How do you celebrate the past, present, and future of women in sport all in the span of one evening? Each year, the University of Guelph Department of Athletics presents its She's Got Game Gala. Championing female student-athletes and women's varsity programs is the M.O. of this initiative.

This year's gala featured speakers included Olympian beach volleyball player Brandie Wilkerson, emcee Tara Sloane of the San Jose Sharks and NBC Sports, and Gryphons student-athlete Rebecca Parker.

The star-studded event is a primary fundraiser to raise money for scholarships for Guelph Gryphons athletes, but it's also a night to see the true impact of women athletes in today's game.

Parker was a previous recipient of a She's Got Game scholarship, which eased the financial burden of being a student athlete. She says it also opened a lot of doors to meet new people and make connections within the university's athletic department.

Inspiring words from student-athlete speaker Becca Parker

"Getting the opportunity to be a speaker at the gala, and to feel the genuine support that everybody has in the room for female athletes, it was overwhelmingly positive," Parker said.

"You feel the support the university has for you from a distance, but being in the room and meeting all those people who are so passionate about people in sport, that really stuck with me."

Since its launch, the She's Got Game initiative has raised over $2.6 million and has created over 70 named scholarships that annually support female student athletes. This year's gala raised an additional $48,614.22 which gives young women the support they need to succeed both on and off the field of play.

"Students are benefiting immediately from that scholarship, but we also see the scholarship as an investment in the future," said Sarah Mau, Director of Athletics & Recreation. "We know sports develop leaders, and studies have shown that 94 per cent of women in senior leadership roles participated in sports.

"We know sport teaches skills like decision-making, accountability, leadership, teamwork, and resilience, and these are lessons our student-athletes carry with them for life."

A youth volleyball player meets her idol, Brandie Wilkerson

Thirteen-year-old Avery O'Neill was in attendance at the She's Got Game gala, and as a youth volleyball player herself, she was thrilled to meet Wilkerson, and even had a chance to wear her Olympic medal.

O'Neill watched all of Wilkerson's beach volleyball matches religiously from the 2024 Summer Olympics, and hopes to one day follow in Wilkerson's footsteps. It's living proof that sports become foundational for young people and can set them on the path to success for the rest of their lives.

As someone who played sports throughout her childhood, but excelled in track and field late in high school, Parker recently captured double gold at the 2026 OUA Track and Field Championships. Her speech to attendees relayed the vital role that athletics has played in her upbringing.

"I wanted to talk about how important sport is for letting young women and girls be themselves, and how sport is an environment where a lot of us when we're younger are told we're too much or we're too competitive," Parker said. "Sport is a space — when done correctly — that allows women to grow into their full selves."

Supporting the dreams of young women in sports

Overall, the She's Got Game gala was an evening of inspiring stories, seeing what's possible in today's landscape, and creating an inclusive place for young women to thrive by supporting their dreams to be the next Olympic medallist or championship player.

"We're living in a significant moment for women's sport at every level," Mau said. We see that there's real growth, and we're in an exciting time right now because the opportunities for women student athletes are expanding.

"They're having more opportunities to keep playing after their collegiate and varsity careers. The momentum that women's sports have at every level is very exciting, and we've been part of that from the beginning with She's Got Game."