Self-expression takes a variety of forms at SAYA!, whether it's through mural painting, song writing, or filmmaking-or expressing one's abilities and teamwork skills through sporting activities.

Many of those who participate in SAYA!'s center-based programs willingly admit that it was the sports that got them there. At the SAYA! center in Elmhurst, Queens is a basketball court where, over the years, young men and women have acquired new skills, challenged themselves, worked together in teams, and developed confidence in their abilities. Participants in SAYA!'s Boys League, for example, produce a weekly newsletter through which they sharpen their writing skills. For many South Asian young women, playing basketball and other sports at SAYA! have opened a doorway to a male-dominated world, while strengthening their self-esteem and ability to establish and achieve concrete goals.

SAYA! provides South Asian youth with a safe and supportive atmosphere where they can articulate their opinions through newsletters, videos, or murals. Salina, for example, says she was somewhat quiet before she started participating in the SAYA! all-girls group. Through the close friendships she developed with young women who shared many of her experiences of moving, struggling to fit in, and coping with 'being different,' Salina gained confidence in herself and discovered a new desire to reach out to others. Together, she and other members of the group produced a 15-minute video, "Where My Gurlz At?," describing the challenges they face as young South Asian women growing up in the United States. The video explored issues like arranged marriages and different privileges afforded males in many South Asian cultures. The film was screened at a variety of venues, including Yale University and the Museum of Natural History in New York.