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Below is an excerpt from an article relating the power of sports in a girl's development --- A large body of research shows that sports are associated with all
sorts of benefits, like lower teenage pregnancy rates, better grades
and higher self-esteem. But until now, no one has determined whether
those improvements are a direct result of athletic participation. It
may be that the type of girl who is attracted to sports already has the
social, personal and physical qualities — like ambition, strength and
supportive parents — that will help her succeed in life.
Now, separate studies from two economists offer some answers,
providing the strongest evidence yet that team sports can result in
lifelong improvements to educational, work and health prospects... Using a complex analysis, Dr. Stevenson showed that increasing
girls’ sports participation had a direct effect on women’s education
and employment...
“It’s not just that the people who are going to do well in life play
sports, but that sports help people do better in life,” she said,
adding, “While I only show this for girls, it’s reasonable to believe
it’s true for boys as well.”...
[Dr. Kaestner] found that the increase in girls’ athletic participation...was associated with a 7 percent lower risk of obesity 20 to
25 years later, when women were in their late 30s and early 40s. His
article was published this month in the journal Evaluation Review.
Dr. Kaestner notes that while a 7 percent decline in obesity is
modest, no other public health program can claim similar success. And
other studies have shown that even a small drop in weight can lower
risk for diabetes and other health problems.
There is still room for improvement. Today about 1 in 3 high school
girls play sports, compared with about half of all boys. And
participation varies widely by state, according to Dr. Stevenson’s
research. Southern states like Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee still
have big gender gaps, while Northern states like Maine, Minnesota, New
Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Vermont are closer to parity.
“While we have more girls than ever before, we still have far more
boys playing sports than girls,” said Nicole M. LaVoi, associate
director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport
at the University of Minnesota. “The research clearly states that when
anybody, boys and girls, are physically active, they can reap
developmental and health benefits. But we haven’t reached equality yet.” Full New York Times article available here. Interested in supporting our sports programs? Donate online today.
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