Benefits of Girls Playing Sports

Cross-post partially adapted from "Why I Coach Girls Basketball."  

Participation in sport helps girls in many ways - in health, in school, in social advancement, and as future leaders. Female athletes earn better grades, higher graduation rates, higher self-esteem, and lower teen pregnancy rates. 

• "As little as four hours of exercise a week may reduce a teenage girl’s risk of breast cancer by up to 60%; breast cancer is a disease that afflicts one out of every eight American women. (Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 1994)
• Forty percent of women over the age of 50 suffers from osteoporosis (brittle bones). (Osteoporosis, 1996) None of us should want our daughters to repeat the experiences of generations of women—our mothers and grandmothers—who were not permitted to play sports or encouraged to participate in weight-bearing exercises that are necessary to establishing bone mass.
• Girls and women who play sports have higher levels of confidence and self-esteem and lower levels of depression."

Growing up, I didn't think much about girls' sports. I never saw my sister play high school basketball and rarely saw her play high school tennis. Mostly I was preoccupied with boys sports. 

The 1972 passage of Title IX gradually changed a lot about sports. Here's the AI take:

Title IX is a federal law in the United States that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance. The law covers all educational institutions that receive federal funding, including colleges, universities, and K-12 schools.

The significance of Title IX is that it has helped to promote gender equity and equal opportunities for women in education. Prior to the passage of Title IX, women were often excluded from educational programs and opportunities that were available to men. Title IX helped to break down barriers to education and allowed women to have equal access to resources, programs, and activities.

Title IX has also had a significant impact on athletics, requiring that women's sports programs receive equal funding and resources as men's sports programs. This has led to a significant increase in the number of women participating in sports at all levels, and has helped to raise the visibility and popularity of women's sports.

Overall, Title IX has helped to create a more equitable and inclusive educational environment in the United States, and has had a lasting impact on opportunities for women in education and sports.

The highlights of my coaching career aren't seeing players win league championships or players achieving college athletic scholarships, although they happened. It's girls winning in the classroom and in society, earning advanced degrees. Many reached their dreams, like a former player graduating from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis. That's progress and meaningful change. 

Lagniappe. US Women's Olympic Coach Karch Kiraly (Ker-eye) shares a few passing tips.