Women's Sports Foundation

#TakeActionTuesday: The 2024 election is just over a month away—are you registered to vote? Deadlines to register ahead of the upcoming election are fast approaching but there is still time! Swipe through to find your state’s voter registration deadlines. Whether you’re already registered or still need to sign up, now is the time to ensure your voice is heard. Your vote matters and we can’t take progress for granted. Register, make a plan, and be ready for Election Day on November 5! 🗳🇺🇸 #TheEquityProject Your Turn: 1. Visit websites like Vote.org to check your voting registration status and review additional deadlines and encourage those in your life to do the same. 2. Before you head to the polls, research all the candidates on your ballot to see who has supported girls and women’s sports in the past and vote for those that have a history of vocalizing a need for gender equity and Title IX. 3. Create a plan to vote and research your polling location to ensure you are prepared for election day.

The longer girls play sports, the more likely they are to hold formal leadership roles. Our latest research #PlayToLead is a call to action for everyone throughout society to invest in girls’ youth sports programs. Why? Because when girls play, they lead, and we all win. Visit https://lnkd.in/gNPZ8gFQ to learn more and join us by sharing how you #PlayToLead using our ‘Play to Lead Toolkit.’

Have you heard?! Our latest research “Play to Lead: The Generational Impact of Sport on Women’s Leadership” is a first-of-its-kind report that surveyed women from their 20s to their 80s, uncovering the lasting impact of #TitleIX and how sport has shaped generations of strong women leaders. 💪 Head to https://lnkd.in/gNPZ8gFQ to discover the findings and be sure to follow #PlayToLead for all the updates! 📊✨

#TakeActionTuesday: Did you know that starting girls in sports at a young age helps set them up to be future leaders? Our new research report ‘Play to Lead’ shows a clear link between playing sports and achieving leadership roles in adulthood. Women who played sports throughout their childhood are more likely to hold leaderships titles like CEO, President, or Director. In fact, in the United States, about 70% of women in leadership positions today played sports growing up, showing the importance of investing in women’s sports. Soccer star Alex Morgan is one of these leaders.  “I think that I’ve found my calling in just investing in women’s sports, doing as much as I can to give as big of a platform to women’s sports as possible,” Morgan said in her retirement speech. Other pioneers like Michele Kang, philanthropist, owner of the Washington Spirit and the first woman of color to own an NWSL team, understand that their investments are helping transform the future of women’s sports. #TheEquityProject     Your Turn:  1. Check out our new research report ‘Play to Lead: The Generational Impact of Sports on Women’s Leadership.’ to learn more about the impact of girls’ and women’s sports participation on leadership. https://lnkd.in/gNPZ8gFQ  #PlayToLead 2. Introduce the girls in your life to sports organizations in your community and encourage them to #KeepPlaying. If there aren’t any sports programs in your community, work with local leaders to create new opportunities. 3. Continue to support women’s sports leagues, teams, and athletes by watching games, purchasing merchandise, and uplifting their success on social media.

You're invited to the biggest night in women's sports, but hurry, it’s selling out fast! We are thrilled to share that Mary Carillo, Arielle Chambers and Julie Foudy will be our hosts for this year's Annual Salute to Women in Sports® on Wednesday, October 16 at Cipriani Wall Street® in NYC. Visit https://lnkd.in/dC2rUyt to learn more and join us and our amazing hosts for this incredible night celebrating women in sports and the girls they inspire! #WSFAnnualSalute #KeepPlaying

51 years ago today, WSF Founder Billie Jean King took on Bobby Riggs in the legendary Battle of the Sexes, and won! 🎾 Her historic victory showed the world that women belong on the same stage as men in sports and beyond. Today, we honor her legacy as well as celebrate that the Speaker of the House of Representatives has officially signed the Billie Jean King Congressional Gold Medal Act, making her the FIRST ever individual woman athlete to receive this. Let’s continue to follow in Billie Jean King’s footsteps and push for gender equity in all areas. We’re not done yet! 💪✨ #PlayToLead #KeepPlaying #KeepLeading #BattleOfTheSexes #WSF50 https://lnkd.in/gK3QAcat

Announcing our 2024 Tara VanDerveer Fund for the Advancement of Women in Coaching Fellows! 🎉🌟 🤼♀️Erin Golston – Assistant Women's Wrestling Coach, Texas Woman's University 🥍Leila Kouakou – Assistant Women's Lacrosse Coach, Howard University 🏈Sara Manganelli – Football Sport Science and Sport Performance Assistant Coach, The College of Holy Cross 🏐Madilyn McCarty – Assistant Beach Volleyball Coach, University of North Florida 🏑Sydney Metz – Assistant Field Hockey Coach, Eastern Mennonite University 👟Kyria Moore – Assistant Track & Field Coach, Adelphi University 🏀Essance Porter – Assistant Women's Basketball Coach, Central College ⚽Erin Thompson – Assistant Coach & Recruiting Coordinator Women's Soccer, Clark University Inspired by legendary Stanford University women’s basketball coach Tara VanDerveer, this Fund honors her extraordinary legacy by providing fellowships for aspiring women coaches in all collegiate sports, providing opportunities for women coaches to excel and become leaders.💪 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gskNjtTE #KeepCoaching #PlayToLead

ONE OF ONE. Billie Jean King will become the FIRST individual woman athlete to receive the Congressional Gold Medal! 🎉 Thanks to the leadership of Representatives Fitzpatrick, Sherrill, and Malliotakis and Senators Gillibrand, Capito, and Sinema, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve the bill yesterday, with the Senate already passing it in March. The bill is now on its way to the president's desk. WSF was proud to join in a collaborative effort with our partners (USTA) United States Tennis Association, and YOU, to achieve our goal to #GetBJKTheGold. 👏 The Congressional Gold Medal recognizes achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions that have a lasting effect in the recipient’s field. And we cannot think of anyone more deserving than WSF Founder Billie Jean King. ❤️💫

#TakeActionTuesday: Happy #HispanicHeritageMonth! The upcoming weeks are a time to celebrate the rich history, culture and contributions of the Hispanic and Latinx communities in everyday life and, of course, sports. We have seen incredible achievements from Hispanic women athletes and leaders such as Diana Flores, a renowned flag football player; Gloria Nevarez, a 27-year executive level veteran of intercollegiate athletics; and Laurie Hernandez, an Olympic gold and silver medalist in gymnastics. To see more leaders like them, we must ensure Hispanic and Latinx girls have equal access to sports. Unfortunately, our research “Communities at the Forefront: Elevating Girls’ Sports Through Local Programs” shows that many Hispanic and Latinx girls start sports later and drop out earlier due to unsafe environments, lack of facilities, and limited transportation. Sports offer immense benefits including increased confidence, better health, improved academic performance, and higher graduation rates. Role models like Flores, Nevarez, and Hernandez play an important role in motivating and empowering the next generation. By addressing barriers and increasing representation, we can help all girls thrive. #TheEquityProject Your Turn:  1. Advocate for increased funding and resources for sports programs in underserved communities and engage with local officials to ensure that all girls have equal access to sports facilities and programs.  2. Celebrate and amplify the achievements of Hispanic and Latinx women in sports by following them on social media, sharing their stories, and attending their games if possible.   3. Volunteer your time and skills by coaching in schools with limited resources to help support and inspire young athletes to reach their full potential in sports. 

Youth sports fuel women's leadership! 🏐🏒🥎 Our #PlayToLead study shows the powerful connection between playing youth sports and leadership, yet barriers to participation persist. The report revealed that 70% of women faced barriers that limited their ability to continue or compete fully 😱 reporting family finances, low parental engagement, lack of opportunities to participate and injury/health concerns as prevalent barriers to #KeepPlaying. Additionally, girls of color, LGBTQ+ youth and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds face even greater barriers. Join us in our call for everyone throughout society to invest in girls’ youth sports programs! Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gNPZ8gFQ