Canton, NY – The National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) is an annual day of observance held during the first week of February to acknowledge the accomplishments of female athletes, recognize the influence of sports participation for women and girls, and honor the progress and continuing struggle for equality for women in sports.
 
February 3, 2021, marks the 35th annual NGWSD. This year SUNY Canton Athletics has chosen to feature several of its female coaches and athletics staff members to celebrate NGWSD. Today we feature Head Women's Soccer Coach Rose Lucidi.
 
 
Question & Answer
 
Q: When did you first start playing sports? What was the first sport you ever played?
A: I started playing sports when I was five years old. The first sport I ever played was soccer.
 
 
Q: How many sports and what sports did you play in high school and/or college?
A: I played soccer, basketball, lacrosse and ran track in high school. I also played club soccer and lacrosse. I ran track and played soccer in college. 
   

Q: What has playing sports taught you in life?
A: Sports have taught me resiliency, leadership, accountability, respect and confidence. Without the skills sports have taught me I would not be the person I am today.
 
 
Q: What are some of the youth sports organizations you were involved in either growing up or that you have worked with during your time coaching? (Ex: midgets' hockey, soccer clinics, youth basketball, etc.)
A: We have worked with the Boys and Girls Club as well as Canton Pee Wee Soccer running clinics for youth.
 
 
Q: Who is a role model for you either now or when you were growing up?
A: I do not have one person who has been a role model to me. I believe that everyone who I have come across whether good or bad interaction has helped me grow and learn.
 
 
Q: Who is your favorite coach or a person in the sports field and why?
A: There are a lot of fantastic leaders in the female coaching world. Instead of choosing just one, I would like to focus on an organization that empowers and educates female coaches. WeCoach is a female run and operated organization that is dedicated to the recruitment, advancement, and retention of women coaches of all sports levels. The experiences, education, and friendships that I have gained from being in this program has been life changing.
   

Q: Why did you get into coaching/a sports and athletics related field?
A: I got into coaching to use soccer as a tool to make a difference in the lives of my student-athletes.
 
 
Q: What are some of your hobbies you enjoy outside of sports and work?
A: Hiking, reading. However, my quarantine hobby was learning how to play the ukulele.
 

About National Girls & Women in Sports Day
National Girls & Women in Sports Day began in 1987 as a special day in our nation's Capital to recognize women's sports. The day united premiere organizations and elite female athletes to bring national attention to the promise of girls and women in sports. In 1987, NGWSD also served as a remembrance of Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman for her athletic achievements and dedication to promoting equality for women's sports; Hyman died of Marfan's Syndrome in 1986. It has since evolved into an event to acknowledge the accomplishments of female athletes, the positive influence of sports participation and the continuing struggle for equality for women in sports. NGWSD is powered by the Women's Sports Foundation, supported by its team of champion athletes and celebrated throughout the year by schools and community-serving organizations across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. NGWSD 2021 Girls Fest is supported by WSF National Partners Athleta, espnW, Gatorade, NBC Sports Groups and Yahoo Sports, and produced in collaboration with signature partners Dick's Sporting Goods and Girl Up.
 
   

About SUNY Canton
SUNY Canton is Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and professional certificate programs. The college delivers quality hands-on programs in digital design, engineering technology, health, management and public service. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. As SUNY's leader in online education, SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as 21 online degree programs. The college placed first in 14 categories in a SUNY-Wide Student Opinion Survey, most notably in career services, tutoring, library resources, and classroom facilities. The college's 15 traditional athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division III level as part of the North Atlantic Conference. SUNY Canton also features varsity eSports and cheerleading. For more information, visit www.canton.edu.