Benefits of Girls First
Girls First campers benefit from the camping experience in a number of ways. The Girls First sports camp integrated the positive benefit of sports and health exercise, in a week long overnight camp format, which affords young women the opportunity to experience a positive, nurturing atmosphere removed from their everyday environment. The response of the young women who have been campers during the past three years has been most gratifying, as they respond to caring, adult, female role models and the positive learning environment, and begin to discover their own unique talents and values. Girls First is an important step in celebrating our young women, equipping them with the skills to be successful, and supporting them as they strive toward healthy and productive futures. The transition from childhood to adulthood under the best of circumstances is a difficult and tumultuous period in an adolescent's life. The tasks of the period include the search for personal identity, attaining emotional and psychological independence, development of a personal value system, mastering impulse control and responsible management of sexuality. During this time, young people must also develop critical thinking and reasoning skills necessary for future adult roles, social skills for relating to parents and peers, and focus on academic achievement and career prospects in order to enter the labor force successfully. Many children are unable to safely negotiate the transaction from childhood to adolescence due to involvement in risky behaviors. Many of our area's young women are particularly vulnerable and face a myriad of challenges, risks and problems. Solutions require early intervention and prevention services to equip these children to develop coping skills to overcome environmental and family stressors and to responsibly pursue healthy lifestyles and positive personal and educational choices. There have been numerous studies on the value of participation in sports for girls, and all have found significant relationships between school achievement, increased self-esteem, lessened depression and reduced pregnancy rates.

What Every Athlete and Parent Should Know
Girls drop out of sports at a rate that is six times greater than boys by the age of 14. They do so because of a combination of factors that includes:
• Lack of participation opportunities - boys have twice the number of participation opportunities in high school and college.
• Lack of the same encouragement to play sports as is received by boys. Every time a boy receives a glove or ball as a gift, or turns on the television and sees crowds cheering images of him playing, he knows he's supposed to play sports. Girls aren't receiving the same messages. She needs to get sports gifts as well as dolls. She needs to see images of herself playing sports because they are not often on television. She needs to go to see women play sports so she can have role models. Boys need to go to see women play sports so they will grow up to respect girls' skills and abilities in sports.
• Starting her sport participation two years later than boys, thereby being less skilled when she starts (usually playing with and against boys) which in turn makes it less likely that she will have a successful experience. If she isn't successful, sports won't be fun. If sports aren't fun, she won't play. "FUN" is the #1 reason why children play sports. So, she needs to go to that game at a young age and start playing sports as soon as she can. If a girl doesn't play sports by the time she is 10 years old, there is less than a 10% chance she will be playing when she is 25.

The stakes are high. Every parent should encourage their daughter to play sports because:
• High school girls who play sports are less likely to be involved in an unwanted pregnancy; less likely to be involved with drugs and more likely to graduate from high school. (Women's Sports Foundation, 1989)
• One to three hours of exercise a week over a woman's reproductive lifetime (the teens to about age 40) can bring a 20-30% reduction in the risk of breast cancer, and four or more hours of exercise a week can reduce the risk almost 60%. (Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 1994)
• We cannot ignore the lesson of generations of women who were not permitted to play sports or encouraged to participate in weight-bearing exercises that are necessary to promote bone mass. One out of every two women over the age of 60 are suffering from osteoporosis. (National Osteoporosis Foundation, 1992)
• Girls and women who play sports have higher levels of self-esteem and self-confidence, stronger self-images and lower levels of depression. (Ms. Foundation, 1991)
• Sport is where boys have traditionally learned about teamwork, goal setting, achievement orientation and the pursuit of excellence in performance--critical skills necessary for success in the workplace. Women need those same skills. In a recent study of female executives at Fortune 500 companies, 80% self-identified as having been "tomboys."

More and more corporations are interested in funding women's sports events for several reasons:
• Women have outpurchased men in athletic shoes and apparel since 1991 (over $21 billion a year)... they are the majority purchasers of product, both athletic and non-athletic.
• More and more women consumers identify themselves as "active women" who enjoy sports and physical activity.
• In 1970, only 1 out of every 27 high school girls played varsity sports... today, that figure is 1 in 3 (for boys it is 1 in 2 so they till have twice the opportunities to play).
• As women have been given the chance to play sports, they have become more educated about sports and enjoy it as consumers of sports events - both men's and women's events.
• We should make every effort to support those companies who are supporting women's sports... exercising our economic power.

Children and Physical Activity
Why is it so important for children to be physically active? Because it's fun! But according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Surgeon General's Report on Children and Physical Activity, children today are less active than they have ever been. The health of our nation's children is at risk due to declining levels of physical activity and increasing rates of overweight and obese children. Obesity among both children and adults has reached the level of an epidemic in the United States. Healthy People 2010 specifically lists increasing activity among children and adolescents as one of their main objectives.

Furthermore, inactive children are more likely to become inactive adults. Inactive adults are at higher risk for obesity, high cholesterol and blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, gall bladder disease, joint pain and even some types of cancer. (CDC) Promoting physical activity as a habit for children suggests they will continue to be active as adults, thereby reducing the health risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle.

The Bad News
We have all seen the statistics about the dramatic increase over the past 30 years of overweight and obese Americans. Nearly half of all young people between the ages of 12-21 are not vigorously active on a regular basis, and about 14% of young people do not engage in any type of physical activity at all. (CDC) Computers, video games, overworked parents and unsafe neighborhoods have all contributed to the decline in children seeking out physical activity. Furthermore, school physical education programs are the first to go when budget cuts are necessary, as Illinois is the only state that still requires the completion of a physical education curriculum. Not only is there less motivation for children to become physically active, there are less opportunities for them to do so as well. Statistics such as these create a sense of urgency for parents, teachers, mentors and public health professionals to find a way to make physical activity something that children want to and are able to participate in not only because it is good for their health, but more importantly, because they enjoy it.

The Good News
Physical activity has both emotional and physical benefits. Regular physical activity contributes to healthy bone structure, strong muscles and joints, and lean body mass during the growth process. It promotes motor development, coordination, balance and skill development. Furthermore, physical activity has been shown to improve self-image, increase confidence and self-efficacy, and contribute to healthy social development. Some studies have even linked regular physical activity to increased alertness and better academic performance. (CDC)

The benefits of physical activity are widely accepted, but rather than increasing our levels of activity, they are still declining. We need to create ways to make physical activity something that children choose to do rather than something they are forced to do. We also need to create safe and accessible opportunities for them to participate. Until we make it easy for children to choose physical activity over other activities, we will continue to see a decrease in their health and well-being, a problem that seems to multiply as they become adults.

The Best News
The best news is that physical activity does not have to be a chore to be beneficial, especially for children. General guidelines suggest accumulating 30 minutes per day, but this can be split up however one wants. For instance, children can ride their bikes or play tag or run around in circles at recess for short bursts and all of this adds up to "being physically active." In other words, physical activity does not need to be structured, such as sports or gym class, in order for children to make it a habit. The more enjoyable the activity seems, the more likely children will consider it an important part of their day.

What Makes the Difference?
The Surgeon General's Report on Children and Physical Activity outlines some determinants that lead to increased physical activity among children. Not surprisingly, the most important determinant was enjoyment of the activity. Other key reasons that kids choose to participate are social influences, such as parental and peer support and encouragement, parental and peer activity, and active role models. The opportunity to be outside also played a role in increasing activity. Finally, self-efficacy and perceived competence were big factors- the perception of the child that he or she will be able to succeed at the chosen activity. If a child believes he or she will be able to jump rope without falling down, they are more likely to perceive that activity as enjoyable. This relates back to encouragement and support, and the opportunity to try many different activities to find out where their skills and interests lie.

How Can We Help?
Children need support, encouragement and the opportunity to be physically active. This is obviously easier for some than it is for others. But small changes sometimes make the most difference. Encouraging children to be physically active can often mean that the whole family becomes more active. Time spent together can be on a walk or at the park instead of in front of the TV. When physical activity is approached from a positive viewpoint, such as playing and games, rather from a negative viewpoint, such as needing to lose weight or get into shape, kids will often make activity a habit themselves because it is something that they enjoy. It is a time to be with brothers, sisters and friends, and it builds confidence and self-esteem. If children grow up thinking that physical activity is a natural, enjoyable part of their daily lives, they will be more likely to find ways to keep it that way in the future.

(reprinted from Melpomene Institute)