fund.

For more information on the Women’s Excellence Fund or to make a donation, contact the Huskie Athletic Fund at 815-753-1923 or via email at huskieathleticfund@niu.edu.