TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama softball team visited local schools on Wednesday to discuss the significance of women in athletics as a part of the National Girls and Women in Sports Day. The team split into six groups of two and one group of three to visit a total of seven schools from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Crimson Tide players spoke on the experiences they have had with sports as well as the importance of staying motivated in sports and the benefits from doing so. "This day is celebrated annually across the country," Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy said. "This year’s theme is ‘Stay Strong, Play On.’ We had almost our entire team go out in the community to visit elementary and middle schools and speak on the benefits of playing a sport. It’s a small way to give back to a community which has given our sport a tremendous amount of support over the years." National Girls & Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) is a special day for girls and women to celebrate their participation in sports and athletics. When Title IX was enacted in 1971, 1 in 27 girls in high school participated in athletics. One in three girls participate in athletics in high school now. Women participated in only 13 of the 24 events of the 1984 Olympic Games; in Beijing in 2008, female athletes competed in 28 of the 32 Olympic events. There has been an explosion in the number of athletic opportunities open to women and girls of all ages and levels of ability. "Stay Strong, Play On" is the theme for the 2010 National Girls and Women in Sports Day. NGWSD presents a prime opportunity to communicate to others what Title IX has accomplished and how many girls and women it truly helps. Schools visited by The University of Alabama softball team include: Alberta Elementary Echols Middle Oak Hill School Skyland Elementary Tuscaloosa Magnet School University Place Elementary Westlawn Middle