Ansell is the founder of the multi-sport event to be held at Empire Park which offers girls aged five to 16 the chance to try new sports, meet professional female athletes, learn new skills and be inspired.

It was first held in late 2020 with the inaugural Girls Day Out offering surfing, netball, rugby league and soccer.

This time around cricket and rugby union were added and spots have been filling up fast.

"It's a massive day of female athletes in one area, which is fantastic for us," Ansell said.

"We've also had an outpouring of other sports wanting to be involved in the day, so we will look at potentially holding a second event in Newcastle in September."

Mini-clinics for each sport are held throughout the day, starting from 8am. They run for 45 minutes and cost $5 each.

The surfing, soccer and netball clinics are already sold out but tickets remain for rugby league, cricket and rugby union.

"It's an opportunity for girls who've never tried the sport before to get a taste for it and girls who have done it can come in and learn something new," Ansell said.

"They also get a chance to have a chat to some of the athletes at the end, to ask questions and talk to them about how they started in the sport at eight and nine, or whatever age, to now playing for their city.

"So, it's also showing the girls the pathways of what they can achieve."

Athletes facilitating the clinics include Newcastle surfer Philippa Anderson, who competes on the world qualifying series, Sydney Thunder WBBL cricketer Sam Bates, former Giants netballer Sam Poolman as well as NRLW Newcastle Knights, Hunter Wildfires (rugby union) representatives and Newcastle Jets Academy players. A-League Women's Jets will also be on hand to talk with players.

"I thought there was a need to be able to bring young girls and athletes together in a fun environment where they can really connect with them in a way that isn't overly structured and see that they're just normal people like you and I," Ansell said.

"It encourages girls to get out there, to have a go at anything. It's about healthy bodies, healthy minds, meet your sporting hero, having a go, meeting a new friend.

"If one girl comes along and she tries soccer and she meets her hero then she goes on to make it her thing in life, that to me is goal achieved."

NRLW Newcastle Knights centre Jayme Fressard was looking forward to being involved in Girls Day Out.

"There was nothing at all like this when I was that age, even when I was 16 there still wasn't much at all," Fressard said. "So, it's pretty amazing that there's at least pathways now or opportunities like these where girls can try the sports and give them a go before they actually start playing them."

The 24-year-old works in high schools as a youth mentor and was well aware of the important role sport can play for girls.

"Sport has got me through my whole life and, if you can get the girls in at a young age and show them there are these pathways and these careers for sport, that can hopefully motivate them to set goals and pursue that through their teenage years," Fressard said.

"We find a lot of girls do drop off in their teenage years because there weren't pathways or opportunities for them. But, if they can see they can go all the way through, hopefully that keeps girls motivated to stay in sport."

Find out more about the initiative at www.girlsdayout.com.au.

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