Girls and Sports - Results from Seventeen and WNBA

Monday, August 11, 2008

Nancy L. Brown, PhD

Seventeen Magazine and the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) recently conducted a survey about how sports impact the lives of teen girls. The results may surprise you - they did me. According to this survey (of only about 1,000 young women), 83% of girls participated in sports and basketball was the number one sport.

The results suggest that girls play for exercise, to develop and maintain friendships, compete, and represent their schools. The girls that do not do sports say it is becasue they doubt their athlectic ability, do not have access to needed equipment at their schools, or worry about being perceived as a lesbian by peers. [Seriously?]

The impact of sports on young women is profound - results suggest that the participation in sports helps people develop emotionally and physically, experience the rush of competition and winning and learn lessons about losing -lessons that create future leaders.

Photo credit: tata aka T

Labels: Healthline, Sports

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