PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi. Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. DuPont CEO Ellen Kullman. What do these inspirational women have in common? As stated by EY, they all hold – or have held – positions of power. And they all participated in some kind of sport. For women, sports can serve as more than exercise or a hobby; they can be pathways to empowerment, health and a happier life.
If you haven’t already laced up your sneakers, here are seven more reasons why you should try playing a sport.
Unfortunately, the phrase “It’s a man’s world” is mostly true in terms of the workplace. However, as Women’s Sports Foundation explains, sports can help women thrive in the existing American business model. Sports and businesses follow similar (written and unwritten) rules, such as always projecting (real or fake) confidence, separating winning or losing from one’s self-worth and finding joy in deadlines and competition. If women already understand these basic rules thanks to sports, it will be even easier for them to succeed in workplaces built on these same beliefs.
If you dream about being the leader of your own company, playing a sport may be the first step in that direction. A report conducted by the EY Women Athletes Business Network and espnW surveyed 400 female executives and found that 70 percent credited sports for helping improve women’s leadership potential. In particular, sports can foster one’s ability to motivate others, build teams and complete projects. In other words, sports can also instill in women the competitive spirit needed to succeed as a leader.
If running a business isn’t enough, you can also try running a state or country. When studying the gender gap in young Americans’ political ambition, researchers discovered two surprising facts. First, compared to men, young women are less likely than ever to consider running for office. Second, because sports can increase one’s enjoyment of competition, sports could make political careers more appealing to young women. Winning the state championship would pale in comparison to winning a state election!
You’ve probably been encouraged to exercise to lose weight, get toned and become more physically fit. However, participating in sports may provide even more benefits than you realize! According to the YMCA of Silicon Valley, a recent report found that women who participate in sports have lower risks of chronic diseases later in life, lower risks of substance abuse, safer sexual behaviors and academic and social “fitness” (or the ability to perform better in school or work). Instead of exercising to lose weight, exercise to get smarter, stronger and healthier!
In a study by Harvard Medical School, although six out of 10 girls between fifth and twelfth grade reported feeling unhappy with their bodies, female athletes tended to report higher scores of body esteem. Participation in sports encourage female athletes to focus how their bodies work rather than how they look, promoting a both a healthier body and a healthier body image.
As famous soccer player Mia Hamm states in an interview with TIME, “I see the confidence [playing sports like soccer] has built in my daughters when … they’re working really hard on passing or shooting or a certain move, and then all of the sudden it just clicks, and you just see this big smile come on their face.” Even if you don’t turn into one of the world’s best athletes, playing a sport can give you the confidence of learning a new skill – and having fun at the same time.
The average woman’s daily life is filled with pressure from the media on how a woman should act and look. By playing a sport, though, women can act as confident, strong and empowered role models to younger generations. As explained by the Sport Information Research Centre, female athletes provide young women an example of healthy body shapes and success in a largely male-dominated field.
Even if trying to play a sport doesn’t transform your life, you never know how it could impact a young girl watching you from the sidelines.
