Since her days as a player, CU volleyball coach Liz Kritza has put Girls First

This article is part of our National Girls & Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) celebration. For NGWSD, Girls First will be taking the girls in the program to a Tulane women's basketball game, pairing the event with a meal and a mini-clinic, as is customary for the organization, in order to give the kids some healthy food and activity as well.

Photo Credit: Tulane University Athletic Media Relations

Liz Kritza is no stranger to the notion that sports can make a difference in young people's lives. While playing volleyball for Tulane (her last season was in 1998), she got involved with Girls First, a non-profit organization that was founded in 1997 to provide sport and movement opportunities to underserved girls between the ages of 6 and 16 in the metropolitan New Orleans area.

"For every one opportunity for girls, there are four opportunities for boys in sports," noted Kritza, who was hired in 2008 as the head volleyball coach for the Colorado Buffs, "Girls are at a much higher risk for obesity and high-risk behavior when they don't participate in sports."

In its first year, founders Missie McGuire (Assistant Vice President for Tulane University) and Helen Siegel (New Orleans businesswoman and philanthropist) created Girls First to serve 35 girls via a week-long residential camp that introduced them to over 50 different sports as well as female athletes who came in as counselors. By 2005, the program was holding monthly activities as well and serving 145 girls.

Then Hurricane Katrina hit. Kritza had just been named the head coach of the volleyball team at Tulane. The team missed 15 days of practice before being transported to College Station, where Texas A&M; housed them, gave them makeshift uniforms, alloted them practice time, and enrolled them in classes.

"It was a bonding experience to say the least. Other schools were trying to cherry-pick our players, especially a few of our top freshmen," Kritza recalled, "It became about basic necessity. It was a reality check about what was important. I had to learn to meet the basic needs of my kids."

The players and coaches had nothing but backpacks with what was left of their belongings. They had no idea when they would be able to return to Tulane, what had happened to some of their family members and friends, or if they would have a team to play for next year. In the meantime, they practiced at Texas A&M;'s gym and even hosted their annual tournament there.

"There was so much uncertainty and fear, but you saw the best of the human spirit. The A&M; fans learned our chants and came to our 'home' games to cheer us on," said Kritza, "When we played [15th-ranked] Notre Dame at our tournament, it was one of the most amazing matches I've ever seen a group of players play. It was so cathartic for them to just play their hearts out. They lost but they put up a good fight and came through it with an understanding of their own potential."

Kritza carried her team through this tough time to the program's first-ever conference championship in 2008. They then advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament, the first NCAA tourney appearance in the history of Tulane volleyball.

When she was interviewing for the head job at Colorado, Kritza was asked how she was able to recruit when she couldn't promise there would be facilities or even a team the next year, Kritza said, "I was honest and said if you want everything to be easy, this isn't the place for you. If you want to be a part of building something back up, you can do that here."

Kritza got the job and now is the head coach in the best volleyball conference in the country - the PAC-10.

She still returns to New Orleans to participate in the annual Girls First summer camp, often bringing an athlete or two from her team with her as camp counselors.

"These kids really need this program. They are very troubled and often are afraid to trust people. It is deeply saddening when you understand what these kids are dealing with. One of my players said she came home after working the camp and cried for days," said Kritza.

Girls First focuses on teaching girls about making positive decisions, respecting themselves and others, and developing self-esteem and a healthy body image. They believe that participation in sports has a major impact in these areas, and many studies support this belief.

The program uses four metrics to assess its success:

1. Academic success of participants. Each girl is required to submit her quarterly report card to the Girls First volunteers and discuss her grades individually. Girls First considers itself a partner with the girl's parents in stressing the value of education.
2. Retention rate of participants. To remain in the program, the girls must attend 75% of the program's monthly activities, adhere to the Code of Conduct and document their academic performance, as noted in (1). Girls First has maintained an 85% retention rate in the past three years.
3. Referrals from community partners. Girls First's partners include the United Way, Children’s Bureau, Kid City, Urban League, Crescent House, NO/AIDS Task Force, and the Good Shepherd School.
4. Anecdotal evidence. Girls who participate in Girls First report an increase in extracurricular involvement and engagement in their schools. They also report greater confidence, demonstrated by the leadership positions they go on to assume, their participation in varsity sports and in their service as class officers or student government representatives.

Today, Girls First is recovering steadily from the participation hit caused by Hurricane Katrina, serving 120 girls.

To donate to Girls First, send your tax-deductible contribution to:

201 St. Charles Avenue, Suite 4411
New Orleans, LA 70170

To learn more about Girls First and stay up-to-date on their latest news, visit their website.

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