Play like a girl

This summer, Queen W. learned something far bigger than how to play a sport. She learned how to cheer for herself. 

“I get to do sports, exercise, and get more fit," said the Lowcountry student, whose last name is being withheld for privacy. “I can be my own cheerleader and support others, especially myself.” 

Being your own cheerleader is one of the first lessons taught at Leveling the Fields, a local nonprofit that introduces elementary-aged girls to sports while working on confidence, leadership, and skills they can carry with them long after practice ends. 

The organization began in 2024 with an idea Clements Ferry resident Melyssa Jaskiewicz sketched out on a flight home from a National Sports Forum meeting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

It was the first time the conference had hosted an all-female panel, where author Macaela Mackenzie got Jaskiewicz thinking about the connection between sports and women in leadership. 

The next day, award recipient Curtis Walker gave a speech that stuck with her. 

“In his speech, he said that if you have the capability and the capacity to help, then you have the obligation to do so,” Jaskiewicz said. “The combination of those two things really set in.” 

On the flight back to Charleston, Jaskiewicz began reading Mackenzie’s book, “Money, Power, Respect,” and came across another statistic she couldn’t shake: 24% of senior-level executives are women, and of those, 94% played sports. 

“The tie-in between leadership and sports was undeniable,” she said. 

She put down the book and started mapping out Leveling the Fields. 

Two years later, her nonprofit organization continues working to remove three barriers that can keep girls out of sports: cost, options, and access.  

Leveling the Fields launched its pilot program at Philip Simmons Elementary in 2024 and has since branched out to other Lowcountry schools. The nine-week after-school program introduces girls to three different sports and is fully funded at Title I schools. 

That setup was a big part of the appeal for parent Tamara Mitchell. 

“Everything was right there, so we didn’t have to think hard about finding equipment,” she said. “I knew who the teachers were. I knew who she was going to be with. I knew she was going to make friends.” 

Practices also include time away from the ball. Kari Urban is a coach at Leveling the Fields and uses journals to help girls work through lessons about confidence, speaking up for themselves, and identifying trusted adults. 

“They have to empower themselves because everything starts with them,” Urban said. 

Colin Brewer, another coach, has watched girls arrive knowing little about sports and gradually become more comfortable trying something unfamiliar.  

“It’s also rewarding to see them come out of their shells,” he said. “You see fifth graders mixed with third graders, acting as leaders, setting examples, and helping younger students when they struggle.” 

Some of that change is already showing up in how the participants talk about themselves. 

“This program made me feel more confident, like I could do things on my own,” student Elisa M. said. “It helped me make friends and do things I never thought I would do, like sports.” 

London V. said she enjoys “communication, working together as a team, trying my best, and learning new things that I haven’t learned before.” 

With two years of building on these early successes, Jaskiewicz hopes to bring the program to even more communities. 

“We really see this as just the beginning,” she said. “We are going to expand to more schools and more areas.”