BUILDING FUTURE LEADERS THROUGH A COMMITMENT TO GIRLS SPORTS

By A Mystery Man Writer

Challenging the status quo has been a recurring theme in women's sports for decades. UA athletes like Kelley O’Hara, Lindsey Vonn and Natasha Hastings have all led the charge for progress in sports. Women in every league have pushed for resources, attention, screen time, money, and led the way in protesting gender inequality, social injustice, and racism. Studies have shown that participation in sport has a lifelong impact on the development of girls. Athletics have been proven to be outstanding markers and builders of successful women. Level aside, the theme is clear: participation in sports has an impact on career trajectory — 96% of women in C-suite level positions played sports beyond elementary school. Many senior leaders at Under Armour also belong to this group, having played sports themselves as girls. So when the pandemic struck in 2020, it was the resilience that women have cultivated that was so crucial in combating new struggles in their day-to-day lives as mothers and professionals, from the fresh concerns that women have shouldered, to the emotional, mental, and financial burdens left in its wake.