What Girls Aren’t Always Taught: Belonging Is a Form of Care

A conversation with Cecilia, Co-Director of NYC Kids Project

TL;DW - here's a succinct summary of our conversation with Cecilia!


One of the biggest gaps in girls’ sports isn’t talent, discipline, or ambition — it’s belonging. In this conversation, Cecilia, co-director of NYC Kids Project and one of HERcovery’s earliest supporters, reflects on what she’s learned from over a decade of working with young people in New York City schools. Her work centers on storytelling, inclusion, and helping kids feel seen — and those lessons apply just as powerfully to athletic spaces.


What Girls Aren’t Being Taught

Girls are often taught how to push through, perform, and persevere — but they aren’t always taught that feeling safe, supported, and noticed is part of being a strong athlete.


Cecilia describes how young people thrive when there are places to go at lunch, after school, and during hard moments — spaces where adults listen and respond rather than react. In sports, those same principles apply. Girls do better when they know someone is paying attention, checking in, and taking them seriously as whole people, not just performers.

Small moments matter:

These gestures aren’t “extra.” They are foundational.


Access Is an Equity Issue

Cecilia also names a reality many girls experience firsthand: where a school is located often determines what opportunities exist inside it.

Some schools have multiple coaches, after-school programs, and built-in support systems. Others don’t. When resources are uneven, belonging becomes uneven too — and girls in under-resourced communities are the first to lose access to sports environments that feel safe and sustaining.


HERcovery exists in part to close this gap — not just by providing physical kits, but by reinforcing the idea that every girl deserves a real head start, regardless of zip code.


What Support Actually Sticks

When asked what kind of care stays with girls long-term, Cecilia points to something simple but powerful: being listened to.

Girls build confidence when:

    •    Adults trust them with autonomy

    •    Their concerns are taken seriously

    •    They’re allowed to ask for help without shame

These experiences don’t just help girls survive high school sports — they shape how they advocate for themselves later in life.


A Message for Girls Pushing Through Hard Moments

Cecilia offers this reminder to girls navigating tough seasons in sport or life: You’ve done hard things before — even when you didn’t think you could. Sometimes strength looks like using your own tools. Sometimes it looks like asking someone else for theirs.


Support isn’t weakness. It’s part of growth.