Parenting Girls

The co-author of the new book, "Raising Your Game - Over 100 Accomplished Athletes Help You Guide Your Girls and Boys Through Sports," says the female elite athletes she talked to all emphasized how important it was for girls to know that it's just as normal and healthy for them to participate and compete as it has always been for boys. 

Two-time Olympic track cyclist Erin Mirabella advises parents that if their athletic daughter has body image issues, they should drive home the message that she is beautiful just the way she is, and as far as beauty goes, what really matters is on the inside.

As a mother you can have an enormous influence on your daughter's lifelong pursuit of physical fitness or sports. Here are some tips on how to help your daughter develop a love of sports and get the most of her sports experience.

While participation by girls in sports has increased at all levels, Olympic, professional, college and high school, and society is now more accepting than ever of female athleticism, the fact that girls continue to drop out of sports at six times the rate of boys is an indication that we still have a long way to go as a society in reaching the goal of gender equality in sports.

Extensive research shows that physical activity and sport can enhance the mental, psychological and spiritual health of American girls and young women. The bottom line is that while sports are not the magic potion they do help girls get through the trials of adolescence.

When the U.S. Women's soccer team made it to the World Cup final this past summer for the first time since 1999, the spotlight shone brightly on women's sports again, however briefly. It is time to honor and value women in sports, not just for three weeks but all year long.

By Doreen Greenberg, Ph. D.

There are many factors for a parent and an aspiring young female athlete to consider when deciding whether she should play on an all-boys' team.  Is she pretty adept at the fundamentals of the sport? Are her skills on an equal footing with the boys?  Does she thrive on the competition?  Is the coach gender-blind - giving equal opportunities to everyone?  Does he foster an environment where masculinity and feminity are not questioned?  If you can answer yes - then let her play!

Some people are under the impression that asserting oneself is "unladylike" or "improper". In reality, however, learning how to be assertive can give you a sense of inner integrity. Being assertive is the ability to express feelings, to say "no", to ask favors, to question the coach. How does one learn to get what they deserve in an appropriate way? You need to develop an assertive approach that enables you to act in your own best interests- in a comfortable manner. You have to have a "game plan' for the next situation that arises.

By age 12, girls are six times more likely to drop out of sports than boys. Why? One of the reasons, say experts, is that girls simply do not receive as much positive reinforcement about their sports participation as boys. Boys get to see male athletes on televised sports; they can see their photos in newspapers and magazines; and there are plenty of books for boys about male sports heroes. Boys learn at a very young age that it is not only okay to enjoy sports but that their success will be supported by their families and society. Girls see far fewer female athletes on television; coverage of women's sports in newspapers and magazines, while increasing, is far less than that given to men's college and professional sports. There are very few books for girls about female sports heroes that girls can read as they grow up; athletes whose success our daughters will want emulate and see as role models.