This week my guest is Aby Ryan, Founder of Athena Camps: https://athenacamps.com/

At Athena Camps their vision is to build communities of empowered girls who inspire and uplift each other in order to have a positive and lasting impact on our world. They help girls aged 4 to 14 develop their whole selves. Athena Campers participate in sports and creative exercises to learn how to give and receive positive affirmation, make new friends, and acquire the strength and grace to be their best in every situation.

Athena Camps is not a traditional sports camp. The goal is to build body-confidence through sports, giving girls a sense of control over their bodies. Research states that elementary age girls should be "sampling" sports rather than specializing, learning skills and a "love for the game", rather than competing. In middle school, we know sports participation boosts girls' self-esteem, provides focus and builds social confidence. At Athena Camps, girls of all ages have fun and successful experiences with sports and are empowered as their athletic ability grows. Creative, girl-focused projects and facilitated group discussions serve as social opportunities to connect and express emotions in a nurturing community.

Aby Ryan founded Athena Camps after a successful career as a professional tennis player, collegiate coach, and non-profit executive. With 30 years of experience coaching and developing programs for girl-serving organizations, Aby specializes in youth program development, curriculum design, and innovative strategies to grow strong, expressive, confident young women.

When her daughter started kindergarten, Aby Ryan saw a need for a special environment where girls could navigate social pressures, build character, and support each other. She realized the time had come to realize her dream of creating a unique girls’ sports camp. So on June 11, 2011, she launched the first Athena Camp with 27 girls. Athena Camps’ attendance quadrupled in our first full year. Since then, Athena Camps continues to grow each year and hopes to serve 5,000 girls by 2025.