Developing the Inner Girl, or DIG it! Volleyball Inc., is a non-profit organization that started under the High Performance volleyball club in St. Louis, Missouri. Their mission is to inspire young, "at-risk" girls to lead confident, healthy lifestyles through physical activity and character development training. They work in partnership with public schools and the Boys & Girls Club to provide a free after school volleyball program for over 150 girls at 11 different St. Louis public schools.
The ideal candidate for the DIG it! Volleyball program is a 4th-8th grade girl from a low socioeconomic background that is currently enrolled in a public school or program and has never participated on an organized sports team.
Since a lot of schools in the city lack after school programming and activities like sports, DIG it! Volleyball aims to boost academic performance, reduce risky behaviors, promote physical health, and provide a safe, structured environment for the children of working parents. Their 10-week program highlights lessons on goal setting, teamwork, confidence, managing emotions, attitude, body image, healthy habits, respect, anti-bullying, and paying it forward. Usually after brief sessions on one or more of those topics, participants are led through a volleyball practice where they improve their physical fitness and learn how to perform the basic skills of the sport of volleyball.
A long with their main program, the organization offers several workshops, camps and events year-round that participants can take advantage of. On Sunday, Dec. 11, 2019, Caitlyn Vann, program leader, organized a group of around 30 or 40 fourth and fifth graders to do lunch, a campus visit, and watch a women's volleyball game at The University of Missouri Columbia, Missouri. After the game, Vann also was able to ask some of the athletes to speak to the girls briefly about their experiences. The girls spent the day getting to see what being a college athlete was like, and the hope was to inspire the girls to go after their dreams.
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