By Jim Berry
Sports Anchor and Guest Blogger
Our daughter was a very good tennis player in high school. She made it clear she didn’t want to live the sport, and she had no aspirations about turning pro. In fact, after her final high school match, she essentially put down her racquet and “retired” from serious competition.
However, now that she is about to graduate from college, I see how playing a sport has been a benefit for her. First and foremost, she’s very organized. She has a great handle on how to manage her time and juggle a lot of things. I’m certain that’s a skill she picked up as a junior tennis player. She had to manage practice and tournament times, do homework and still have time for a social life.
It taught her how to set priorities, another important function of adult life. Clearly, it helped her develop a sense of “swag,” an unspoken confidence that so many girls seem to lack. Even though she hardly plays, she’s still convinced she can whip her old man on the tennis court. (I’ll let her keep thinking that.)
Organization. Confidence. Goal setting. Managing priorities. These are just some of those benefits girls can derive from playing sports. Add to that the obvious benefit of physical fitness, and it’s easy to see why I’m a big believer in female sports. Playing sports allows a young lady to get into the early life habit of keeping herself in good shape.
There should be no stigma that a girl playing sports is “not ladylike.” If you look at today’s female sports stars in tennis, basketball and other sports you can see that they know how to balance competitiveness and femininity.
I’ve talked to Venus and Serena Williams a number of times. On the court, they are fierce fighters. Off of it, they are calm and poised young women.
Sports teaches you how to think on your feet, how to develop a sense of inner toughness and how to work through adversity. Why should guys be the only species with these attributes. So young ladies, get your game on. Sometimes your hair and nails might suffer, but you’ll be much better for it.