A recent study conducted by the Women’s Sports Foundation
and Gatorade showed that many girls aren’t playing sports past the age of 14.
Even though the same amount of boys and girls are hittin’ the field between the
ages of 6 and 12, twice as many girls as boys quit playing after that.
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. But who says that girls can’t be
flirty and sporty at the same time?
Since the passing of Title IX, the number of girls playing
sports at the high school and college level has risen from 300,000 to 3
million. With Title IX celebrating its 40th birthday, the Women’s
Sports Foundation and Gatorade are becoming concerned that we might start falling
back into old ways. What’ve they done to combat the freshman year drop-off?
They created an ad:
Is it completely impossible for sports and makeup to go
together? We don’t think so. GL girls seem to do it all: Soccer
practice after school, homework in the evenings and hangouts on the weekends is
a regular routine for many tweens ‘n’ teens. So, we’re a little dubious that lipstick and
fashion are guilty of making girls quit sports.
What do you think?
BY CARRIE RUPPERT ON 7/22/2012 12:00:00 AM
POSTED IN sports, In the News