5 Reasons to Support Women’s Sports
There are somewhere around a million reasons to support womens’ sports, but we will keep this short and sweet.
We all know women’s sports have come a long way, whether you are a pro player, student athlete, die-hard follower, recreational player, or casual fan. If you are here, you are probably already invested in women’s sports in one capacity or another, but here are 5 reasons to support women’s sports.
1. Women are kick-ass athletes. Why would anyone want to miss that?
Women athletes have been killing it in every sport imaginable. As a sports fan, why would anyone want to miss incredible shots on goal, world record-breaking performances, nail-biting close-finishes, the careers of GOATs, insane power and speed, and incredible shows of heart, finesse, and technique.
If you don’t watch women’s sports, you’re missing out on ~½ of the incredible sports performances that exist out there in the world. If you have a love for the game, why would you want to miss out on more sports?
It's just basic logic.
2. History is being made every day in the world of women’s sports.
Don’t just take our word for it. At the 2022 Women’s European Championship final between England and Germany at Wembley stadium, a record crowd of 87,192 people were in attendance. This amounts to more than the previous highest total recorded attendance in either the men's or women's editions of the tournament. This year’s US Open saw record-high attendance at both of Serena Williams' matches. Her singles matches set the largest attendance ever recorded for an evening session at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Her first-round matchup against Danka Kovinic drew 29,402 fans. Two days later, the record fell again with 29,959 fans attending her second round match (CBS Sports).
3. Sports empower girls and women, and provide incredible role models to look up to.
Female athletes are inspiring, and remind women and young girls of our own power and potential both on the court or field and in life.
Just to name a few of our favorite inspiring athletes of the current day → Simone Biles, Megan Rapinoe, Allyson Felix, Bethany Hamilton, Serena & Venus Williams, Alex Morgan, Sydney McLaughlin, Katie Ledecky.
4. Women’s sports shifts societal perceptions and norms.
Sport has the power to change not only what women and girls feel is possible for themselves, but what society believes about women and girls. As the UN Foundation Vice President for Girls and Women Strategy, Michelle Milford Morse said, “It is in the field of competition that I think we have one of the best chances to change perceptions of what girls and women can do and what they should get to do.”
5. Supporting women’s sports is good for us all.
Supporting women’s sports, whether you’re playing, talking about it, attending games, sponsoring teams, or otherwise, leads to even more opportunities for women and girls in all levels of sport. This access to sport is critical for the development of women and girls, and of society as a whole as it increases health, well-being, and positive life outcomes in multiple ways, leading to stronger communities.
According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, girls and women who play sports experience “higher levels of confidence and self-esteem, and lower levels of depression”. In addition to higher-states of psychological and physical well-being, sports provide a safe space where young women can cultivate critical skills, including teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, setting and working towards goals, and the pursuit of excellence (UN Foundation, WSF). These critical skills developed through sport serve us well personally, academically, and professionally throughout our lifetime.
Studies have also shown that high school girls who play sports are more likely to have better academic outcomes -- higher grades and graduation rates -- than girls who do not play sports. There are similar outcomes when it comes to professional success: 80% of the female executives of Fortune 500 companies self-identified as having played sports throughout their lives (UN Foundation).
These are only a few examples, but the message is clear: women’s sports help create strong individuals, strong communities, stronger economies, and a better society.
Why are women’s sports important to you? How have sports benefited and shaped your life? If you love sports and empowering women, go ahead and follow us on our social media accounts @goalfive on Instagram and @goalfiveapparel on Twitter.
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