'Her Power Hour' Creates Dedicated Sports Time for Girls

On August 1, "Her Power Hour," the 2026 edition of Sports for Everyone, a project initiated by youth public-interest practitioners Winston Ding and Niu Zijia, was launched at the Sanlin Community Center in Shanghai's Pudong New Area.

Supported by the Sanlin and the local women's federation, the event welcomed about 30 young participants, with parents also present. Beyond offering girls a dedicated sports experience, organizers put forward a longer-term agenda: Build "sports corners" as a regular part of community life, bring in more volunteers and professional support, and expand community sports programs from holiday activities into sustainable and scalable initiatives.

From the sidelines to the court

At the event, girls were given a more welcoming window of time to move, play and try. One young female participant said she used to walk past the community basketball court and turn away when it was full of boys; on the day, with peers and guidance, she felt much more at ease. That is the gap that founder Ding and co-founder Niu noticed years ago in Sanlin community: On many public courts, girls were more often watching than playing.

"Her Power Hour" is not only about one more game; it is about giving girls, in the community they live, a space where they can sweat freely, make friends, and build confidence.

Three years of local work, then wider attention

In 2024, the project launched its first girls-focused basketball activity in Sanlin; about 20 girls stepped onto the court for the first time. In 2025, Shanghai Sharks player Li Hongquan (Ben) visited the community, and the girls competed in MAGIC3, a city-level youth 3x3 basketball event – moving from participation to competition.

Alongside ongoing local work, the two founders turned discarded basketballs, old shoelaces, and worn uniforms into environmental art installations, using the creations to tell community stories. They also took the project to the United Nations headquarters in New York to speak out and draw wider attention to girls' access to sport and healthy growth.

"Speaking out means being seen; the real destination remains the community," the founders said on site.

"We are not chasing a bigger stage for its own sake. We want more people to see these girls – and then help bring change back home."

What the survey shows

Among 51 responses to a survey shared at the event, nearly 90 percent of girls wanted dedicated girls-only activity time, and about 80 percent said community sports spaces were clearly male-dominated. What they wanted most often was not only skills, but friendship, confidence, guidance, and a place where they could move without feeling watched.

The day included a youth health session, warm-up and stretch coaching, and a "Confidence Kit." More importantly, the two youth founders made a clear point: the work cannot stop at "one program in summer break, the other in winter."