Student athlete and Girl Scout hosts fundraiser to address sports inequality

The recent pasta dinner fundraising event, organized in support of Isabella Robbins’s Girl Scout Gold Award Project, came to a close on June 17. The event served large pans of rigatoni, salads and desserts. Leftovers were donated to the local transitional housing  organization, Second Wind Cottages.

Robbins, a high honor roll sophomore at Newfield High School and an accomplished varsity athlete in basketball, softball and volleyball, has been involved with Girl Scouts since she was in kindergarten, receiving her bronze and silver awards. Now, she is working toward her Girl Scout gold award. Robbins has a dedication to her community that extends beyond the sports field.

“I always love giving back to the community, especially for what they’ve done for me in the past,” Robbins said.

The focus of the event was to raise funds for Robbins’s gold award project, which aims to examine and teach about the inequality between men’s and women’s sports. Robbins has been inspired to teach about and stand up against the inequality faced by women athletes.

“One thing I’ve realized is the effect inequality has had on female athletes and how much it sticks with them,” Robbins said. “I definitely wanted to give back to the community in a big way but also stand up for all the young female athletes who have a long career ahead of them.”

The proceeds from the event will go toward expenses for the project, such as insurance expenses, as well as basketballs, T-shirts and other merchandise that will be donated at a basketball clinic that Robbins will host on Nov. 4 at Newfield High School.

The Nov. 4 basketball clinic will give young female athletes the opportunity to hear from former female athletes about their experiences with inequality, as well as a chance to work with coaches to improve their basketball skills.

“There will be opportunities for girls to learn what sports inequalities are and how to recognize them, but also to take a pledge to stand up against sports inequalities,” Robbins said. “They’ll have a chance to learn and enhance their basketball skills from coaches I have learned from and other local coaches.” 

The basketball clinic is looking to host about 175 women athletes from around the area. While Robbins is still unsure where donations for her project can be sent, donation drop offs will most likely be at Newfield Town Hall.