The booming interest in women athletics at the professional, Olympic and top college levels has escaped no one concerned with sports. There is almost universal agreement that the dramatic increase in exposure given to elite female athletes is changing the way America thinks about sports and women. But figures on attendance and TV audiences tell us little about the health of the nation or about trends in female sports participation in homes, schools and communities across the nation. In a series of statistical snapshots this report tells a story of significant recent growth in sports participation by girls aged 6 to 11 and substantial increases in play on organized community, high school and college teams by older females. While there has been no measurable increase in sports participation by women aged 18 and older, there has been an increase in fitness participation.
Females are an increasingly important segment of the sports and fitness population.
More importantly, it supports the idea that a fundamental change is underway in our national attitudes and practices regarding females and sports. Physical Fitness Becomes Popular. Fitness and walking is being conducted by more Americans as they reach their golden years. In general, walking is an excellent form of exercise and is a method of reducing the possibility of heart disease. This is primarily a male-dominated activity but more women have shown an interest to participate in recent years.