The good and bad news in girls’ sports participation

February 4 is National Girls and Sports Day across the country. Club, youth, high school and even collegiate sports programs will be marking the day in various ways.

What kind of impact is organized sport having on the lives of girls and youth sports in general?

According to an article in Time Magazine featuring data provided by the Youth Sports Business Report, girls high school sports participation increased by over three million opportunities since Title IX’s 1972 passage. Three million over 50 years?

At the collegiate level, women now represent 44 percent of all NCAA athletes, compared to 15 percent before Title IX.

Women’s Sports Foundation research shows that participation links to stronger academic performance and higher graduation rates.

The article documents connections between youth sports participation and professional achievement, while at the same time identifying participation gaps in coaching leadership and adaptive programming.

• In a nutshell, 71 percent of women who played youth sports and later held formal leadership roles advanced to roles as manager, director, president or C-suite positions.

• However, women’s representation in collegiate head coaching positions declined, from 90 percent in 1971 to 42 percent today.

• 90 percent of women with disabilities are not active in sport. Boys consistently participate at higher rates.

• Over 1,200 athletes with NCAA backgrounds from 125 countries competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The Aspen Institute’s State of Play 2025 report shows Iowa is ranked seventh in the country in girls’ sports participation ages six through 17 with 60.9 percent, behind first place Vermont with 70.7 percent. South Dakota, Maine, Montana, Wisconsin and Rhode Island followed Vermot.

Flag football is growing in numbers for both genders partially due to tackle head injury concerns and the NFL’s announced plans in October to launch professional flag leagues ahead of the sport debuting at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. As NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says, “If you set that structure up where there’s youth leagues, going into high school, into college and then professional, I think you can develop a system of scale.”

Thus, flag is one more opportunity for girls to find their niche in youth sports.

Another positive sign depicting the growth of girls sports is the increased investment in the industry, from sponsoring leagues to supporting grassroots programs. But the Foundation stresses that continued progress requires “collaboration between governments, brands and non-profits to build systems that deliver sustained impact.”

Unfortunately, too many children still are unable to participate in organized sports due to the cost. In 2012, 35.5 percent of kids ages six through 17 in homes with incomes under $25,000 consistently played sports as opposed to 49.1 percent who played from homes earning more than $100,000 or more. By 2024, the gap was 20.2 percentage points.

In 2024, boys of that age played sports at their highest level since 2015, a two percent increase over one year. Girls participation still trailed boys but increased for the third consecutive year. The 2024 rate of 37 percent was the highest for girls since 2012 according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.

Do you remember when you were a kid how much fun “free play” was? Unstructured play, made-up play, playing with next door friends until the streetlights came on.

I started organized sport as a competitive swimmer at the age of 10 (old in today’s youth sports world).

Over time free play has almost become a thing of the past and is costing kids opportunities to exercise, set goals, learn problem-solving without adult interference and to develop a “love for the game” for itself.

Researchers believe more free play is needed particularly for female athletes who have higher rates of overuse injuries and are involved in sports specialization more than boys. They also note that girls participate in fewer free play hours per week and play their primary sport for more months of the year than boys.

There is good news and not-so-good news surrounding girls and youth in competitive sports. To assist in the continued successes, experts say female sports should be made consistently visible and valued for its own right; the culture around sports should be reformed so females feel safe, respected and equal at all levels; and investments in grassroots opportunities should be transformed with accessible and friendly environments along with coaches who understand their needs.

No one can tell you, the parent, what route you take with your daughter when it comes to participation in sports, whether it’s free play or structured play. What kind of culture do you want your daughter to imagine? Communities need to be cognizant of what kind of opportunities are available for their children and what is cost worthy. Make it possible.

Nancy Justis is a former competitive swimmer and college sports information director. She is a partner with Justis Creative Communications and the Founder of Iowa Youth Sports Initiative. You can reach her at najustis120150@gmail.com.