SmartGirls and Athletics!

Smart girls decide for themselves.™

167 people (96 percent of which were female) responded to our survey on sports.  The average age of the respondents was 14 years old.  About 67 percent of you were from the United States, 12 percent from the United Kingdom, 9 percent from Canada, 4 percent from Australia and the remaining 6 percent from different countries all over the world.

SmartGirl asked what sports you have played.  Here are the top ten results for the sports played the most, and the sports played the least:

 Table 1.1 Top Ten Sports Played

SmartGirl then asked what sports you play on a regular basis.  Here is a second table of results, showing the top ten answers:

SmartGirl asked, "Do you play on an organized sports team or play in a league through your school?"  56% of the respondents said yes, 40% said no, and 4% did not answer the question.  SmartGirl also asked, "Do you play on an organized sports team or play in a league outside of your school?"  47% of the respondents said yes, 46% said no and 7% did not answer the question.

SmartGirl asked if gym class in school has encouraged you to play sports.  Here is a breakdown of the answers you could choose:

  Table 1.3 Gym Class and Sports

*7 didn’t respond to this question

SmartGirl asked what the biggest reason is that you play sports.

Figure 1.1

SmartGirl asked if you feel as if you are athletic.  Here are the results of the answers you could choose from:

Table 1.4 Athleticism

*6 didn’t respond to this question. 

SmartGirl asked if you enjoy being part of a team.  Here's how you answered:

Table 1.5 Being Part of a Team

* 14 didn't respond to this question.

SmartGirl asked "What is your favorite sports team?"  There were about seventy different responses, but we compiled the top responses: 

• New York Yankees, Los Angeles Lakers: 4% 

• Manchester United: 3% 

• Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Maple Leafs: 2.5% 

• Tennessee Titans, Liverpool: 2%

SmartGirl then asked from what country or state your favorite team was.  Again, with seventy responses, we took the top answers.  

• England: 8.5% 

• New York: 6% 

• California: 5%

• Tennessee, North Carolina, the USA, Australia: 3%

For the last part of this question, SmartGirl asked what type of sport your favorite team plays.  The top five answers were: 

• football: 16% 

• basketball: 14.5% 

• baseball: 8.5% 

• soccer: 7%

• hockey: 6%

SmartGirl wanted to know who your favorite athlete is.  For this question, we had over sixty responses!  We found the top answers: 

• Mia Hamm: 4% 

• Michelle Kwan: 3% 

• Allen Iverson: 2.5% 

• David Beckham, Derek Jeter, Kobe Bryant, Marion Jones, 

        Michael Owen: 2%

SmartGirl then asked what sport your favorite athlete plays.  The top answers were: 

• basketball: 12% 

• soccer: 8% 

• football: 6%

• baseball, figure skating, tennis: 5.5%  

We also asked what team your favorite player plays on:  

• USA: 10% 

• US Women's Soccer team: 5% 

• Philadelphia 76ers: 3% 

• Liverpool, New York Yankees, Manchester United: 2.5%

SmartGirl asked if you watch sports on television or on the Internet or listen to them on the radio.  Here's a breakdown of your responses:

Figure 1.2

SmartGirl asked if you have ever gone to a professional sporting event.  71% of the respondents said yes, 22% said no, and 7 did not answer the question.  SmartGirl also asked if you wanted to play a professional sport when you get older.  31% of the respondents said yes, 56% said no, and 22 didn’t answer.

SmartGirl asked, “Do you feel that your school provides girls equal opportunity to play sports as it does with boys?”  Almost 34% of respondents said yes, because there were an equal number of boys and girls teams in their school, almost 8% said no, because there were boys’ sports, such as football, that girls did not have the opportunity to play and almost 4% said no, because there is no respect for girls’ teams.  Here is what some SmartGirls had to say about equal opportunity:

• "Yes, most of the time they do, but when the boys got to learn how to wrestle, they made us girls do tumbling. I thought that that was really unfair. They assumed that none of the girls were good enough to wrestle, or didn't want to. That is not true. I can probably out wrestle most of the guys in my grade. I am a whole lot stronger than most of them. Plus, when are you going to need to know how to do a cart wheel?" (SmartGirl, 13)
 
• "Our school has EVERYTHING for girls and guys alike, the gym class is spectacular (we go rock climbing for a week, bowling for a day, skating, swimming in the pool in our school, dancing, archery, skiing...really exotic stuff for schools), and get this: wrestling team (female) got FIRST PLACE this year! WHOOOOOOOOOO! Go girls!" (SmartGirl, 14)
 
• "Of course it does.  It's 2002.  I think it's about time we have the same sports teams for girls as well as guys." (SmartGirl, 14)

SmartGirl asked, “Do you notice any difference between the people who play sports and those who do not?”  Almost 14% of respondents said yes, because those that play sports are in better shape, almost 8% said yes, because athletes are more confident, almost 7% said yes, because those that play sports are healthier (physically and mentally) and almost 19% said no.  here is what some SmartGirls said about differences between people who play sports and those who do not:

• "Not really but quite a lot of people who play sports are friends with others who do and they are generally less concerned about their appearance than people who don't play sports." (SmartGirl, 18)
 
• "Yes people who play sports are healthier more energetic and usually happier and more filled with positive energy than people who neglect sports." (SmartGirl, 12)
 
• "We are healthier tend not to drift towards drugs and such make good grades stay focused better when we need to be uhm stand up for ourselves more." (SmartGirl, 15)
 
• "If there's those who play sports VERY regularly, their bodies are usually more firm and toned. USUALLY. Not always..." (SmartGirl, 14)
 
• "Not really! I think I get my homework done better when I play sports! and I feel healthier! I also think I feel better about myself. I don't dwell or say anything like "I'm fat" because I feel more confident from playing sports." (SmartGirl, 14)

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us!