Girl Athletes

Sixteen-year-old Katie Downs plays varsity volleyball, club
volleyball and lacrosse. She also has never tried drugs or
alcohol or had sex. But is that a coincidence? Experts say
that it may not be.

“Involvement in sports clearly can make a big difference
in whether or not that child gets [him]self into trouble or
not,” says Dr. David Marshall, medical director of the
sports medicine program at Children’s Healthcare of
Atlanta.

Trouble can come in the form of early sexual activity, unwanted
pregnancy, dropping out of high school, drinking or drug use,
all of which are more likely to occur in non-athletes. But
why are athletes less likely to take these risks? The first
and most obvious answer is time. Katie knows that her schedule
is a major factor.

“We practice every day after school, and there will
be days when I have two practices. I just don’t have
time to figure out where I could go to get in trouble,”
she says.

Experts say that participating in sports can also help build
a girl’s identity and bolster her self-esteem so that
she’s not as concerned about looks, popularity or what
boys think of her.

“You have that self-esteem of ‘I’m good
enough.’ So when you have already that kind of oomph
toward you, you’re not really as worried about the people
around you [or] what they’re thinking of you,”
Katie says.

Dr. Marshall points out that girls can learn several other
lessons from athletic participation that will last a lifetime.

”How to properly take care of their body through rest,
proper nutrition; how to say no or how to stay away from risky
behaviors that might jeopardize their future or jeopardize
their season. It might even jeopardize their lives, such as
drug use, sexually transmitted diseases or even an unwanted
teen pregnancy,” he says.

Experts acknowledge that other endeavors that involve physical
activity, such as scouting, 4-H clubs and marching band, can
have the same positive benefits as sports.

“There’s nothing better than knowing …
how hard you’ve worked for something and then getting
it. So when we’re at practice, practicing two times
a day before a tournament and then winning the tournament,
it makes everything worthwhile. And … I’m not
willing to mess that up,” Katie says.

Are female athletes
less likely to engage in risky behaviors, like having sex,
than non-athletes? Several studies have made such a link,
including one from the Women’s Sports Foundation that
shows female athletes in grades 9-12 are less than half as
likely to get pregnant as their non-athlete peers. Consider
these additional correlations between sports and risk-taking
cited by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy:

• Girls who play sports are more likely than those who don’t
  to be virgins.
• Female athletes wait longer before having sex for the
  first time, have sex less often and have sex with fewer
  partners than female non-athletes.
• Male and female teen athletes are less likely to use drugs,
  including marijuana, cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin and
  hallucinogens.
• When girls in poor neighborhoods participate in sports
  or other physical activities, they report higher levels
  of self-esteem and wait longer before having sex for the
  first time.
• Young female athletes in grades 9-12, particularly African-American
  girls, are less likely to combine sex with drugs and alcohol
  than are their non-athlete peers, a key risk factor in becoming
  pregnant and contracting sexually transmitted diseases.
• Female high school athletes of all races and ethnicities
  tend to have higher grades and significantly higher graduation
  rates than non-athletes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) says that sports participation and exercise are positive
alternatives to risk-taking for girls. Playing sports gives
young females independence, status with peers, a chance to
make friends, relaxation, weight control and more. According
to the CDC, girls who play sports learn the following life
skills:

• Teamwork
• Goal-setting
• The experience of success
• The pursuit of excellence in performance
• How to deal with failures

As a parent, how can you encourage your teen – male
or female – to participate in sports? The Canadian Association
for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity
offers the following advice for keeping your teen interested
in sporting activities:

• Actively support your teen’s
  involvement in physical activity. Buy your teen good
  equipment, watch his or her games and consider volunteering
  as a coach.
• Take your teen to the park and
  be active with him or her. Help your teen learn the
  fundamental skills of running, throwing, catching and kicking.
• Be an active role model yourself.
  Mothers who participate in sports increase their child’s
  participation rate by 22%. Fathers increase that rate by
  11%.
• Emphasize fun and fitness rather
  than competition and slimness. Encourage your teen
  to try a variety of new activities, and help him or her
  acquire the skills and equipment needed for participation.
  Consistently offer praise and support to your teen.
• Introduce your teen to active male
  and female athletes. Buy sports books about successful
  male and female athletes. Watch sporting events on television
  and attend competitions in your community.

Canadian
Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical
Activity
Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention
National
Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
Women’s
Sports Foundation