A study of women executives revealed an overwhelming majority of women executives (82%) had participated in sport at one time in their lives beyond the elementary school level.

60% of women executives credited sport participation with helping them cultivate an understanding of what it took to compete; in effect they developed “a competitive edge” that enabled them to work with others in the business world.

They associated their sport involvement with developing attributes that they drew upon in their work, including being more disciplined than others (86%); having leadership skills (69%); having the ability to deal with failure (69%); and having a competitive edge (59%).

excepts from “The Women’s Sports Foundation Report Brief: Her Life Depends On It III & Women, Sport, and Executive Leadership” 9.22.16.

Studies show that there are many benefits to having more women in sports.

 

94% of women who make it in the high echelon of corporations have a sports background

 

Women earn only 1% of what men earn in the elite athlete segment according to a recent study by Global Sports Center

40% of teen girls are not actively participating in sport

(WSF Teen Sport Report, 2018)

 

Women hold less than 40% of college coaching opportunities in women’s sports according to the Institute for Diversity & Ethics in Sports 2017 College Sport Racial and Gender report card

Of the top earning 100 athletes globally, there is only one woman: Serena Williams. At #51, Williams’ income is $66M lower than the top earning sportsman according to Forbes

 

49% of women drop out of sports in their teen years, which is six times higher than boys