Women’s basketball meets Olympic gold medalist

The Fitzgerald Elementary School Girls’ Basketball Club recently hosted Olympic Gold Medalist Benita Fitzgerald-Mosley. The Olympian spoke with the students about goal setting.

Fitzgerald-Mosley showed the students her gold medal and shared her story of winning the 100 meter hurdles at the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles. This victory made history by becoming the first African American woman to win a gold medal in this event. She wasn’t favored to win first place, but as she explained in her presentation to the students, “you can accomplish anything you set your mind to, and if you work hard, you can do it.” She told the students to “design it, believe it and make it happen”.

Fitzgerald-Mosley is from Prince William County. She graduated from Gar-Field High School and Fitzgerald Elementary is named after her mother, Fannie Fitzgerald.

Manager George Wright said he was delighted to see the women’s basketball club engaging with motivational role models. He added his pride in the fact that an office assistant, Nikki Moore, has become a co-sponsor of the club.

“It’s important for students to connect with as many people as possible. Learning takes place in many forms and with a variety of people. Fitzgerald support staff are invested in student well-being. It is important that they have the opportunity to demonstrate their support for the children. Ultimately, this increases positive outcomes for children and adds to the learning experience. Every role in public education is valuable and it shows that,” Wright explained.

Moore welcomes the club with Elizabeth Jones, the physical education teacher. Moore coordinated Benita Fitzgerald-Mosley’s visit with the help of Kim (Fitzgerald) Lennon, who is not only a kindergarten teacher at Fitzgerald, but also Benita’s sister.

“I want girls to believe in themselves. If they see other people who have accomplished great things, it will motivate them to do the same and not give up on their hopes and dreams. I believe when you are a leader, you can inspire others,” Moore explained.

The students were also inspired by the Washington Mystics Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) team. The team sent gifts including shirts, pencils and autographed photos of the players.

The club is open to CM1 and CM2 students. Not only do club members learn to play basketball, but they also learn teamwork and leadership skills.

Moore is also a former PWCS student. She played basketball at the old Brentsville Middle School and Unity Reed High School.