Go Girl Go!
“It starts with one girl. Go Girl Go! is the primary programming focus of the Women’s Sports Foundation designed to combat the alarming physical and psychological health hazards affecting America’s young girls. Go Girl Go! uses sport and physical activity as an educational intervention that supports girls’ health and wellness in childhood and early womanhood.
The Women’s Sports Foundation’s founder is the legendary tennis great Billy Jean King. As one of the 20th century’s most respected and influential people, Billie Jean King has long been a champion for social change and equality. She created new inroads for both genders in and out of sports during her legendary career and she continues to make her mark today.
Among her most recent accomplishments is that in August 2009 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honour. The award was presented to her by President Obama on Aug. 12, 2009 in ceremonies at The White House. She currently serves on the Boards of the Women’s Sports Foundation.
The Women’s Sports Foundation’s research points to physical activity and sport as solutions for many serious problems faced by American girls. The research also illustrates the importance of sports and physical activity for girls in local and under-served communities.
In America:
* Approximately 25 million children under 17 are either overweight or obese.
* A girl’s participation in sports or physical activity declines significantly as she gets older. By the time she is 16 or 17, only 1 in 7 attends P.E. class daily, and 15-30 percent report no regular physical activity at all.
* Inactivity is much more common among females than males, and among black females than white females.
* Thirty-eight percent of 12th-grade girls and 18 percent of eighth-grade girls have used an illicit drug
* About 1/4 of sexually active adolescents are infected with a sexually transmitted disease each year
* The United States has the highest teen pregnancy and birth rates in the industrialised world.
* By age 15, girls are twice as likely as boys to have experienced a major depressive episode.
* Over 90 percent of victims of eating disorders are female, and 86 percent report onset by age 20
A Web site designed specifically for girls, Go Girl World lets girls connect with friends and learn how to embrace sports and physical activity. Go Girl World gives girls the opportunity to view sports and physical activity not just as something that’s good for them, but part of a cool lifestyle.
