SMU senior Brooke O’Hare started this year off by founding a new Play Like A Girl chapter at SMU to help more girls get active and involved around campus. O’Hare is a Public Relations and Strategic Communications double major from Jacksonville, Fla. She is also minoring in Sports Management and has been a member of SMU’s women’s soccer team since her freshman year.
Courtesy of Facebook
HC SMU: How long have you played soccer for SMU?
Brooke O’Hare: I have played since I came to school as a freshman.
HC SMU: How did you learn about the Play Like A Girl Campaign?
BO: I learned about PLAG from working at my internship at the Dallas Independent School District. I worked with a volunteer website, Voly.org which is where I came across Play Like A Girl!
HC SMU: Tell us a little about the organization.
BO: I strongly agree with everything the organization stands for. The mission is to inspire girls everywhere to live happier and healthier by promoting physical activity as a path to lifelong success as well as helping to prevent and end childhood obesity.
HC SMU: What made you want to get involved with Play Like A Girl?
BO: I am passionate about health and fitness and wanted to help young girls and women live healthy lifestyles.
HC SMU: How did you get involved?
BO: I applied online at the volunteer website to start a chapter at SMU.
HC SMU: What made you decide to start a chapter here?
BO: There is no chapter [at] SMU and I think it’s a great environment to start one here. I am so passionate about health and fitness and want girls to feel the best they possibly can in order to better themselves. I want to educate women on health and fitness because that’s something I take very seriously. Ultimately I want to empower women and I figured this was a great opportunity to do so.
Courtesy of Facebook
HC SMU: How do you plan to raise awareness and support?
BO: We are starting to have Girls’ Night Out which [brings] college members together in a workout each week. We post these workouts in our group on Facebook which is open to all SMU students. Activities vary ranging from barre, cycling, running, walking Yoga, and Zumba and so much more. Members also will have a monthly seminar designed to provide health information and easy-to-use tools to enrich their busy lives. Social media is a big way to engage these days so we will be posting from our personal social media and in our Facebook group!
HC SMU: What kind of events do you plan on bringing to campus?
BO: We will also be partnering up with the SMU women’s soccer team after our game on September 21st. We will be hosting a clinic for young girls and will have an I Play Like A Girl table set up with information. We are so excited for this event and can’t wait to bring girls together for a fun session of physical activity.
HC SMU: What do you hope to accomplish with this chapter?
BO: I want to make a difference and impact on women and girls. The goal is to raise awareness to end childhood obesity and to empower women to live healthy lifestyles!
My hope is that this chapter helps the girls here at SMU encourage one another to better themselves.
HC SMU: What advice do you have for any students looking to get involved with the chapter? How can potential members join?
BO: The more the merrier, we are a new chapter and are always looking for new members! They can join by contacting me or joining our Facebook group which has all of our organization’s information.
HC SMU: What advice do you have for any students looking to start their own organization or chapter on campus?
BO: I think that students should definitely pursue starting an organization if they are thinking about it! If I would have known about I Play Like A Girl earlier I would have started it when I was a freshman. I think it is a great way to build leadership skills and to get involved with the school.
HC SMU: How do you juggle starting a chapter, schoolwork / work / internship, sorority life, soccer, and a social life? Do you have any advice for other students about time management and getting involved on campus?
BO: As a Division I varsity athlete, I have mastered time management skills. I am highly organized and self motivated with a desire to succeed which has driven me to be able to juggle soccer, school, and be a member of a sorority. I enjoy changing and impacting the lives in our local community and want to continue to do so! I think that being organized and disciplined with your time is so important for any college student to succeed especially if you want to start an organization or get involved on campus. It has truly helped me so much throughout college!