Play to Lead: The Generational Impact of Sports on Women’s Leadership - A Women’s Sports Foundation Research Report, September 2024

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Melati

Play to Lead: The Generational Impact of Sports on Women’s Leadership examines how youth sports participation shapes leadership skills across seven generations (ages 20–80). The report explores how policy-driven change—especially the passage of Title IX in 1972—affected girls and women inside and outside the sports ecosystem, and identifies barriers to full, sustained participation over decades. It argues equal access and opportunity to play are essential for gender equality in leadership.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages86

Reading Time3 h 37 min

AccessFree to download

Letter from the CEO

Acknowledgments

Play to Lead: The Generational Impact of Sports on Women’s Leadership A Women’s Sports Foundation Research Report, September 2024 Letter from the CEO As the Women’s Sports Foundation celebrates its 50th anniversary, we set out to examine the cross‑generational impact that sports participation has had on girls and women, specifically in the area of leadership development. Play to Lead: The Generational Impact of Sports on Women’s Leadership is a breakthrough study that examines the skills, traits, and experiences that develop through youth sports across seven generations, ages 20–80. It is the first study of its kind to explore the impacts of policy‑driven changes, most notably the passage of Title IX in 1972, on girls and women both in and outside of the sports ecosystem. The study also illuminates the barriers that have impeded full and sustained sports participation across the decades. For 50 years and counting, the Women’s Sports Foundation has recognized the powerful connection between sport participation and leadership. This new report is vital because it proves why sports are not a nice‑to‑have but a must‑have for all girls and women by providing insight into what can and will be achieved when they truly have equal access and opportunity to play at the youth level. At WSF we strongly believe that girls do not have to go on to become elite athletes to reap the societal and cultural benefits of sports. By studying the leadership skills that emerge from sports participation at a young age and how they translate in adulthood, this report shines a unique light on the potential of sports to be an engine for full gender equality in leadership that spans across all sectors throughout the nation and globe. Play to Lead is the latest proof point showcasing the critical need to ensure that all girls have equitable access to sport, but there is still a lot of work to be done. As outlined in our 2022 report, 50 Years of Title IX: We’re Not Done Yet, girls from marginalized communities — including girls of color, girls with disability, LGBTQ+ youth, and those from low socioeconomic households — face even greater obstacles to play. Our latest findings prove there is a dire need for all girls to participate in sports because it helps them develop critical building blocks that will propel them to lead throughout their lives. Simply put: when girls play, they go on to become leaders — in sports and beyond — and that means we all win! The Women’s Sports Foundation is deeply grateful to Earlystone for the generous lead donation it made in support of this study. We thank the Evelyn Y. Davis Foundation, whose major grant supports this and future critical research undertaken by the Women’s Sports Foundation. Lastly, thanks to American Express for generously supporting the Women’s Sports Foundation. The Women’s Sports Foundation is proud to be at the forefront of research and practice, and we look forward to working with experts across sports, youth development, education, medicine, business, and mental health to ensure that all girls have an opportunity to thrive in sports. By getting more girls in the game we can foster a vibrant pipeline of future leaders who are able to succeed beyond the boundaries of the playing field — empowering them to lead in communities, schools, and workplaces. All girls. All women. All sports® \#KeepPlaying Danette Leighton CEO, Women’s Sports Foundation Women’s Sports Foundation [WomensSportsFoundation.org](WomensSportsFoundation.org) Play to Lead: The Generational Impact 2 of Sports on Women’s Leadership Acknowledgments Women’s Sports Foundation Acknowledgements First, the Women’s Sports Foundation is indebted to the study principal investigator Elizabeth Sharrow, Ph.D., whose scholarship and leadership were instrumental to the report. Thanks to contributing study authors, Ellen Staurowsky, Ph.D., and Bridgette Davis, Ph.D., for their expertise and thoughtfulness. We are fort

FAQs

What is the purpose of the Play to Lead report?

It examines the cross-generational impact of sports participation on girls and women, focusing on leadership development.

How does Title IX relate to the study?

The report evaluates impacts of policy-driven change, most notably the passage of Title IX in 1972, on participation inside and outside the sports ecosystem.

Who supports the study financially and through grants?

Earlystone provided a lead donation, the Evelyn Y. Davis Foundation provided a major grant, and American Express supported the Women’s Sports Foundation.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Melati