Equal Partners: Girls in Sports
There was a time when girls "did not do sports," recalls Suzanne Corrigan, M.D. "We rode bikes; we ice-skated."
But more and more, girls are joining sports programs--and groups such as the Women's Sports Foundation say that can improve their health and success in life.
That may be due in part to the way women approach games. "Guys tend to take everything as, 'it has got to be a win,'" says Dr. Corrigan, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Communication. "But women's attitude is, 'you do your best.'"
Girls get many of the same benefits from sports as boys: a positive body image, more strength and more self-esteem.
"Any time you play sports it does something for your self-esteem," says Ruthie Bolton-Holifield, last year's Most Valuable Player for the Sacramento Monarchs of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
Wide television exposure for the new league has been good for girls thinking of getting into sports, says Ms. Bolton-Holifield, who played on the U.S. team that won the gold medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
She spends much of the off season talking to youths about fitness, staying in school, and staying drug- and alcohol-free. "It's not so much about winning," the WNBA star says of sports. "It gives you a sense of accomplishment. It's fun and it makes you feel good."
