When the average girl turns 14—right around the average age of puberty—she is twice as likely to quit playing sports as a boy her age in the same position.
Why is that?
There are conflicting perspectives, and an undeniable lack of comprehensive research, but many have theorized that the absence of widespread female mentorship, combined with the social pressures of of adolescence, contribute to this phenomenon.
Searching for a way to keep girls in sports, Stef Strack founded VOICEINSPORT (VIS), an online platform that provides mentorship and support to thousands of young female athletes across the world. When she launched the platform four years ago, her vision was to create an accessible website through which girls could directly connect with mentors, whether that be nutritionists, sports psychologists or professional athletes themselves.
Today, on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, the WNBA is announcing a formal partnership with Strack’s organization. As part of this partnership, 12 WNBA players will serve as VOICEINSPORT mentors, and over 50,000 girls from around the world will have free access to mentorship services.
Keeping girls in sports is critical not just because of its promotes both physical and mental health benefits, but also due to the…
