I want my daughter to always play sports like a girl, just like me
I remember my first softball practice; I must have been around 8 years old. On the team were three girls, including me – the rest were boys. We were all wearing bright green little league t-shirts and I paired mine with my favourite pink striped shorts.
“Girls can’t play ball” said one of the boys.
“Everyone can play ball” I replied.
And I did, I played softball like nobody’s business for nearly ten years. I gained the nickname “Slugger” and “Grand Slam Em” over those years, hitting home runs every season. I played hard, with all my heart – I played like myself, like a girl.
At school, I was on the volleyball team, basketball team, soccer team – you name it, if I could make the team, I wanted in. Playing sports challenged my abilities and built confidence within myself, confidence I still possess today.
Sports have been shown to help girls stay confident as they become adults yet according to a recent study*, more than half of girls will have dropped out of sports by the time they end puberty. They feel like they don’t belong and we need to change that!
The softball league I was in capped off at age 18 – and there wasn’t another one at that time for adults in my area. It was a tough break and I wish there had been.
These days, when I’m on the field, I’m playing with my kids. Whether we’re kicking a soccer ball around, learning how to play catch, or doing calisthenics together – sports and physical activities are part of our everyday. My daughter gets right beside me and copies my moves and shows me her muscles when she’s done. She’s proud of herself and that’s a feeling I want her to have for the rest of her life.
Building confidence starts young and I want my daughter to know that she is powerful and can do anything!
She can play any sport she wants; she can play like a girl and be proud of it.
For more than 30 years, Always has been cheering girls on and encouraging the building of their confidence. They have taken their efforts globally and have made it their mission to change the simple phrase of #LikeAGirl to mean powerful and incredible things.
Always champions girls to keep playing sports and know that they do belong and they are worth it.
Now that’s a message in the media we should all support!
Take a moment with the girls in your life (daughter, grand-daughter, niece) to watch this short video as girls from around the world speak to the discouragement they’ve overcome and the powerful message they’re sharing with other girls.
I invite you to be part of this movement and show us how you keep playing #LikeAGirl
Share your story, a photo of you in action, or even a video using the hashtag #LikeAGirl on social media and encourage your friends to as well!
Let’s continue the momentum of change together and encourage girls to go the distance with the sports they are so passionate about.
* Key ‘Always Puberty & Confidence Wave IV’ Study Findings
By age 17, at the end of puberty, more than half of girls (51%) will have quit sports. 7 out of 10 girls who quit sports during puberty felt they did not belong in sports. Only 1/3 of girls feel that society encourages girls to play sports. Three of the top benefits of staying in sports girls reported are increased confidence (62%), teamwork (64%) and leadership skills (54%)
This piece is in collaboration with Procter & Gamble.
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My daughter did play sports like me and now her daughter does as well
As a Mom to 5 girls I believe that this message is SO important! I’ve tried to teach them as best I can to not worry about what others think and overall I think I am winning the battle but it takes a lot of work. Good for you for teaching your daughter young that she should play #LikeAGirl and BE PROUD OF IT!
I love this movement and this is a great post. I feel the same way as you do about my daughter. I played baseball on a boys team for a couple of years and totally loved it and fit in just fine. I feel sports saved me in high school. I want my daughter to know she can do and play anything she sets her mind on.
I was, and still am, terrible at sports. Luckily my kids both had fun in sports, even though both their parents are more techy (plus we both would rather read a book then play sports) Don’t get me wrong, we both walk a fair distance every day, both of us for our jobs and myself to help wear off energy.