Sport has a transformative power. Beyond fitness, after-school sports participation teaches discipline, teamwork and leadership, supporting professional success. Research by Public First found that girls who do extracurricular sports are 50% more likely to hold senior professional roles as adults. 

But sadly, the data shows that access to participation isn’t equal. Girls play 1.5 times less sports than boys, and only 27% of 11 to 18-year-old girls play competitive sport, compared to 45% of boys. And digging deeper even behind the numbers reveals that Black girls are left even further behind.

The recent report, Black Girls and Sport: A Breakup Story, revealed that only one in seven Black girls engage in physical activity outside of school, despite 60% dreaming of becoming elite athletes presenting a bleak aspiration vs. actuality gap.