The Dilemma Between Young Girls and Competitive Sports

Physical Phenomenon//Growing in numbers every year, teenage girls are quitting sports left and right; so, it is important to bring awareness of the potential benefits of physical activity and consequences of stopping at an early age. Bringing a positive atmosphere and encouraging environment is essential to keeping girls engaged in sports. (Photo by Stella Lin)

A recent survey found that 45% of girls quit sports before the age of 14 due to low body confidence. Whether it was due to comparing themselves to their peers, or underperforming, it is important that society works to reduce this, as these girls will set the example for future generations. This alarming statistic relates to an expanding issue of teenage girls today and their relationship with physical activity. To understand this problem further, it is important to address the cause of why girls are leaving sports in the first place. Although there are numerous reasons as to why girls are quitting sports, such as low body confidence, additional reasons include the feeling of not being good enough, intimidation caused by competition, and pressure to perform.

As girls transition from middle school to high school, the standards for athletics shift drastically. There are more stereotypes on how girls must look, feel, and perform to be ‘worthy’ of competing at the secondary school level. Many girls who were capable and once had a love for the sport they played are being pushed out by how society perceives them. Knowing this it is crucial because it can affect young girls’ mental health and mindset, especially while going through puberty, which already has impacts on body image and confidence.

“I think more young girls are experiencing low self-esteem and body confidence due to pressures in their sports because many girls are focused on comparing themselves to their friends and teammates on how they perform,” sophomore Grace Sexton explained.  “When specific numbers or lists represent their ranking, it is easy for girls to connect that to their self-worth.” 

Along with beauty standards and self-esteem, competition is another contribution to this issue. There is a rising stigma around young women when playing sports that when they enter a sport they must not only compete at the top level, but must also be the best among their peers. Young people are discouraged from continuing a sport if they are not considered ‘good enough’, which may affect their health and relationship with exercise long-term. Fundamentally, it is crucial to understand why children and young girls specifically should be involved in sports in the first place.

“I believe young girls should be encouraged to play sports because it is a good way for them to make friends outside of school,” Sexton said. “And, it is a good way to teach them about exercise.”

There are many benefits to being involved in physical activities at a young age including improved social skills, teaching healthy habits, and having a fun activity outside of school. Youth sports teams encourage children to talk to other kids their age and make friends, improving their ability to interact with others in a social setting. Additionally, when girls have a healthy relationship with physical activity at a young age, they are more likely to bring that with them into adulthood and use it as a place to improve their confidence and self-esteem. Having extracurricular activities outside of school is also important for young girls because it can be a place for skill development, confidence, and empowerment.

With this information in mind, there are numerous things that we can do to encourage girls to stay in sports as they grow up. This may be through organizations like Girls On the Run, whose purpose is the representation of women in sports at the professional level, and encouragement of all levels of competition, whether it is a recreational team or a nationally competitive program.

Girls On the Run, an international non-profit that works to empower young girls in elementary and middle school. It teaches confidence and community through everything from a mix of educational lessons to physical activity, and there are numerous programs right here in Las Vegas. Non-profits like these are so important to the encouragement of girls in sports because it shows them that physical activity does not have to be competitive and that it does not have to make them hate their bodies, but love them. It teaches them about aspects of physical and mental health that are not widely discussed within the walls of a classroom. By encouraging young girls to foster healthy relationships with others as well as a healthy relationship with their body, it can encourage girls to continue sports throughout high school and beyond.

There are many ways that we could encourage girls to continue. In this day and age, the world is more interconnected than ever before. The influence that comes from empowerment in a small town could reach the opposite corner of the world, and that can inspire young girls worldwide.   As sporting events like the Olympics grow, female athletes can be the representation that young girls need to be inspired. Over the past decade, hundreds of records have been broken by women who were never thought to be possible from athletes like Serena Williams and Katie Ledecky. Showing young athletes the possibilities and opportunities that can come with playing sports.

Lastly, teaching young athletes that all levels of competitive sports are beneficial is a very important conversation that is often pushed out of the topic of sports. Sports are all about winning, right? Well, not exactly, and if so many adults make this mistake by simply pushing kids to win, how many more young girls are misunderstanding that as well? There is so much pressure among teenage girls who play sports to be the best, and if they aren’t, to quit. This harmful mentality that is being pushed onto their values at such an early age can teach them to quit in other things they aren’t the best at, which can ultimately harm them in other ways, along with the issue of playing sports in the future. To fight back with this narrative, through the use of news platforms and social media, youth female sports at all levels of competition could be normalized. Ultimately, by focusing on the benefits of physical activity rather than the consequences of not playing to a certain standard, it might motivate a lot of young children to stick with what they start.

Although more than 1 million girls quit sports after primary school, there are a number of things that we can do to mitigate this dilemma and further motivate female athletes in the process. Just because there are a lot of reasons that contribute to the problem, there are equally, if not more, ways to solve it and continue their participation. Whether it's through non-profit organizations, female representation, or just taking away pressure to perform, there are things that anyone can do to support the future of girls in sports.