National Girls and Women in Sports Day

History of NGWSD

February 4, 1987, the first NGWSD was organized to honor Flo Hyman, the Olympic volleyball champion who brought women's volleyball in the United States from obscurity to a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games. Flo Hyman was their main player. Flo was not only an excellent player and team captain; she was very respected and liked by her teammates. Hyman died suddenly while playing in Japan in 1986 from Marfan Syndrome, a connective tissue disorder that led to a faulty aorta.

The Women's Sports Foundation worked with Senator Robert Packwood (R-OR) to be sure this tremendous athlete was not forgotten. They established the first annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day in recognition of Hyman's commitment to female athletes.

Flo Hyman has become a symbol for the USA of the ideal athlete: dedicated, perseverant, patient, and courageous, and since 1987 the Women's Sports Foundation has been giving one female athlete a year the prestigious Flo Hyman Award.

Each year a ceremony is held on Capitol Hill on the first Thursday in February. In the course of the ceremony, the Women's Sports Foundation Flo Hyman Memorial Award is presented to an athlete who captures Flo Hyman's "dignity, spirit, and commitment to excellence". Previous honorees include Martina Navratilova, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Evelyn Ashford, Chris Everett, Diane Golden, and Nancy Lopez.

At the University at Buffalo, we are committed to providing support and recognition of the history and achievements of girls and women in sports.