Episode 14: Katherine Southerland (Founder of a free, all-girls Galaxy Basketball League)

- Southerland started a COMPLETELY FREE basketball organization for K-5 girls only in Louisville Kentucky (Galaxy Basketball Incorporated).  

- Lack of opportunities for young girls who want to play basketball. 

- Co-ed teams exist, but sometimes only 2 girls play at a time. 

- Basketball SHOULD be one of the MOST accessible sports, but AAU is making it so expensive. 

- Are some AAU programs just making money off of families, playing in too many games/tournaments/showcases at the expense of development?

- People just wanting to be able to say “My kid plays AAU,” yet they can’t hit a right-handed layup. 

- Investing money in youth sports is really investing in your community’s future.

- The program was selected as 1 of 50 non-profits all over the United States (1 of 5 girls basketball related programs) to receive the 2024 Sports 4 Life grant. The Women’s Sports Foundation 4 Life program, co-founded by WSF and ESPN in 2014 and supported by the likes of WNBA star Sue Bird, utilizes the power of sport to build a solid foundation for Black, African-American, Hispanic and Native American girls to thrive on and off the field of play.

- This grant allows the 2024 season for Galaxy basketball to be FULLY FUNDED