“It’s also a great idea to watch a practice yourself to see how the girls are greeted, how the coach interacts with them throughout the practice, and what the wrap-up is like,” says Viv Holt, the head of Youth Sport Trust International, who also shaped the Nike Coaching Girls Guide. If you’re interested in a certain program at school or in your community, Fry recommends talking to parents in your neighborhood or in local online groups whose kids are or were on the team. In a WSF study on the type of coach with whom girls have the most success, researchers found that those who challenge their team while focusing on fun and skill development versus winning alone take the trophy. Also, find one who believes winning isn’t everything. Set them up for success by finding a coach who treats each girl as an individual and not just a player, fosters a relationship that allows them to talk openly, and outwardly appreciates them for showing up and trying, she says. “If girls don’t feel welcome, supported and valued by their coach, they may quit even when they love the sport,” says Issokson-Silver. All of these steps can encourage her to think of sports as a natural and exciting part of life, says Issokson-Silver, and give her a little shot of confidence to stick with it. Show up to as many practices and games as you can to cheer her on, take her to a high school or collegiate women’s game, and talk about sports like you’d talk about her classes or friends. “Playing with her is equally important,” adds Fry, so whether she’s 3 or 13, let her pick an activity (she’ll have more fun that way), and get out there together.Īnd please, make sure your girl is set up with adequate sports equipment, including sports bras, footwear and clothing that help her move.
The more active you are and the more upbeat language you use around activity (“I’m excited I get to run today!”), the more likely she is to create positive associations of her own, says Bartlett. How you participate in - and advocate for - sports and exercise can make a huge difference in a girl’s attitude toward them, says Megan Bartlett, the founder of the Center for Healing and Justice Through Sport, who worked with Nike to create the Coaching Girls Guide. And given the higher dropout rate (and the lack of women coaches), girls don’t have as many strong same-gender athletes to look up to as boys do, she says, perpetuating the cycle. This sends a message, especially to impressionable children, that women athletes are somehow less important or valuable, says Issokson-Silver. And women athletes make 15 to 100 percent lower salaries in many sports. Women’s sports receive, on average, only 5 percent of television coverage, while men’s sports get 95 percent, according to a study from USC and Purdue. Without support from her home team, a girl’s interest in sports might not take off as early or even at all. “In some families, it’s much more common for a dad to throw the ball around with his son at a young age than with his daughter,” she points out. Parents (or parental figures) generally have the most influence over a girl’s initial relationship with sports, and too often getting her involved isn’t valued the same way it is for boys in many households, says Karen Issokson-Silver, the vice president of research and education for WSF. And social media, a breeding ground for comparison and self-doubt, can make girls (and boys too) seek the sidelines instead of center court, she adds.įamily dynamics and gender stereotypes also play a role. That could discourage them from wanting to participate. Whereas boys sometimes feel more confident as their muscles grow, their voices deepen, and their chests sprout hair, girls can become more self-conscious and less sure of themselves as boobs, periods and hormones come into play, says Mary Fry, PhD, the director of the Kansas University Sport & Exercise Psychology Lab. What’s the deal? Well, there’s a lot standing between a girl - we’re talking toddler to college age - and athletic glory, from what’s going on inside her body to what our society is telling her about her potential. And of the girls who stick with it, one in three will call it quits by their late teens, while only one in 10 boys will, per a recent report from the Canadian Women & Sport organization. Those who do get involved drop out at almost double the rate by age 14 as boys do. Teen girls are 15 percent less likely to play sports than boys are. While the Serenas and Shalanes are capital-C crushing it, the reality is that women athletes are capital-U underrepresented: Girls start sports later than boys, according to a report on girls ages 7 to 13 by the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF).
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