THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY
THE FACTORS INFLUENCING PARTICIPATION
GIRLS INVOLVED
IN SPORTS
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High school girls who play sports get better grades and are more likely to graduate that those who don't play.
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Four hours of exercise per week may reduce a teenage girls risk of breast cancer by up to 60%.
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Girls and women who play sports have:
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a greater positive body image.
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experience higher states of psychological well-being than girls and women who don't play sports.
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higher levels of confidence and self-esteem.
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lower levels of depression.
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80% of the female executives at Fortune 500 companies identified themselves as former 'tomboys'- having played sports.
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Sports gives girls and women life-long skills- physical skills, goal setting skills, teamwork skills- the building blocks for a successful and balanced life.
DID YOU KNOW?
Girls and boys, ages 6-9, are equally interested in sports, but by age 14, girls drop out of sports at a rate 6x higher than boys. And if she quits at 14, there is a
less than 10% chance she will be active at 25!
WHY GIRLS DON'T PLAY
LACK OF ACCESS
Girls have 1.3 million fewer opportunities to play high school sports than boys.
SOCIAL STIGMA
Girls in sports may experience bullying, social isolation, negative performance evaluations, or the loss of their starting position.
EQUIPMENT
Not only do most female uniforms use male sizing, but many athletic teams require females to wear white uniform pants which makes them insecure during their periods.
COST
School sports budgets are being slashed every day, all across the country. Even uniforms aren't funded for many girls' programs at the same level as boys, so their ability to grow and enjoy the sport is diminished.
LACK OF POSITIVE ROLE MODELS
Today's girls are bombarded with images of external beauty, not those of confident, strong female athletic role models.