In October 2014, the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF), and espnW co-founded "Sports 4 Life", a national grant program to increase participation and retention of African American and Hispanic girls in sports, especially in under-resourced communities. These grants are intended to help small and mid-size organizations in all 50 states…

This study builds on previous research and policy that view teen sports as an educational tool and public health asset. The results highlighted that school-based athletics continued to be the most popular activity provided by high schools in the U.S. and was the only school-based extracurricular activity that showed an increase in participation…

This report is an extension of the 2018 report, "Teen Sport in America: Why Participation Matters Report" which set out to identify the health, academic, and psychological benefits that teen girls obtain on a sport-by-sport basis. The original 2018 Teen Sport report provided evidence of the important role that sports can play in…

The executive summary is to a report that was commissioned by the Women's Sports Foundation to better understand the impact of sports participation on teen health, well-being and academic achievement. They sought to understand how each sport impacts teen well-being, and whether the number of sports in which a teen participates influences their…

This report was commissioned by the Women's Sports Foundation to better understand the impact of sports participation on teen health, well-being and academic achievement. They sought to understand how each sport impacts teen well-being, and whether the number of sports in which a teen participates influences their health. They also sought to…

"Her Life Depends on It III & Girls and Women of Color," continues with the theme of previous reports that examined the need for girls and women to lead healthy, strong, and fulfilled lives and reviewed the research on links between sports and physical activity and the health and well-being of American girls and women. While some of…

To assist readers who have specific interests, the WSF [Women's Sports Foundation] has created a series of Research Briefs from Her Life Depends On It III. Her Life Depends On It III is the Women's Sports Foundation's comprehensive report that reviews existing and emerging research on the links between participation in sport and physical activity…

This nationwide online survey, the largest of its kind to-date, was designed to generate facts and analysis of the workplace experiences and views of both female and male coaches of intercollegiate women's sports. This research is unique in that it is the first to assess male coaches of women's teams and make comparisons with female coaches. The…

"Her Life Depends On It III" (HLDOI) is the Women's Sports Foundation's comprehensive report that reviews existing and emerging research on the links between participation in sport and physical activity and the health and well-being of American girls and women. As with the previous editions in 2004 and 2009, this study also confirms that…

This first-of-its-kind report on gender and high school sports participation, "Progress Without Equity: The Provision of High School Athletic Opportunity in the United States, by Gender 1993-94 through 2005-06," flows from an analysis of high schools that is unprecedented in its national and historical scope. It uses merged data from the Civil…

This research is the most accurate description of college sports' participation patterns to date, shows that both men's and women's sports participation have increased over the past 25 years. It examines factors, including Title IX and athletic expenditure growth, impacting today's college sports participation trends, which vary widely by sport.…

In 2004, the Women's Sports Foundation published the first edition of "Her Life Depends On It" (Sabo et al.). At that time, it was clear that evidence-based research confirmed that regular physical activity and sport provides the critical foundation, in no small part, that allows girls and women to lead healthy, strong, and fulfilled lives. Now,…

This study provides the most accurate and comprehensive examination of participation trends to date. We analyze data from almost every higher education institution in the country and utilize data and methods that are free of the shortcomings present in previous research on this subject. A 10-year NCAA sample containing 738 NCAA colleges and…

In 2004, the Women's Sports Foundation published the first edition of "Her Life Depends On It" (Don Sabo, Kathleen E. Miller, Merrill J. Melnick, and Leslie Heywood). At that time, it was clear that evidence-based research confirmed that regular physical activity and sport provides the critical foundation, in no small part, that allows girls and…