Brooke K., 17, rises early in the San Francisco pre-dawn and heads for the courts, a bag of incredibly expensive rackets slung over her shoulder, for the first of three or four hours of practice. Before school.
In Pittsburgh, Amanda T., also 17, wakes to the shriek of the alarm. Bleary-eyed, she remembers track practice and her friends, and the goal of getting in shape, and that's (barely) enough to drag her from bed.
A star athlete and a social player. They may seem worlds apart, but are they?
Benefits of Girls in Sports
The research is clear: girls get great dividends from being involved in sports, whether it's for competitive or social reasons. According to Dr. Theresa Rohr-Kirchgraber, a specialist in adolescent medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, teens involved in sports:
Engage in sexual activity later than their non-sports peers, which decreases risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases and lowers rates of early pregnancy
Reduce their risk of obesity and type II diabetes
Perform better academically
Experience lower rates of depression and anxiety
Compelling stuff. So sign her up, right? Hold on. If you're a typical parent, you may be about to make your first mistake.
Theresa Rohr-Kirchgraber, Indianapolis, IN 09/25/08
Thanks for the mention in the article, but I am now at Indiana University School of Medicine, Division of Adolescent Medicine. Still working on getting more girls physically fit! We are currently developing a girls ice hockey program in Indianapolis and the response has been very good. There are many more options now for teens to participate in activities. Whether it is sports, music, or clubs, teens need to be active! Theresa Rohr-Kirchgraber, MD trohrkir@iupui.edu
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