DiscoverYour Daughter

With childhood obesity on the rise and concerns that modern life leaves our children with fewer opportunities to be physically active than previous generations had, there may even be more value to playing organized sports. Here are five ways we’ve found that sports are empowering girls.

1. Sports can put your daughter in touch with her body—she will learn what her body can do and what it can’t. Becoming aware of her body’s abilities and skills can be a source of pride for your daughter. According to The United States Sports Academy, “Participating in sport is one way that girls can develop physical competence. Girls learn to appreciate their bodies for what they can do, instead of the perceived appearance by oneself or by others.”

2. Sports build self-esteem through team building and healthy competition. Give your daughter the opportunity to reach out of her comfort zone to try something new, beyond what she already knows she can do. As she competes, she’ll see herself mastering new skills, which will give her the confidence to reach farther and higher. Even when she doesn’t win, she’ll have the satisfaction of knowing she tried her hardest.

3. Girls who play sports during adolescence have a better body image than those who don’t! The National Institute of Health’s 2007 study of the relationship between girls (ages 9 through 13) and their self-esteem concluded that promoting physical activity among adolescent girls fosters positive self-worth. The health benefits of sports—increased aerobic power, increased muscle strength, and decreased obesity—all help improve girls’ body image. Pressure to have the right body size is something tween girls deal with on an almost daily basis. In a Discovery Girls’ survey, only 50 percent of girls said they felt their bodies are the “right” size. A whopping 90 percent of them said they worry that they don’t look good enough, and 35 percent have already been on a diet! Sports are empowering girls to be more physically fit, resulting not only in healthier bodies but also in girls being happier with the way they look. Building self-esteem goes hand in hand with an improved self-image.

4. Sports help develop self-discipline and healthy habits. If your daughter is in the habit of being active from a young age, she’ll be much more likely to stay active as she gets older, putting her on the path to physical fitness for the rest of her life. A commitment to regular exercise isn’t the only benefit from participating in sports, however—she’ll also learn self-discipline and time-management skills as she juggles schoolwork, practices, and games. The skills she learns now will serve her not just in sports but in every area of her life.

5. According to a 2009 study by Elsevier Science and Health, group sports have an even greater impact on self-esteem than individual sports. Team sports teach girls that, in being part of the team, they are part of a larger community. This is a particularly valuable life lesson during early adolescence, when children tend to be very self-focused. Getting your daughter involved in sports will give her the opportunity to encourage (and be encouraged by!) teammates and share the emotions of winning and losing…not to mention the good from all those new friendships she’ll make!

Sports and athletics have numerous benefits for tween girls. Overwhelming evidence supports the argument that sports opportunities are empowering girls and can drastically help in building self-esteem. Socially, there is research to support that kids consider other kids—both boys and girls—to be more popular when they’re involved with sports. From basketball to track to soccer to ice-skating, sports may offer your daughter yet another way to feel good about herself. Why not give her that opportunity?

Click here to request your free report, “Self-Esteem in Tween Girls: How to Help Your Daughter Have Improved Self-Esteem.”