For the 19th consecutive year, Marshall Athletics will host its Sweetheart Clinic 9 a.m. Saturday.

Girls, ages 4-12, will attend the clinic, which will be held in the Chris Cline Athletic Complex indoor facility.

The clinic, which is at no charge, will include a pizza party, pep rally and free admission to the women’s basketball game. All participants will also receive a free t-shirt.

Check-in for the event will be from 9-9:20 a.m. Registration ended Jan. 26 and walk-up participants will not be accepted.

The participants will be split into groups by age and will rotate through nine stations learning sports skills from Marshall women’s sports’ coaches and athletes.

Representatives from each of Marshall’s nine women’s sports teams will be in attendence.

Saturday will mark senior Alex Dawes’ fourth Sweetheart Clinic. Dawes plays infielder for Marshall’s softball team.

Dawes said the team will take the participants through drills but the focus will be placed more on having fun.

“It’s a little bit of softball and a lot of fun,” Dawes said.

Dawes said the best part of the clinic is meeting the girls.

“It means more than anything to see the little girls want to grow up and be Marshall athletes,” Dawes said.

Dawes said after every clinic, participants join the softball team’s “Little Sis” program. Girls in the program exchange letters with members of the team and form relationships with them.

After the clinic, there will be a pizza party and the Marshall Cheerleaders will lead a pep-rally in the Cam Henderson Center.

All recipients will receive free admission to the women’s basketball game. The clinic observers and family members can purchase tickets to the game for $3. 

Tip-off for the Marshall’s match against the University of Texas at San Antonio is set for 1 p.m. Sunday.

Marshall Athletics’ first Sweetheart Clinic was in 1998 in recognition of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Since then, more than 2,000 girls have participated.

Sage Shavers can be contacted at [email protected].