DOUR

GAME FACE IS REAL
Here’s an eye-opening point made by the WSF: “Boys are taught at an early age and through their participation in sport that it is not acceptable to show fear. When you get up to bat or play any game, it is important to act confident and not to let your teammates know you are afraid, nervous or have a weakness—even if you are not confident. Employees who are skilled at practicing the illusion of confidence—calmness under pressure, acting sure of self and abilities, etc.—get to play the most important positions and are more likely to be starters. People who are practicing the illusion of confidence make everything look easy and don’t need constant reinforcement or support.” Faking it till you make it, power posing, projecting confidence and thus internalizing it—all these behaviors have been proven effective. They should not be the practice and privilege of only one gender. They can certainly help level the playing field.

FEMALE ATHLETES ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE ACADEMIC ALL-STARS
High school girls who play sports are more likely to get better grades in school and are more likely to graduate than girls who do not play sports, per the WSF. The researchers behind “The Girls’ Index” back this up. They discovered that “girls who play sports have higher GPAs and have higher opinions of their abilities and competencies. Sixty-one percent of high school girls who have a grade point average above 4.0 play on a sports team. Additionally, girls who are involved in sports are 14 percent more likely to believe they are smart enough for their dream career and 13 percent more likely to be considering a career in math and/or science.”