“There’s such a big epidemic in female sports because of how much more likely they are to be injured,” said Kaylie Moe.
Because of this issue, the Hellgate High school senior recently decided to host a charity fastpitch softball homerun derby for her National Honors Society (NHS) project on Sept. 27 at the Fort Missoula Softball Complex.
“Hit For Her Health” costs twenty dollars per person to have ten swings, and the money from either registration or donation will go to The Women’s Sports Foundation to support research for injuries in female athletes. According to the National Institutes of Health, “female athletes are 2–8 times more likely to sustain an ACL injury than their male counterparts.”
The Women’s Sports Foundation strives to enable all women in sports to reach their full potential. The program funds groundbreaking research for new developments and studies to help women grow and in and out the athletic program they participate in.
“I really wanted to be able to do something to help the cause,” Moe said. Moe said she has been playing softball her whole life and plans on continuing her softball career throughout her senior year and in college. Although Moe has a huge heart for the game, she said her biggest fear is having her softball career put to sleep because of a career stopping injury.
Moe said she knows that her fundraiser will have an impact on not only her personal worries, but also on The Women’s Sports Foundations’ research for more preventative methods and information on how women can treat their bodies safely to stay healthy in their sport.
“I want my project to feel personal, while also being able to impact other people and causes,” Moe said. She said her passion is not only driven by her own personal experiences, but also her wants to support more research focusing on female athletes, and that female athletes are greatly underappreciated in sports and exercise research.
Moe’s NHS project will help other women athletes become more educated of what they’re at risk for. The Women’s Sports Foundation will receive Moe’s donation after the homerun derby and will be able to focus more on the specific causes of women’s injuries in sports. It is highly encouraged to participate in this derby and to win some prizes.
