Healthier & Inclusive Tomorrow! Sports Education For Girl Students Breaks Past Several Ceilings

The newer generation saw many capable girls and women growing in the arena of sports and breaking past the glass ceilings. Yet, many of them continue to be deprived of the option as several schools do not provide importance to sports in girls' education. The connection and potential between girls and sports continues to be largely underexplored in the country.

Mia Hamm, a retired American professional soccer player and two-time Olympic gold medalist, once said, "My coach said I ran like a girl. I said if he ran a little faster, he could too."

Sports are physical activities that are proven to have multiple, far-reaching effects that last into adulthood. It plays a critical role in children's development and provides valuable skills they carry along for the rest of their lives. It becomes even more beneficial for girl students as sports offer additional leverage in all facets of life and provide them with a space that promotes healthy competition with their counterparts. This has been proven time and again through multiple research works.

One such referred study was by the Women's Sports Foundation, which stated that "Youth sports participation is linked to substantial physical, social-emotional and achievement-related benefits. For girls in particular, research consistently demonstrates that sports participation is linked to improved physical and mental health; academic achievement; and increased levels of body esteem, confidence, and mastery, with some indication that girls reap greater benefits from sports participation than boys."

Empowering Girls Through Sports Participation

Sports are understood as all forms of physical activity that contribute to physical fitness, mental well-being, and social interaction. For years there has been a particular focus on sports for girls as it was considered part and parcel of empowering them and improving social inclusion. Sports is regarded as one of the most important socio-cultural learning experiences and is known to build toward several virtues, including social integration, leadership, and gender equality. It has also been found to change the stereotypical way men perceive women and girls.

Affording such an experience for both the boy and girl child becomes a priority and a practice toward a healthy society. Here are some of the benefits that tag along with engaging girl students in sports activities:

1. Excelling in school and higher graduation rates

Girls who participate in sports are also known to excel in academics and are more likely to graduate than those not involved in any form of sports activity. Physical exercises are known to improve a student's learning abilities, memory, and concentration, which helps them perform better academically. This was established through multiple studies, which also attributed a lesser dropout rate for female students who participated in sports. Such activities also enable the girl child to improve their self-confidence and aid them in achieving their personal best in every forum.

2. Higher levels of confidence and self-esteem

Sports enable students to improve their self-confidence. For girls, in particular, several studies have deduced that sports build a more positive body image and psychological well-being than those who do not engage in any sports. The Women's Sports Foundation, in their research, performed a national survey of more than a thousand girls aged 7 to 13 and asked them what they liked the best about playing sports. Topping the list was "Making friends and feeling part of a team." In an era where people are glued to their screens and continue to feel social media–fueled comparison anxiety, social isolation, and mental health issues, youngsters involved in sports experience better mental health. They get an opportunity for peer bonding and community sense through team sports and remain healthy both mentally and socially.

3. Positive health benefits

Playing sports comes along with an array of health benefits mentally and physically. In the case of women involved in sports, they have reduced chances of getting breast cancer, can maintain a healthy weight, and prevents the possibility of chronic diseases such as cardiac diseases, cancer, and dementia, among others. As little as four hours of exercise in a week can prove to be beneficial for a girl child's health. Several studies also point to the fact that girls who play sports are less likely to smoke or do drugs. They have a healthy system that helps improve their mental and physical health.

4.Practicing healthy competition in all realms

In team sports, competition is one of the most unavoidable elements. For many girls who were surveyed under the WSF study, "healthy competition" as a factor that made sports fun for them. Competitiveness comes along with a liking to win but also with a team spirit that builds friendly competition.

In comparison, women who did not play much sports as kids were found to have less experience with the trial-and-error method of learning new skills and positions and were less likely to be as confident as their counterparts about trying something new. Sports make kids practice healthy competition that imparts confidence and a motivated mindset. The WSF study supports this finding with the statistics that say 82 per cent of women in executive-level jobs who played or organised sports in middle, high, or post-secondary school attributed sports to have helped them with leadership skills, teamwork, discipline, and perseverance.

While great progress has been made in reducing the gender barriers in school sports, several social and economic barriers still hold back girls from getting in and staying in the game. Several budding girl students attribute their reason for quitting sports to the feeling of not "belonging" in sports, not having female athlete role models to look up to, or not having access to the opportunity to play.

These reasons give an insight into a broader societal image that continues to limit girls even today. Without the right kind of intervention, this problem would continue to grow and be passed forward across generations. This would lead to a vicious cycle of poor emotional and physical health among girl children and wasted potential.

Also Read: Leveraging Sports As A Medium To Reset India’s Gender Story & Bridge The Gap Between Genders