CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Beginning Monday, October 7, Queens University of Charlotte Women’s Rugby will welcome a program supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Sports Diplomacy program and Women Win (WW) known as “Advancing the Playing Field: Empowering the Most Marginalized Youth Through Sport in Laos and the U.S.” that will begin in Charlotte, North Carolina and travel to both Knoxville and Memphis, Tennessee.
This unique partnership with three local organizations including Queens Athletics (Women’s Rugby), Charlotte Junior Rugby Association (CJRA), and Memphis Inner City Rugby (MICR) was awarded a grant to shape a cross-cultural International Sports Programming Initiative (ISPI) for rugby coaches aiming to improve individual knowledge and skills, develop leadership, and strengthen the capacity of all involved organizations and institutions. Sixteen community coaches from the Lao Rugby Federation and ChildFund’s Pass it Back program will visit the U.S. for eight days, and observe Queens Rugby training sessions, coach CJRA and MICR youth, and visit cultural and athletic sites such as the U.S. National Whitewater Center, Queens University of Charlotte and University of Tennessee-Knoxville athletic facilities, and historic Beale Street in Memphis, TN. Engagement with institutions such as the University of Tennessee-Knoxville’s Center for Sport, Peace & Society, as well as the Myrta Pulliam Center for International Education at Queens University of Charlotte are also included in this unique programming. In December, selected coaches and administrators from Queens, CJRA, and MICR engaging in the current process of hosting the Laotian coaches will then return the exchange by traveling to multiple cities in Laos, supported by the U.S. Embassy in Laos.
The goal of this program, through its Sport for Social Change theme, is to provide an opportunity for sports-based, people-to-people exchanges that advance the U.S. government’s policy goals of building values of inclusion, increasing trust for a more stable world, and mitigating extremist voices. Women Win, in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, will undertake this work through a strategy focused on engaging the most marginalized youth.
The full slate of programs will include exchanges between coaches and NGO staff in Laos and the U.S., and partners with well-designed sport programs that play a role in promoting more stable and inclusive communities that encourage leadership at many levels.
“We are completely humbled by this opportunity to share experiences of coaching in Laos with such a dedicated group of local organizations like CJRA, MICR, and many more. At the core of our vision for Queens rugby is the importance of serving as ambassadors of the sport, and encouraging young people to see coaching as a path to develop leadership and life-long appreciation for the global aspects of the game. We look forward to sharing in this unique journey with everyone who has worked tirelessly to create this exciting international exchange program. It is truly an honor to be involved, and we graciously thank Women Win and the U.S. Department of State for selecting our local partnership to lead this initiative.” Said Queens University of Charlotte Director of Rugby, Katie Wurst.
“Having the opportunity to host coaches from Laos, and then visit them in their home country is truly a dream come true. Learning to coach rugby with CJRA has been such an enjoyable part of my Queens rugby experience, and I cannot wait to have the opportunity to be a part of such an incredible cultural exchange of ideas and practices. I fully plan to use what I learn throughout this program to shape my career planning for the future.” Said Abby Berberich, Queens Women’s Rugby Team Captain.
ABOUT the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ Sports Diplomacy Division
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State fosters mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries to promote friendly and peaceful relations. This mission is accomplished through academic, cultural, sports, and professional exchanges that engage youth, students, educators, artists, athletes, and rising leaders in the United States and more than 160 countries. The Sports Diplomacy division uses the international language of sports as a tool to promote tolerance, understanding and the peaceful resolution/prevention of conflict; to increase awareness among young people of the importance of following a healthy lifestyle and physical fitness in order to prevent illness, substance abuse, and negative behaviors; and to increase the opportunities for women and girls around the world, and throughout the U.S., to participate in sports.
ABOUT Women Win
Women Win (WW) is a global nonprofit organization, established in 2009, with almost a decade of conduction cross-cultural exchanges. Their mission is to advance the playing field that empowers girls and their communities through sport and physical activity. They leverage the power of play to build better leadership and support the development of a more just society. WW has impacted the lives of over 2.24 million adolescents in over 100 countries through collaborations with a wide variety of grassroots organizations, corporates, development organizations, sporting bodies and government agencies. Additionally, WW facilitates specific activities on all international exchanges aimed at developing five core leadership competencies including: Voice, Vision, Confidence, Ability to Drive Change, and Global Thinking.
ABOUT QUEENS ATHLETICS
The Royals are Charlotte’s College Sports Team. A leading NCAA Division II program in the United States located just minutes from Uptown Charlotte, Queens has been competing in co-ed collegiate athletics for 30 years. Distinguished by its commitment to the nurturing of excellence through a purposeful process, the Queens Department of Athletics intentionally promotes an unmatched experience that leads to success in education and competition. Housing 30 varsity level sports teams, the Royals are a member of the South Atlantic Conference with the men’s and women’s swimming teams competing in the Bluegrass Mountain Conference and the field hockey and men’s wrestling teams competing in South Atlantic Conference Carolinas.
ABOUT QUEENS UNIVERSITY OF CHARLOTTE
Nestled in a historic neighborhood just minutes from Uptown Charlotte, Queens has been providing students with transformational experiences for more than 160 years. A private, masters-¬level university, Queens serves more than 2,500 students in academic programs across the liberal arts and sciences as well as the professional fields of business, communication, nursing, health and education. With the city of Charlotte as an extended campus, students have the opportunity to launch into abundant internships, community service and academic partnerships. The majority of undergraduates also study internationally during their time at Queens. Queens is a unique learning environment that doesn’t ask students to choose between ideals and interests. Students are invited to be both, be more—and in so doing, leave their own mark on history.