Saratoga News
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Chastain working to get the word out about BAWSI
By Chris Vongsarath
That two-word question preceded by that one word sparked what has become an all-out effort to mobilize girls and women throughout the Bay Area to get moving, get fit and get "bossy."
The Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative, or BAWSI (pronounced "bossy"), is a public benefit, nonprofit organization founded in 2005 to bridge a connection between young women and their communities through sports programs and partnerships.
At an informational meeting at 14631 Carnelian Glen Court on Oct. 23, co-founders Olympic and World Cup soccer star Brandi Chastain and former San Jose CyberRays general manager Marlene Bjornsrud spoke to Saratoga residents about BAWSI and the effect the organization has had on surrounding communities.
"This is an opportunity for our people to know what we're doing and why we're doing it," Bjornsrud said.
Bjornsrud praised the volunteers of West Valley College's women's soccer team, who were also present at the event.
"It's important for us to showcase in Saratoga what you have right in your back yard," she said.
Sophomore Lily Chavez, 19, said everyone on her team was excited about BAWSI upon hearing about the program this past spring. Chavez's work with Washington Elementary School in San Jose was met with enthusiasm, bred self-confidence and went beyond the physical realm of sports.
"It was about inner health also, letting a girl know about beauty on the inside and not just the outside," she said. "Nobody gave them a push to go play and say, 'It's OK to get dirty.' "
Washington school teacher Silvia Rendon was one of the speakers that evening. She described the changes in responsibility and the confidence she sees every day in the lives of the girls.
"They took all of this from BAWSI and adopted it into their daily lives. It's incredible," she said.
Chastain, who grew up in San Jose, actually attended West Valley College before going on to play soccer at UC-Berkeley and then transferring to Santa Clara University. Her experience taught her the privilege of being a student-athlete and the responsibility that comes with it.
"It's critical for young girls to have role models like [the volunteers]," she said.
When Chastain and Bjornsrud researched possible sites for start-up programs and which groups were most at risk for obesity and diabetes, they found Latino women in low-income communities to be most vulnerable.
A possible corollary of BAWSI's mission pitted cultural differences between coaches and players, but Rendon noticed no disconnect between the two sides.
"The girls really know and trust the coaches. They know they really cared about them," she said. "It goes past cultural barriers."
Although BAWSI is fairly young as an organization, its rapid growth is marked by a snowball effect. BAWSI incorporated campuses and programs as it went along, including BAWSI Rollers for participants with special needs and Salud por Vida, which tackles obesity and diabetes in Latino communities in East San Jose.
Katey Kennedy, who hosted the event at her home, is involved with BAWSI in several different ways, both as a volunteer and program coordinator. She said about 100 people attended the event, which brought in enough money to start a program at a new, undetermined campus this year.
"We're being pulled in many different ways right now. We've had requests from Santa Cruz, the East Bay and San Francisco," she said.
Chastain said BAWSI will be careful in expanding, making sure it takes care of the needs of its current programs first. At the end of the day, the girls should feel they have an impact on their lives and communities.
"We're not looking for superstars here," she said. "Yes, we're riding the sports vehicle and there might very well be some talent there, but the most important thing is for the girls to take charge of who they are and who they want to become."
For more information on the Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative, visit www.bawsi.org.
