Here's a stat that might stop you mid-scroll: 94% of women in executive leadership positions played sports at some point in their lives. Not some. Not half. Ninety-four percent.
That's not a coincidence. And it's not just about fitness or fun (though those matter too). Something happens when girls compete, train, lose, win, and get back up again. They're not just building muscle. They're building the exact skills that show up later in boardrooms, startups, and leadership roles across every industry.
Let's talk about what's really going on.
The Numbers Don't Lie
We could wax poetic about the benefits of sports for girls, but the research does a pretty good job on its own:
On confidence and ambition: Girls who play sports report higher levels of confidence, self-esteem, and positive body image compared to their non-athlete peers. And 80% of female Fortune 500 executives? Former athletes.
On academics and earnings: Girls who play sports are more likely to graduate from college and enter higher-paying career fields. Female athletes have a 7% higher earnings potential than women who didn't play sports. Seven percent adds up over a lifetime.
On leadership: 61% of women executives say sports directly improved their leadership skills. Women who played sports are more likely to pursue leadership roles in business, government, and entrepreneurship.
On resilience: Former female athletes tend to be more comfortable with competition, assertiveness, and navigating male-dominated industries. Because when you've been knocked down on the field a few hundred times, a tough meeting doesn't feel so scary.
What Sports Actually Teach Girls
It's easy to say "sports build character." But let's get specific about what that actually means.
Discipline and work ethic. Showing up to practice when you're tired. Putting in reps when no one's watching. Managing your time between school, sports, and everything else. These habits don't disappear after the final whistle. They follow girls into their careers.
Teamwork and collaboration. Working toward a shared goal with people who have different strengths, personalities, and opinions? That's not just sports. That's every job, every project, every organization. Athletes learn this early.
Resilience and grit. Sports are full of failure. Missed shots, lost games, bad calls, tough seasons. Girls who play sports learn that failure isn't the end of the story. It's just part of it. That mindset is invaluable when life gets hard (and it will).
Confidence and decision-making. Competition builds self-assurance. It teaches girls to trust their instincts, make quick decisions under pressure, and back themselves even when the stakes are high.
Communication and presence. Athletes learn to speak up, advocate for themselves, and communicate clearly with teammates and coaches. These are the same skills that make leaders effective.
The Drop-Off Problem
Here's the frustrating part: despite all these benefits, girls still drop out of sports at twice the rate of boys by age 14. Twice the rate.
Why? Lack of access. Fewer resources for girls' programs. Social pressure. The sense that sports "aren't for them" once they hit a certain age.
This isn't just a missed opportunity for fitness. It's a missed opportunity for leadership development, confidence building, and all the long-term benefits we just talked about.
What We Can Do About It
Invest in girls' programs. Schools, clubs, and communities need to put real resources behind girls' sports. Equal opportunities shouldn't be a nice-to-have.
Highlight role models. When girls see women leaders who played sports, it changes what feels possible. Representation matters.
Create supportive environments. Coaches, parents, and teammates all shape whether a girl feels like she belongs on the field. Encouragement goes further than you think.
Talk about the long game. Sports aren't just about this season's record. They're about building skills that last a lifetime. When girls (and their parents) understand that, they're more likely to stick with it.
The Bigger Picture
Youth sports aren't just extracurriculars. For girls, they're leadership incubators. Every practice, every game, every hard moment on the field is quietly building the confidence, resilience, and skills that show up decades later in careers and life.
The data is clear. The connection is real. And the more we invest in keeping girls in sports, the more we're investing in the leaders of tomorrow.
No pressure, but that travel team registration might be more important than you thought.
Ian Goldberg is the CEO of Signature Media and the Editor of the largest and fastest growing sports parenting newsletter. He’s been recognized as an industry expert by the National Alliance for Youth Sports, the US Olympic Committee’s Truesport, and the Aspen Institute's Project Play. Ian is also a suburban NJ sports dad of two teenage daughters and has over 2,000 hours of volunteer time coaching them (which he calls the most fun form of R&D for his newsletter content). Ian and his team provide players, coaches, parents and program directors with the articles and content they need to have a great sports season. Ian has spent most of his career in digital product development and marketing and got his start at the White House where he worked for the economic advisors to two US Presidents.
