Why Women Should Play Sports
It has been believed by people all over the world for many years that men are better at sports and more interested in sports. Many women don’t think they are able to play sports just because they are a girl. Research shows that if a child is not participating in a sport by the age of 10, it is very unlikely for them to participate later in life. Dropouts are also two times higher for girls than boy in almost every sport. There are many proven reasons why children should become involved in athletic activities starting from the time they are six or seven. The benefits of playing sports is the same for boys and girls which is why both genders should get involved starting from a young age.
There are many beneficial things that sports help children with outside of the sport. One way sports help children with is creating goals. In every sport, each individual must have a goal in mind in order to get better. It could be small like making a basket every basketball game or big like eventually playing in the NBA or WNBA. This skill will eventually be used in later in their lives and is an important skill to learn at an early age. Participating in a sport also helps control children’s anger and anxiety because exercise in nature’s best tranquilizer. All children seem to have a huge amount of energy from the moment they wake up in the morning until they go to sleep. When a child has this huge amount of energy stored up inside of them for a long time causes the child to become angry. When a child is constantly participating in an activity that constantly uses energy, it decreases the risk of a child becoming angry throughout the rest of the day. Playing sports can also help a child learn how to deal with success as well as failure. Many children think winning is the only option but, in sports that doesn’t always happen. Everyone has a bad game and players need to learn how to control their emotions and work through the frustration. This skill could help later in life when a co-worker is making the player frustrated and they would need to stay positive while being in this environment. Participating in a sport starting from a young age will help a player stay fit throughout their life. One of the leading causes of obesity in youth is the lack of activity. Playing a sport can help an athlete stay fit and learn proper nutrition for later use. It also helps with getting the right amount of sleep because when someone is playing a sport, they need to make sure they are well-rested for the next day. Playing a sport also helps people overcome shyness. When playing a sport, a person is forced to communicate with their teammates while playing which can help young females who are shy, make friends and overcome this fear. Participating in a sport from a young age will provide the athlete with skills they will later use in life.
Girls who play sports at young ages have many advantages over girls who do not chose to become active from a young age. Girls who play sports and continue to play them through high school are less likely to get into drugs, get pregnant at a young age, and are more likely to graduate from high school. Participating in a sport can distract you from all of the bad things many other teen are doing. In high school, while the player is in-season, there are contracts that forbid players from drinking and being involved with drugs. This can also help the athlete develop good habits and become a better person. Girls in high school playing sports also tend to have higher grades that females not participating in sports. While on a team, you are required to have good grades or the player cannot play. This motivates many athletes to work harder in school just to be able to play the sport they love. Another reason girls should participate in sports is because their risk for breast cancer significantly decreases when they are active during their teen years. When an athlete engage in athletic activity for one to three hours a week, it can decrease the chance of having breast cancer 20–30 percent. If they exercise four or more hours a week, it will reduce the risk 60 percent. Breast cancer kills 40,500 people on average every year and a girl could help prevent this from happening by just participating in a sport throughout their teen years. Participating in sports can also help young girls increase their confidence in their own abilities. Many girls, especially teens, constantly doubt themselves in school, work, and anything else going on in their life. While playing a sport, it is easy to realize everyone makes mistakes and instead of constantly overreacting about a small mistake, think about how it can be fixed for next time. There are many advantages for girls who participate in sports over the girls who do not. All children should find a way to stay active and participate in a sport that they are passionate about.
Many girls do not get into sports at a young age because sports are only for men. If young girls knew the things sports could prepare them for. Most people know that sports can help with confidence and leadership but many don’t know all of the other things sports can help them with. Becoming involved in a sport should be apart of every child’s life and should be a goal for every parent. Not only will a child miss out on meeting new people and creating life long friendships but, could also help them in their job later in life. Playing sports at any age has many scientifically proven benefits for girls at any age, which is why all parents should push their child to get involved in any activity their child has a passion for.
-Madisyn Portsche
Sources:
“Why Sport Is Important for Girls and Women.” Athlete Assessments, 29 May 2018, athleteassessments.com/why-sport-is-important-for-girls-and-women/.
