From Youth Sports to the C-Suite: How playing sports often prepares girls for successful careers

Pete Giorgio, Deloitte Sports Practice Leader

For as long as I can remember, the women in my life have always been my role models. Whether it was seeing my grandmother blaze the trail as a politician, entrepreneur, and single mother; being raised in a household where my school-teacher mom supported her family; or raising two strong daughters with my powerful, inspiring wife – one thing was always clear to me even before Beyonce sang it: girls run the world.

The same thing has happened to me throughout my business career – many of my professional role models are women.? In addition, as this network of roles models grew, I came to the realization that many of them, and all the women in my family, had one thing in common: they were athletes. Not just professional athletes, but many of them playing organized sports as children.

Playing sports can give women an advantage in their careers. In fact, a recent Deloitte survey found that women who played competitive sports in their youth are more likely than women who did not play sports to be in leadership or management roles at work. The survey also found that 85% of women who played sports say the skills they developed while playing sports were important to the success of their professional careers. The belief is even higher among surveyed women in leadership roles (91%).

For girls that grow up with access to sports, the experience can be a very powerful tool when building skillsets that prepare them for the workforce. Despite the positive influence, one study found that, on average, girls tend to enter sports at a later age than boys and drop out sooner and in greater numbers*.

We should find additional ways to get and keep more girls in sports to not only experience this phenomenon, but to help prepare them for future career opportunities. Sports can transcend cultural, social, and economic differences and are a telling reflection of a society’s values, especially in the US. Over the last several years, women’s sports have not only grown their audiences and increased their value, but also helped transform society’s view on women and gender equity.

I want my daughters and grandchildren to grow up in a world where the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Women’s Volleyball world record-breaking game attendance (92,003 people) isn’t striking because it’s so high, but unusual because it only happened once. A world where women with strong minds, strong bodies, and strong opinions are not only the norm– they are celebrated with equal enthusiasm as men.

I want inspiring female athletes to keep showing girls it’s okay to have swagger and stand up for yourself. More unapologetic flexing of attitude and ideas. More publicly prioritizing mental health. I believe there is a significant effect that strong women have in proving to our daughters what is possible.

The good news? Individuals and organizations are willing to do something about it. Deloitte has a proud history of championing women in sports and business. In my role as Sports Leader for Deloitte, I have the honor of working with – and learning from – women leaders every day.

Deloitte is proud to serve as a trusted advisor and sponsor to many future-forward organizations. Together, we strive to make an impact that matters around the pitch, court, table, course, and wherever else the challenge lies. Our focus on advancing women’s sports includes investments with the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, National Women’s Soccer League, U.S. Women’s Open (golf), US Open (tennis, including the Wheelchair Championships), Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the WNBA.

The success of these sponsorships inspires Deloitte to continue investing in women’s sports and recruiting former athletes. But our work has just begun. In the meantime, I’ll be glued to my TV screen for the WNBA and NWSL playoffs.

Outside Citations * - Girls drop-out at different rates depending on where they live. Sabo, D. and Veliz, P. (2008). Go Out and Play: Youth Sports in America. East Meadow, NY: Women’s Sports Foundation.

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