found to have higher levels of self-esteem, as well as reduced risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and breast cancer, compared to girls who do not play sports. In addition, girl athletes are more likely to graduate from high school, score higher on standardized tests, and have higher grades than girls who do not play sports. Girls who play sports in high school go on to earn 7 percent higher annual wages than those who do not play sports, and are more likely to enter the labor force and pursue higher-skill, previously male-dominated positions. Generally, sports participation for women is associated with a lower prevalence of experiencing intimate partner violence, reinforcing that athletic access not only strengthens health, educational, and workplace outcomes, but also personal safety. According to a 2023 report from the Women’s Sports Foundation, girls who played sports during the first year of the COVID–19 pandemic fared significantly better than girls who did not, reporting higher levels of self-esteem, self-efficacy, and social support, and lower levels of loneliness and depression. (5) Although the availability of athletic scholarships facilitates access to higher education, many institutions of higher education fail to award proportional athletic financial aid to women, which can affect their long-term employment outcomes and economic security. According to the Department of Education’s Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act data from 2019 through 2020, men received $252,000,000 more in athletic scholarships than women. (6) Although title IX ensures gender equity in career and technical education, women are severely underrepresented in fields nontraditional to their gender. According to the National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education, women make up more than 80 percent of workers with training or certification in historically women-dominated occupations that pay less than $30,000 per year, including child care, early childhood education, home care, and cosmetology. Women represent