Half of Girls Who Want to Play Sports Never Get the Chance

For decades, women’s sports were asked to prove themselves. Would people watch? Would fans fill the stands? Would brands invest?Today, we know the answer. Professional women’s sports leagues like the WNBA and the NWSL are booming.But as we celebrate what is happening at the highest levels of women’s sports, we should be asking how many girls will never discover what they are capable of because they never got the chance to play.The sports access gapAccording to the Women’s Sports Foundation’s inaugural WSF Sport Report, more than half (54%) of girls ages eight to 18 who have never played organized sports say they want to.Somewhere among those girls is a child who could discover the sport she loves. A future captain. A coach. An Olympian. Maybe even a champion. Most will never become professional athletes, nor should that determine whether their opportunity mattered. Sports can shape health outcomes, confidence, leadership, and a sense of belonging that lasts well after competition ends.But none of us can know what sports might unlock in a girl until she gets the opportunity to find out.As a Women’s Sports Foundation Trustee, I care deeply about what happens long before an athlete re...