See Her Win Festival aims to empower young female athletes

Credit To: Mark Selders/Penn State Athletics

STATE COLLEGE — Memorial Day weekend in Happy Valley is about to get a new rhythm, one built on whistles instead of fireworks and connection instead of competition.

This spring, the inaugural See Her Win Festival will bring young female athletes, coaches and mentors together for a multi-sport celebration designed less like a tournament and more like an invitation. It’s an invitation to try something new, to feel empowered and to see what’s possible.

The idea grew out of a simple question posed to Char Morett-Curtiss while serving on the Happy Valley Sports and Entertainment Alliance board: What’s missing?

“One area where we have a void the past couple of years is Memorial Day weekend,” Morett-Curtiss said. “So I thought, why don’t we think about doing a female athletic festival?”

Rather than recreating something familiar, Morett-Curtiss pushed the conversation forward. What emerged was See Her Win — a girls-centered festival highlighting emerging Olympic sports such as flag football, lacrosse, rugby and field hockey, with adaptive athletics built into the weekend as well.