Youth sport improves physical health, mental health, prevents obesity, predicts physical activity in adulthood, has education and financial benefits and lowers tobacco use.
The current state of play is not good! In the United States, 28% of boys and only 20% of girls ages 6-17 engage in at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity. Low income is associated with less physical activity.
There are 1.3 million fewer sports participation opportunities for high school girls than for boys. Fifty years after Title IX, girls today still have fewer high school sports opportunities than boys had in 1972.
Girls in low-income communities face the greatest barriers to sport. A 25% increase in the share of low-income students at a school is associated with a 20% drop in the odds of girls' sports participation. Girls of color at majority-minority schools receive far fewer athletic opportunities than boys at the same schools.
