Join us!
28/07/2021
THE PHYSICAL HEALTH BENEFITS ARE HUGE Lower BMI, less risk of obesity, stronger bones—these are all the benefits we’d expect female athletes to reap. And yet, their physical health improves in other, more surprising ways too. According to Mississippi pediatric practice The Children’s Medical Group, “Girls who play sports have st...
28/07/2021
Girl Team USA inspired a global audience when they won the 2019 Women’s World Cup. They also exposed a glaring injustice when it came to light that they were compensated at less than half the rate of their male counterparts (who, BTW, have never won a World Cup and haven’t even come close since 1930)...
Join us!
Obesity reduction. In a 2014 study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers analyzed obesity prevention strategies and their ability to reduce obesity by the year 2032. They found afterschool physical activity programs would reduce obesity the most, 1.8% among children ages 6 to 12. That's twice the projected impact as any ban on child-directed fast-food advertising. An earlier study of college students found that "motives for sport participation are more desirable than those for exercise and may facilitate improved adherence to physical activity recommendations" (Kilpatrick, Journal of American College Health, 2005).
But the obesity epidemic continues. In 2018, a study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics showed overweight and obesity rates increased in all age groups among children ages 2 to 19 (Prevalence of Obesity and Severe Obesity in U.S. Children, 1999-2016). The rates generally increased with age, with 41.5% of teens being obese by 16 to 19 years old. Of particular concern were continued racial and ethnic disparities. White and Asian children showed significantly lower rates of obesity than Hispanic and African-American children. Researchers also found a sharp increase in obesity from 2015 to 2016 compared to the previous cycle among children ages 2 to 5, especially boys. Girls 16 to 19 years old had a notable jump in overweight rates, from 36% in 2013-14 to 48% in 2015-16. Youth who have disabilities are 4.5 times less active and have obesity rates that are 38% higher than other youth (Physical Literacy in the United States: A Model, Strategic Plan, and Call to Action, 2015).
26/07/2021
Wrong League
Named after a chapter in Mad Seasons: The Story of the First Women’s Professional Baseball League, 1978-1981, Wrong League would tell the story of basketball legend and ESPN broadcaster Ann Meyers Drysdale who, in 1978, was torn between playing in the WNBA predecessor league, the Women’s Professional Basketball League (WPBL), and potentially becoming the first woman to play in the NBA, an organization that had discriminated against women since its inception. Meyers Drysdale, already a college and Olympic champion by the time she was offered a contract with the WPBL, effectively slighted the fledgling league when, instead, she signed a free-agent contract with the NBA’s Indiana Pacers. But it was largely a publicity stunt for the Pacers: Meyers Drysdale’s tryouts for the team would end after three rounds, leaving her looking toward the WPBL once again for opportunity and support. But would the league and the players accept her back? Tune in to this yet-to-be-made film to find out.