News Taffy

I rarely watch TV commercials but a Dove soap commercial grabbed my attention yesterday and made me think. Dove soap has had a campaign for some time aimed at raising the self esteem of girls. Despite Title IX, girls still lag behind boys in sports. (Title Nine is the 1972 federal law prohibiting sexual discrimination from any educational program that receives federal funds. This law paved the way for greater sports opportunity for girls in public schools.)

By age 14, girls drop out of sports at a rate of 2 times that of boys. There are several reasons for this statistic. In adolescence, girls focus on relationships and co-operation, not competition. Girls become less tolerant of bad sports behavior and a win-at-all-costs attitude. Unfortunately, girls tend to suffer from a lack of self esteem and self confidence while boys gain self confidence as they mature. Therefore, girls may feel “not good enough” to play sports. Faced with media, social pressure and advertising, adolescent girls may develop a negative body image and in turn, view sports as unfeminine. There is a negative stigma for girls who are tall and have large muscular bodies.

Unfortunately, families may inadvertently send the message that sports are more important for boys than girls. Families may not have the funds to pay for their daughters to participate in club sports when schools don’t provide equivalent sports opportunities. Though it is better since Title IX, more money is spent on sport facilities, equipment and uniforms for boys than girls. Girls may lack good coaches or have coaches who belittle their efforts. The public also sends a negative message about women’s sports. Attendance at boys’ sporting events is always higher than that for girls’ and media coverage of women’s sports is spotty at best which sends the message that they aren’t as interesting, important or good.

You may be thinking that sports don’t matter but they do. (Keep in mind that I am not a huge sports fan and that I think sports like football and basketball, etc. have gotten out of hand and send the wrong message to young men but that is another topic.) First and foremost, participation in some type of physical activity throughout life means better health. Good health habits need to be established in our youth. Second, girls learn the same lessons from sports that boys do: teamwork, self confidence and leadership skills. Girls who are athletes have a better self image and feel positive about their body.

How can you help your daughter or other girls? Set an example yourself by participating in physical activities like walking, running, tennis, swimming or dance. Invite your daughter to join you or offer lessons or to join a team even if it means making financial sacrifices elsewhere. Many parents make it mandatory that their children do some sort of physical activity but make sure they enjoy what they are doing. Get involved at your child’s school and ask for equal sports opportunities. Be willing to help raise funds if necessary to support your daughter’s sport. If you have both sons and daughters, make sure that you give equal attention to both even if one is more gifted in sports. Consider volunteering to coach as there is always a need for coaches for club or city sports teams. Most of all, don’t ignore this important topic. We still have a long way to go baby!