by Sidnee Michelle
September 13, 2026
Playing Sports Could Give Girls A Career Advantage
The findings draw on surveys of more than 9,500 people across the United States, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Women who participated in sports growing up are more likely to become workplace leaders, pursue senior positions, and negotiate their salaries, according to new research examining the connection between youth athletics and career success, Inc.com reports.
The “Girls Who Play Change the Game” report, released Aug. 31 by e.l.f. Beauty and women’s sports consultancy Parity found that women who played sports for at least three years before completing high school were nearly 50% more likely to hold leadership positions than women who played little or no sports. They were also 37% more likely to aspire to senior leadership positions and nearly 25% more likely to have negotiated their salaries.
The findings draw on surveys of more than 9,500 people across the United States, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Researchers surveyed 9,056 women ages 18 to 65 who worked full-time within the previous five years, along with 328 professional women athletes and 114 corporate board mem...