How many of you recall a time in Delaware when girls were not allowed to run the 2-mile race in track because it was deemed “not safe?” To say we have come a long way in female sports seems to be an understatement.
As a high school girls track coach for the past 25 years, I have seen firsthand the positive role sports can play in a young girl’s life. It allows girls who are
feeling insecure and out of place to find a safe, stable environment where they can feel accepted, build their confidence, make lifelong friends and lay the groundwork for success in school and beyond.
Studies show that females who participate in sports in school are three times more likely to remain very interested in sports throughout their life, which provides a strong foundation for lifelong health, better quality of life and improved mental health. Women’s sports seem to be experiencing a renaissance — from the popularity of NCAA women’s basketball and the WNBA to endless headlines about female Olympians and their many triumphs. They won so many medals that, if the United States female athletes were their own country, they would have placed third in the overall medal count.
For some young girls, it can all begin with the opportunity to simply step on the court, the mat, the field, the track or into the pool for the first time.
Organized team sports help all kids develop qualities that they need and will benefit from as they grow up. Learning about self-confidence, trust, teamwork, time management, sportsmanship, winning respectfully and losing gracefully will serve kids well as they move into adult life — whether on or off the field of play.
And while boys’ sports have always caught the headlines (how many TV shows and movies have centered around high school football?), the girls are playing just as tough and are just as dedicated.
In every level of women’s sports, the rate of improvement for women is faster than that of men. This could be due to the fact that female participation in sports continues to grow at a pace greater than male participation. According to an article published in The Physician and SportsMedicine journal, girls’ participation in high school sports continues to grow not only in numbers but also in the types of sports played. And between 1973 and 2018, the percentage of high school sports played by girls increased from 24.2% to 42.9%.
But it’s important to remember that while we may have come a long way for girls in sports, there is still work to do. Girls’ participation in sports still falls behind the boys, and research by the Women’s Sports Foundation suggests that girls drop out of sports at twice the rate of boys by age 14. By 17, half of girls quit sports altogether.
So, what can we do? Expose girls to opportunities at an early age. Encourage any interest they show in a particular sport. Did a sport during these past Summer Olympic Games catch their eye? Talk to them about it and see if they want to give it a try.
Involvement doesn’t have to be the stereotypical cutthroat, expensive, travel- heavy, never-have-a-Saturday-free-again commitment! There are youth leagues, summer camps, club sports, community centers, intramurals, and countless other ways a young girl can give a sport a try.
All Delaware schools must continue prioritizing resources for quality coaching, adequate equipment and the facilities required to support their female students. The better the experience, the more likely girls are to stay involved.
We know more girls are getting the opportunity to play a sport at an earlier age, and they are taking their sport more seriously.
At The Tatnall School, participation in our athletic program is a requirement. And in whatever sport, at whatever level, all students have a chance to try, excel, and succeed.
Let’s keep the momentum going.
Patrick Castagno has been the head coach of Tatnall’s boys and girls cross country, winter track and spring track teams for the last 23 years. These teams collectively have captured 58 team state championships.
** This article was originally published in the News Journal . This piece expresses the views of its author(s), separate from those of this publication. Special to the USA TODAY Network Published 4:14 a.m. ET Sept. 12, 2024
