OT: Do Girls Who Play Sports Become More Successful Women?

[JavaMan]

According to research by Michigan State University’s Institute for the Study of Youth Sports, approximately 70% of children in the U.S. are dropping out of organized sports before the age of 13. This is particularly alarming for women because studies have shown that girls who play sports are more likely to graduate from college, find a job, and be employed in male-dominated industries.

EY research [Ernst & Young] shows that among senior business women in the C-suite today, 94% played sports and over half played at a university level — suggesting a strong correlation between their success in sports and their success in business. In fact, of the 400 women EY surveyed, 75% said that a candidate’s background in sports positively influenced their decision to hire them. These women put a particular premium on female athletes because they know — very personally — how participating in sports can impact work ethic. So to have young women drop out of sport at an early age is not only an alarming statistic, it is a wake-up call for parents. Their girls could prematurely be walking away from something that could have a bigger long-term effect.

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[RockyMTblue2]

It is something of an old bromide or truism that men cooperate more readily in the work place because of their immersion in team sports and the values of team sports. I believe it. Time and again I have seen women of a different generation in the workplace sabotage their performance or a coworker or a whole department because of an unwarranted focus on trivial interpersonal slights (real or imaginary). So, right on to team athletics for women.