'Sports Day the Girls' Way' at TD Place

Girls from across Ottawa heard from female leaders and role models in sport on Tuesday, all while having a chance to try activities and new sports.

Tuesday was "Sports Day the Girls Way," at TD Place. Seven-hundred girls from grades 4 to 8 took part in activities like lacrosse, football, rugby, and boxing.

"It's pretty awesome because I've never done this before, so getting a professional to do this is really nice," says Hazel, who went 'hands-on', guided by Mandy Bujold, a Canadian Olympic boxer and two-time Pan-Am games champion.

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"Right now, I just do figure skating, so I'll be able to do more sports," Hazel says.

It was a day of trying activities and listening to female Olympians and high-profile athletes.

"We are here to empower the young girls, like, hey, you can get involved in sport, even if right now there is not a lot of girls there, representing that sport, that it's still ok to get involved and you can then be a leader in that sport," says Bujold.

"And if we can start at this age to figure out all the good things, what are the things that I'm good at, I think that's the one thing I want them to get out of it," says Fabienne Blizzard, OUA and CEBL basketball coach and Hall of Fame basketball player.

The event's theme is empowerment.

"For me, it's just learning that empowerment through sport, that connectivity… just girls growing up knowing that they can do anything that a boy can do, anything that they set their mind to," says Brianna Hennessy, a Canadian paracanoesist, parakayaker, and wheelchair rugby player.

"We want to recruit and retain girls in sport, and so this is an opportunity to get them excited about sport and all it has to offer," says Janice Barresi, with the OSEG Foundation.

The event, comes at a time when women's sport is growing exponentially. Most recently, Ottawa was named one of six cities to get a Professional Women's Hockey League team.

"Knowing that there's a team here in Ottawa with the PWHL is pretty special," said keynote speaker Jamie Lee Rattray.

Rattray, an Ottawa native and Olympic hockey champion, is also playing in the PWHL, having been drafted by Boston's team.

"Hopefully when I come here as a visitor, this rink is full of girls like this and cheering on," she said.

"Having a day like this, maybe meeting some new friends or just getting active and playing different sports, is something really cool – I think it's a great thing for young kids to be a part of, and especially young girls."