OKLAHOMA CITY, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020 – The Oklahoma City Thunder today announced that nominations are now open for the second class of Power Her Forward, a leadership program designed to empower, mentor and place female role models into the community at the high school level. Registration is also now open for Nike’s Game Growers, a program for young women to share their ideas to encourage their peers to stay active in sports.
“Power Her Forward is one of the ways the Thunder is ensuring that representation of women in sport is visible in our community,” said Michelle Matthews, manager of Fan Development for the Thunder. “Through this program, we aim to inspire these athletes, instill confidence, and provide space and resources for these young women to start leading their communities. We look forward to building upon the foundation of last year’s Power Her Forward class and are encouraged by the change already being created by these talented athletes and leaders.”
Power Her Forward will be held virtually this season and facilitate several mentorship moments with the nominated participants and Thunder staff members. These moments will center around open-table discussions with topics such as self-worth, confidence, mentorship and social media. The class of 2021 will be comprised of 15-20 freshman and sophomore female basketball players in Oklahoma. Players must be nominated by their current school-affiliated basketball coach by the Nov. 20 deadline.
Applications are also now open for the second year of Game Growers, a Nike initiative in partnership with 38 teams between the NBA and WNBA. The selected co-captains of this program will lead the development of an idea to grow sports for girls. The Thunder’s Game Growers team will develop and test their idea, creating a game plan to grow sports participation for girls in Oklahoma City. New this season will be the addition of Game Growers teammates, who are girls 13 years or older in seventh or eighth grade who support co-captains on their journey. The deadline to apply for Nike’s Game Growers is Dec. 4.
Last year’s selected Game Growers captains, Erianna & Erikka Gooden from Nicoma Park Middle School, visited Nike Headquarters in Portland to present their program ideas to keep their peers active in sports at this important age. The Gooden sisters look forward to being nominated to the 2021 class of Power Her Forward.
“Nike believes that girls who move, move the world. And we know that 13 is a critical age to keep girls engaged in sport so they can reap the benefits of being active,” said Caitlin Morris, General Manager of Social & Community Impact at NIKE, Inc. “This is the age when girls are likely to drop out of sport – a lack of supportive coaches or access to the right product to play with confidence are two of many reasons why. Inclusive, community-based programs like Game Growers connect girls to play and sport and provide them with the opportunity to shape the future of the game for other girls, too.”
For more information and to nominate an athlete to participate in the Thunder’s Power Her Forward, visit okcthunder.com/power. Applications and information on Nike Game Growers can be found at okcthunder.com/youthbasketball.
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