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Play Like a Girl: A Call for Gender Equality in Sports

Arthur C. Clarke

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Published in Play Like A Girl: How A Soccer School In Kenya S Slums Started A Revolution

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The phrase "play like a girl" is often used as an insult, a way to belittle someone's athletic abilities. But what if we reclaimed that phrase and used it as a symbol of strength and power? What if we used it to celebrate the amazing accomplishments of girls and women in sports?

That's exactly what the Play Like a Girl movement is all about. Started in 2009 by ESPN anchor Sarah Spain, the movement is working to challenge gender stereotypes on the playing field and empower girls and women to reach their full potential in sports.

Play Like a Girl: How a Soccer School in Kenya's Slums Started a Revolution

by Ellie Roscher

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1596 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Print length	:	224 pages

The History of "Play Like a Girl"

The phrase "play like a girl" has a long and ugly history. It was first used in the early 1900s as a way to demean women's athletic abilities. At the time, women were not allowed to participate in many sports, and those who did were often met with ridicule and criticism.

The phrase continued to be used throughout the 20th century, both as a way to insult girls and women who played sports and as a way to discourage them from participating in athletics. It wasn't until the 1970s and 1980s, with the rise of the women's sports movement, that the phrase began to be challenged.

The Impact of "Play Like a Girl"

The phrase "play like a girl" has a negative impact on girls and women in sports. It can discourage them from participating in athletics, lead them to feel inferior to boys and men, and even cause them to internalize negative stereotypes about their own abilities.

A study by the University of California, Los Angeles found that girls who were exposed to the phrase "play like a girl" were less likely to want to participate in sports. The study also found that girls who internalized the stereotype that girls are inferior to boys in sports were less likely to achieve their full potential in athletics.

The phrase "play like a girl" also has a negative impact on the way that girls and women are perceived by others. It can reinforce the stereotype that girls and women are not as good at sports as boys and men, and it can make it difficult for girls and women to be taken seriously as athletes.

The Play Like a Girl Movement

The Play Like a Girl movement is working to challenge gender stereotypes on the playing field and empower girls and women to reach their full potential in sports. The movement has three main goals:

1. To change the way that the phrase "play like a girl" is used. 2. To increase the participation of girls and women in sports. 3. To create a more positive and supportive environment for girls and women in sports.

The Play Like a Girl movement is making a difference. The movement has helped to change the way that the phrase "play like a girl" is used, and it has inspired more girls and women to participate in sports. The movement has also created a more positive and supportive environment for girls and women in sports.

The Play Like a Girl movement is a powerful force for change. The movement is working to challenge gender stereotypes on the playing field and empower girls and women to reach their full potential in sports. The movement is making a difference, and it is inspiring more and more girls and women to play like a girl.

Play Like a Girl: How a Soccer School in Kenya's Slums Started a Revolution

by Ellie Roscher

5 out of 5