It is often viewed that boys are the ones to play sports and that girls are the ones to play with dolls when they are young. These views cause boys and girls to see that there are gender roles in today’s societies. When a little girl says that she wants to play football or soccer, adults tend to tell her that she should just play with dolls instead. I was fortunate enough to have parents that supported me in anything that I wanted to do. I was able to play soccer, softball, basketball and volleyball thanks to my parents, and I couldn’t be happier. Playing sports allowed me to become the person I am today, and I believe that every little girl should have the opportunity to play a sport at least one time in their life.
One lesson that I learned from playing sports is how to work in a team dynamic. The sports that I played were team-based sports; if one person didn’t do their job the whole team struggled. Everyone had to rely on one another and could not give up on the team. This dynamic teaches kids that sometimes you have to rely on others in order to succeed. If the one person does not rely on the team and tries to do everything individually, they are going to end up failing. Little girls should have the opportunity to be able to learn from this team dynamic. They will learn that it is okay to ask for help and rely on others rather than just trying to do everything by themselves and failing in the end.
Another lesson that I learned from playing sports is how to respect my elders. Multiple times the refs will make calls that I will not agree with, but I am not able to argue. I must respect the decision of the ref and move on. I have learned that respect becomes a key component in any relationship that I will have. I was taught that if I give respect to others, they will respect me. Respect is something that is earned, it is not just given out to people. Through sports, I was able to learn that even if someone disagrees with me, I still should be kind and not try to change their mind.
Sports also create a support system. Some of my best friends came from the sports teams that I have played on throughout my life. Without this support, I would have never become the strong, independent woman that I am. I would never have the courage to be able to stand up for myself or talk to people of authority. I would never put myself out there in situations such as being a leader for a project or trying to get an internship for the summer. Sports allowed me to become a stronger version of myself and allowed me to make lifelong friends that are there for me when I need someone to lean on.
Without sports, I believe that I would have never become the person I am today. I believe that girls need to understand that they are able to do anything that they put their mind to. Sports are able to teach so many lessons through the rules and the interactions that are made. If every girl played one sport, I believe that they would be able to have a better understanding on how to handle tough situations in their lives. We need to allow girls to explore different hobbies rather than just playing with dolls. Sports empower girls, which is a trait that will last them their entire life.
