“Why?!”

Anyone with a  young child can tell you the word “why” is one so overly used that a frazzled, sleep-deprived parent might begin to wish it was never inducted into the English language in the first place.

It’s amazing how many times a small child can ask “Why” in one day – and how 99 percent of those questions are posed in the most inopportune and embarrassing scenarios-  such as in front of the subject of the question- or on a quiet elevator.  Examples include, but certainly are not limited to:

“Why is the sky blue?”; “Why is that lady so fat?”; “Why did you fart in the car?”;  ” Why do dogs smell butts?”; “Where does the sun go at night?”; “Why do I need to eat lunch?”; “Why are peas green?”; “Why is there a hair coming out of your mole?”; “Why does that man smell like cheese?”

Hey, you can’t blame an inquisitive little person for wanting answers and information in their rapidly growing world.  As adults, we aren’t too far off from wanting to know “Why” just as often as a little kid does.  We might be slightly more discriminating in the way we go about finding our answers, but it’s still the same basic gist.  Instead of embarrassing our mother or father in a check out line at the grocery store, we extinguish our desire to know why on our Smartphones, or with Yahoo and Google. It’s the world we live in. We want answers and we want them now!

Well, if you’ve ever wondered why girls need sports and fitness programs, I have a list of reasons that should more than satisfy your curiosity.  There were actually so many valid reasons that I had to compile a condensed list. The following list was comprised by information taken from the National Girls and Women in Sports Day.

In fact,

On February 6, 2013, thousands of sports educators, coaches, athletic directors, recreation directors, association members, sponsors, students, and parents across the country will show their support of the Day and of this year’s theme, “Girls in Sports, An Investment in the Future.”

Athletes like Martina Navratilova, Candace Parker or Jessica Mendoza who played or are still playing are making a difference, overcoming difficult circumstances, breaking records and making things possible.

Girls With Sole is more than proud to be a big part of this special day! We’ll be at Timmons Elementary School in Bainbridge on February 6, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. for their event!

So……

Here are the top 20 reasons WHY girls need sports and fitness in their lives:  

20. Regular exercise improves overall quality of life.

19. Sports is where girls can learn goal-setting, strategic thinking, and the pursuit of excellence in performance and other achievement-oriented behaviors – critical skills necessary for success in the workplace.

18. Women who exercise have lower levels of blood sugar, cholesterol, triglycerides, and have lower blood pressure than non-exercising women.

17. Recreational physical activity may decrease a woman’s chance of developing breast cancer.

16. Research supports that regular physical activity can reduce hyperlipidemia (high levels of fat in the blood).

15. Teenage female athletes are more likely to experience their first sexual intercourse later in adolescence than female non-athletes.

14.  Girls who participate in sports have higher self-esteem and pride.

13. Playing sports teaches girls how to take risks and be aggressive.

12. Research suggests that physical activity is an effective tool for reducing the symptoms of stress and depression among girls.

11. Sports teach girls teamwork.

10. Girls and women who play sports have a more positive body image than girls and women who do not participate.

9. Sports help girls develop leadership skills.

8. Regular physical activity in adolescence can reduce girls risk for obesity.

7. Teenage female athletes are less than half as likely to get pregnant as female non-athletes (5% and 11% respectively).

6. Physical activity appears to decrease the initiation of cigarette smoking in adolescent girls.

5. Research suggests that girls who participate in sports are more likely to experience academic success and graduate from high school than those who do not play sports.

4. Women who exercise believe they have more energy and felt they were in excellent health more often than non-exercising women.

3. Women who are active in sports and recreational activities as girls feel greater confidence in their physical and social selves than those who were sedentary as kids.

2. Women who exercise miss fewer days of work.

1. Sports are FUN!