• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, January 6, 2021

COVID-19 has been specially hard on young athletes, so Walmart and Always are teaming up to give girls in sports some encouragement.

In a new partnership, the two companies are working with gymnast Laurie Hernandez, an Olympic Gold Medalist. The effort includes a $250,000 gift to the Women’s Sports Foundation, with the donation of an additional dollar every time someone views the “Keep Her Playing” video, up to $500,000.

In its announcement, Procter & Gamble, which owns Always, says the goal is to combat a discouraging reality: Millions of girls quit sports at puberty, just as they move into the Always demographic.

Often, it’s because parents don’t encourage them to keep playing, which means they miss out on valuable opportunities to develop confidence and other skills.

The effort includes a microsite with tip sheets from experts, offering advice on how parents and coaches can keep girls engaged.

Such encouragement is especially meaningful now, with “more than 1 in 3 young people feeling less confident as a result of missing out on after school activities, like sports, since the COVID-19 pandemic began,” the tip sheet says.

This is the latest effort in girl empowerment from Always and Walmart, who have previously teamed up for its Live #LikeAGirl and #EndPeriodPoverty programs.

“Always has been committed to championing girls’ confidence for more than 35 years, and this is especially important now. We know the transformative power sports can have in unleashing that confidence, and that is why we want to help,” says Hesham Tohamy, P&G’s senior vice president of feminine care, in its announcement. “Ultimately, it’s not how far she gets in sports, but how far sports can take her.”

The Women’s Sports Foundation, founded by Billie Jean King in 1974, aims to strengthen and expand participation and leadership opportunities.