Sports teach girls a variety of life skills that will serve them throughout their lives. From learning how to handle competition to feeling the sense of empowerment that comes from being strong and intensely engaged, sports can provide opportunities to build self-confidence and positive feelings about oneself.

These life skills are particularly important for girls to practice using since other everyday experiences often give girls messages about being "nice" by downplaying their own gifts and talents so that others can feel more comfortable or important.

Pre-teen years are the perfect time to start a sport
Getting involved with sports earlier in a girl's life takes advantage of a time when trying something new is less intimidating due to both the younger girl's comfort in following her own interests (vs. later peer pressures) and the less intense nature of organized sports (vs. high school level sports.) Getting involved at a young age makes it possible to try out different sports so that girls can better assess their interests and their talents before they need to make later decisions about activities they would like to pursue.

Individual or Team
There are benefits to both team and individual sports activities. Team participation can encourage collaboration, cooperation, turn-taking, perspective-taking, and seeing how others' unique strengths contribute to team performance, Individual sports can build feelings of self-confidence and self-competence, a sense of connection between one's hard work and skill mastery, and appreciation of uniqueness and individuality.

"Sports" Redefined
While sports like basketball, baseball, softball, football and soccer may be more easily found across school and community organizations, it is important to help your child keep an open mind when considering what type of activity might interest them… especially if they don't see themselves as a "sports-type of person." Less visible but equally engaging sports such as martial arts, fencing, yoga, rowing, dance, rock climbing, hiking, or any other physical discipline can also provide your daughter the opportunity to thrive and enhance her sense of self.