The Benefits of Girls Playing Sports

With the passing of Pat Summitt, I was reflecting on my own past with Duke Lacrosse, as well as other team sports. It made me stop and think about all of the positive benefits of girls playing sports.  Pat Summitt was an exceptional motivator, competitor, coach, and mentor, so in her honor I wanted to touch on the subject.

I really like the strength of this quote by Summitt, “By doing things when you are too tired, by pushing yourself farther than you thought you could – like running the track after a two-hour practice – you become a competitor. Each time you go beyond your perceived limit, you become mentally stronger.”

READ MORE: The Importance of Confidence

She empowered female athletes to become die-hard competitors.  She gave them the tools to win.  When girls in general participate in athletics they are stronger in many other aspects of their lives.

There are some great facts from the Women’s Sports Foundation.

• High school girls who play sports are less likely to be involved in an unintended pregnancy; more likely to get better grades in school and more likely to graduate than girls who do not play sports.
• Girls and women who play sports have higher levels of confidence and self-esteem and lower levels of depression.
• Girls and women who play sports have a more positive body image and experience higher states of psychological well-being than girls and women who do not play sports.

So if you have daughters that are of an age appropriate for entrance into the world of sports, ask them if they want to join a team. The benefits, as you can see, will far outweigh any drawbacks, especially in the long run.

“Attitude is a choice. What you think you can do, whether positive or negative, confidence or scared, will most likely happen.” –Pat Summitt

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