All around the web today there are many blogs participating in the National Women’s Law Center’s Blog to Rally for Girls’ Sports Day.

The topic we were asked to write about is: What do girls win by playing sports?

Growing up, I was always active and competitive. I played tennis and volleyball, I loved to swim and cycle, and although I didn’t love gym class, I could be found playing a pick-up game of soccer or basketball. But I didn’t truly understand the value of sports until I became a parent. Now I’m the mother of two girls who have been hitting, kicking, diving, jumping, running and more since they were toddlers. Over the years I’ve taken them to gymnastics, soccer and track practice, and even fencing class. Watching the girls grow and become confident, capable young women I realized just how much sports contributes to a person’s life.

Navigating a life course is filled with variables and girls in particular have to make hard personal choices to express their identity. Through their performance, their bodies, clothes, activities, etc. they try to chart a course that lies acceptably within ideas of what it is to be a woman/girl. Fortunately, the range of what is acceptable is broader than ever. And girls today feel confident enough to steer their way between potentially rocky outcrops.

How great that my daughters can train and compete all year in whatever sport they like. How great that their classmates, male and female, view their athleticism in such a positive manner. The stigma that existed just a generation ago no longer exists and girls can pursue a plethora of physical activities. Whether competitive or recreational, these activities can become life-long interests.

I’ve marveled at the opportunities and seen firsthand how important the friendships and competition are to girls’ emotional and physical growth. I’m in awe of the fabulous opportunities afforded by sports and amazed at how success on the field translates to success in the classroom and in life.

Being a female athlete is not an oxymoron; in fact girls have proven they can balance multiple aspects of their life. They are smart and beautiful as well as tough as nails when they’re competing. They’re admired for the combination of these attributes; not just one of them. They’ve broken down barriers that existed when I was younger and managed to destigmatize what it means to be a female athlete.

To honor all the girls out there who love to play hard, compete, and succeed, I established Pretty Tough to empower and motivate young women to embrace their athleticism while encouraging them to lead active, healthy lifestyles.

What we’ve learned via our books, videos and website is a large percentage of girls and young women intuitively understand that being pretty and tough are not mutually exclusive. Most realize that being a tomboy doesn’t prevent them from being girly and being feminine doesn’t make them weak or less intelligent. They’re confident, they command respect and they can be sporty girls without derision. In fact, a person should never be reduced to just one identity – constitutive or “non-competing” identities make for a more interesting person.

Along the way, I was reintroduced to team sports and have been playing in a Mom’s Basketball League for several years. We meet every Friday night at the local rec center (the highlight of the week) and I’m proud to say that this group of women have become my great friends. We celebrate milestones (ours as well as our kids) and recently had a basketball themed shower for a player about to become a bride. We’re entrepreneurs, lawyers, curators, teachers, actresses, designers who come together to keep fit, socialize, learn some new skills, and have fun. It doesn’t really matter how young, or old, you are, sports can have a positive impact at every phase in your life.

View Original Post at prettytough.com

• Filed Under:  
• Basketball, Sports, SportsPLUS, Family/Parenting, Student-Athlete

This post is related to an event on our Calendar:

• Blog to Rally for Girls Sports Day

This post is related to the following ongoing stories:

• Blog to Rally for Girls` Sports Day