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 Assistant Women's Softball Coach Haleigh Agans.
 
Question & Answer
Q: When did you first start playing sports? What was the first sport you ever played?
A: I've been playing sports for as long as I can remember. Probably from when I started walking.
 
Q: How many sports and what sports did you play in high school and/or college?
A: In high school I played soccer, basketball, and softball. Then I went on and played softball in college.
 
Q: What has playing sports taught you in life?
A: Playing sports has taught me many things but a couple of the biggest things are resilience and teamwork. Coming together to achieve one common goal is something most people will have to do in a work setting every day. Learning that skill early on in life helped me tremendously.
 
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: I was part of the Little League teams in Brasher Falls growing up as a kid. As I got older I started to coach or help coach some of the Little League teams as my sister had started playing. In college we put on a clinic for kids ages K-12 every year.

Q: Who is a role model for you either now or when you were growing up?
A: Growing up as an athlete my role model was always my dad. My dad has taught me everything I know and is the reason I went as far as I did in my career. He has also coached me from Little League to my college years when he was asked to be the hitting coach at Plattsburgh.
 
 
Q: Who is your favorite coach or a person in the sports field and why?
A:  Aside from my father, Tim Brown at St. Lawrence Central was by far one of my favorite coaches I have ever played for.
 
Q: Why did you get into coaching/a sports and athletics related field?
A: I have always wanted to coach. I knew when it was time to end my career I wasn't ready to be done for good and passing on everything I know and have learned in my years of playing seemed like a good way to continue with the sport.
 
Q: What are some of your hobbies you enjoy outside of sports and work?
A: Outside of sports and work I love to be outside. I like to hunt and fish. I also enjoy spending time with family and friends and of course my dog.

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.