Atlanta Hawks Host Girls Basketball Clinic with Google

Lady Ballers program empowers young female athletes through on-court drills and STEM-based activities.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 8:06pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a girls' basketball clinic, with overlapping planes of bright blue, green, and orange shapes representing the various activities and movements of the participants.The Lady Ballers clinic blends basketball skills and STEM-focused activities, empowering young female athletes to pursue their passions both on and off the court.Atlanta Today

The Atlanta Hawks partnered with Google to host the first Lady Ballers basketball clinic of the year in March, providing girls aged 8 to 15 with on-court practice and hands-on STEM activities. The clinic, held at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation and Aquatic Center, aimed to celebrate Women's History Month and spotlight the importance of women's sports.

Why it matters

The Lady Ballers program, established in 2018, has provided over 1,000 young female athletes with a safe and encouraging space to learn basketball and foster a lifelong love for the sport. The clinic's combination of basketball skills and STEM-based learning seeks to empower girls and address the reasons why many leave the game in their middle school years.

The details

During the Saturday afternoon clinic, athletes ran drills focusing on shooting mechanics, rebounding, ball handling, footwork, defensive positioning, and passing. The STEM component included the creation of 'trashketballs' and 'moon darts' led by Google volunteers and Hawks staff, teaching the athletes about force, motion, and gravity, and how they relate to basketball.

  • The Lady Ballers clinic was held in March 2026 to celebrate Women's History Month.

The players

Jon Babul

Vice President of basketball programs for the Atlanta Hawks.

Atlanta Hawks

The professional basketball team that hosted the Lady Ballers clinic in partnership with Google.

Google

The technology company that partnered with the Atlanta Hawks for the Lady Ballers clinic, providing volunteers and STEM-based activities.

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What they’re saying

“We have a responsibility. We are the pinnacle of basketball in our state. We've got to set the example.”

— Jon Babul, Vice President of basketball programs for the Atlanta Hawks

“If you run at a certain angle and you're trying to cut off the person you're guarding, you know, it's science, it's math, and we're just connecting the dots.”

— Jon Babul, Vice President of basketball programs for the Atlanta Hawks

“Girls are trying the game, but then they're leaving the game in seventh, eighth, ninth grade for a handful of reasons, but we know that some of those reasons are controllable. Did they have a good experience? Did they play for a good coach that was positive and a good role model?”

— Jon Babul, Vice President of basketball programs for the Atlanta Hawks

“We spend a lot of time with intent to bring in the right people to be able to design great experiences for girls of every skill level. We have 100% confidence in our coaches that there's a passion there, there's smiles, there's interpersonal relationships being developed, especially during a week of camp.”

— Jon Babul, Vice President of basketball programs for the Atlanta Hawks

“Girls basketball is so important, and I believe that providing a great experience that's safe, that's fun, that's enjoyable and educational, if you can do that and check those boxes, they will come back. And that's what it's proven.”

— Jon Babul, Vice President of basketball programs for the Atlanta Hawks

What’s next

The Atlanta Hawks plan to host additional Lady Ballers clinics and camps throughout the year to continue providing young female athletes with opportunities to develop their basketball skills and interest in STEM fields.

The takeaway

The Lady Ballers program demonstrates the Atlanta Hawks' commitment to empowering young girls in sports and STEM, addressing the reasons why many leave basketball in their middle school years by creating a safe, fun, and educational environment that fosters a lifelong love for the game.