@ Em11ily I have some thoughts and words for you. First off, my name is Natalie and I am 13 years old. I am a competitive soccer player since I was 3, practice 5 days a week with my team, and practice every day on my own. I also play volleyball for our Boys and Girls Club and am very athletic and competitive. You said in your comment “Many girls are forced to do a sport at a young age by their parents, so by the time they are a teenager and can make their own decisions they hate it and quit!” Some girls are forced to do sports, but some also just plain want to, like me. I also was wondering if you read the article because of this quote “This article is saying that girls quit sports to look pretty.” “It’s unclear whether the study takes into account the reasons girls quit sports, or whether it includes girls who play sports not associated with their schools. Regardless of other factors, the WSF and Gatorade are blaming the difference in male and female participation on the media’s preoccupation with boys, makeup and dieting.” That quote is from the article itself, and it contradicts what you said which means on that sentence you were incorrect. The last thing you wrote was the line I really had a problem with; “Guys are naturally more athletic and competitive so they will stay in sports longer…” I think that comment is horribly sexist and untrue, because I know many girls, friends of mine that compete with guys to be better athletes, and I also do this. My guy friends and I are constantly razzing each other and pushing each other to be better in the sports that we love. We have the same amount of athletiscm and competitiveness.
Also, I quit basketball and softball so I could play more soccer, and I know countless other girls who have chosen one sport over the other. And yes, some girls do not want to play sports. But there are also countless girls who play sports that would be as offended as I am by your comment to this article.
I would honestly like to know more about why you think this way about girls and sports, so I would love it if you could tell me.

soccerlover99 on 7/25/2012 8:59:00 PM