The Benefits of Sports for Girls
The information below is from the National Women’s Law Center’s Webinar from 2010. There are so many positive’s about girls participating in sports.
How can we as parents give our daughter’s wonderful life changing
opportunity? For those of us who were athletes as children, sports
maybe a continued lifestyle, and built into our lives. For those who
were not athletes, it may mean taking an extra step to see what is out
there for their daughter’s. In my own family, children and sports has
gone hand in hand. Since my oldest son was 4 years old, he played on
an organized sport team.The 3 other children that came after him have
all played sports. What has this meant for my life? Sacrifice, yes,
but the rewards are incalculable.
The Benefits of Sports for Girls
Greater Academic and Employment Success:
• Young women who play sports are more likely to graduate from high
school, have higher grades, and better test scores than non-athletes.
• Female athletes are also more likely to do well in science classes than
their classmates who do not play sports.
Increased Health Benefits:
• Sports participation decreases a young woman’s chance of developing
heart disease, osteoporosis, and other health problems.
• Sports participation reduces the risk of obesity in adolescent girls, and for
adult women who played sports in school.
Improved Mental Health and Other Benefits:
• Young women who play sports have higher self-esteem, lower incidence
of depression and more positive body image than those who do not.
• Female student-athletes are less likely to smoke or use drugs and have lower rates of both sexual activity and pregnancy.
© 2010 National Women’s Law Center
Another reason why Chicks Play Sports came to life. www.chicksplaysports.com
