Girls Letter Club, an organization for any varsity girl athlete at South, focuses on leadership and service opportunities, Amanda Suppes, psychologist and club sponsor, explained.

The club includes representation from almost every sport. By meeting and working with a variety of athletes, the girls connect and relate to other members, junior Kendall Marquardt, board member, said.

“Every [member] knows how much time and energy they dedicate into their sports,” Marquardt said.

In addition to the opportunity to improve on being a leader, Girls Letter Club pushes for a sense of community between varsity athletes. The members of the club set time aside to attend and support their fellow club members at games and competitions, Suppes said.

“We pick one competition or game from each female sport and put it on our calendar,” Suppes said. “We are trying to get as many people to go and show their support.”

Along with the community and leadership work that Girls Letter Club emphasizes, the club also works to help underprivileged athletes in Chicago who do not have access to equipment for girls sports, Suppes said. The club donated tennis rackets, lacrosse sticks, basketballs, volleyballs, cones, and more to Girls in the Game, a community organization that organizes non-competitive activities and sports for girls in need, she explained.

“We created spaces throughout the building where people could drop off or donate their equipment to [Girls in the Game],” Suppes said.

Girls Letter Club is looking forward to more service opportunities, including bake sales, more supplies drives, and school-wide involvement in the coming year, Suppes said.

The club hopes to grow throughout this school year and help foster a great community for girls at South, Marquardt said.

“[I love] when everyone comes together [to create] a group of people that lead and build [up] each other’s ideas,” Marquardt said.