Princeton NJ Schools Announcements

Stuart Country Day School Partners with National Women's Sports Organizations to Host Girls Leadership Conference

Nearly 100 middle school athletes gather for day of skill-building and mentorship aimed at keeping girls in sports

Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart partnered with two national organizations—LaunchBreak, a professional network for female athletes, and LetHerPlay, a not-for-profit focused on girls' sports participation—to host nearly 100 middle school girls for an athletics and leadership conference designed to address the alarming rate at which girls abandon sports before high school.

The Girls Athletics & Leadership Conference, held October 5, represents a significant collaboration between professional women's sports and K-12 education. Stuart is LaunchBreak's first school partner as the organization expands into the K-12 arena, while LetHerPlay brought its mission of keeping girls engaged in athletics during the critical years when dropout rates peak.

The day-long event brought together students from Stuart, fellow Sacred Heart schools in Greenwich (CT) and Bryn Mawr (PA), and schools across Central New Jersey for sport-specific skill clinics followed by leadership sessions led by professional and collegiate athletes.

"When girls participate in sports, they're learning so much more than the rules of the game," said Chelsea Moran, Director of Athletics at Stuart. "They're developing perseverance, discipline, and the confidence to take on new challenges. Events like this remind girls that athletics can be both joyful and transformative in shaping confident leaders."

Morning clinics in field hockey, volleyball, basketball, cross country, tennis, and lacrosse were led by Stuart coaches and Upper School student-athletes, allowing younger girls to try new sports or deepen existing skills in a supportive, peer-mentorship environment.

Mentorship from Professional Athletes

The afternoon programming featured presentations from athletes including Chidinma Coleman, Maryam Hassan, Rachel Mullooly, Nicole Rolek, and Emerlee Simons '20, each sharing how athletics shaped their professional trajectory and personal development.

LetHerPlay founder and Stuart alumna Gia Fruscione '96 served as keynote speaker, sharing her personal journey and the mission that drives her work to keep girls playing sports.

"It's critical for young girls to hear from professional women about how their own leadership identities were shaped through athletics, especially as data continues to show that many girls drop out of sports before high school," said Dr. Marissa Muoio, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Director of the National Center for Girls' Leadership at Stuart (NCGLS). "The qualities of resilience, teamwork, and self-belief that grow through sports prepare girls to lead with conviction and compassion in every part of life. We are proud to be LaunchBreak's first school partner, and our connection with Gia is especially meaningful as a Stuart alumna whose mission through LetHerPlay reflects our shared commitment to developing strong, confident, and purposeful young women."

The conference exemplifies the mission of Stuart's National Center for Girls' Leadership (NCGLS), which prepares young women to lead across all spheres of influence through an integrated approach that develops mind, body, and spirit. Rooted in the Cor Cordis framework and Sacred Heart values, NCGLS nurtures leaders equipped to face the complexities of an interconnected world with confidence, compassion, and clarity—not just preparing leaders for tomorrow, but cultivating women who lead today.

To learn more about Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart and the National Center for Girls' Leadership, visit www.stuartschool.org.