From Sidelines to C-Suite: How Sports Fuel the Rise of Female Leaders
In a world still grappling with gender equity in leadership, a growing body of research - most notably from Ernst & Young and espnW - makes one thing abundantly clear: sports are one of the most powerful accelerators of success for women. Yet this influence remains both undervalued and under-leveraged, particularly in youth and collegiate settings where access is anything but equal. Below I’ve highlighted some of the items I found most compelling from their research linked below.
Sports: A Launchpad for Confidence and Career
Girls who play sports are more likely to grow into confident, high-performing leaders. The research shows a clear correlation between athletic participation and increased wages, stronger leadership skills, and greater success in the workforce.
94% of women in the C-suite played sports.
52% of those women played at the university level.
74% of executive women say a background in sports accelerates a woman’s career.
Former female athletes earn 7% more on average than non-athletes.
Sports teach persistence, communication, teamwork, and resilience - all hallmarks of effective leadership. For girls, sports also provide one of the few structured arenas where they’re rewarded for aggression, competition, and dominance - traits long celebrated in male athletes and leaders, but often discouraged in young women.
The Confidence Code: Losing Builds Leaders
As authors Katty Kay and Claire Shipman write in The Confidence Code, sport teaches girls the most underrated but essential leadership trait: how to lose. Athletes learn to pick themselves up after defeat and push forward, developing a unique brand of resilience that transfers directly to boardrooms, startups, and executive teams.
This is especially important in cultures where girls are still too often taught to seek perfection over boldness and polish over persistence. In sports, girls learn it’s okay to get messy and that self-worth isn’t lost in a single failure.
The Hidden Curriculum: Why So Many Girls Drop Out
Despite the proven benefits, too many girls opt out of sports early or never get the chance to play.
Lack of access to safe facilities or competitive programs
Cultural and social pressure to look pretty, not play hard
Fewer female role models in athletics and coaching
In many countries, real physical safety risks prevent girls from playing
This “hidden curriculum”, the subtle and systemic barriers that discourage girls from competition, is robbing them not just of athletic success, but of long-term professional opportunity. According to the EY report, girls’ dropout rates from sport spike dramatically in junior high - just as confidence levels begin to erode and future leadership potential could take root.
The Leadership Gap in Sports
The irony is staggering: while the pipeline of female athletes is robust, the leadership in sport still skews heavily male.
Only 39% of NCAA Division I women’s teams are coached by women.
The highest-paid female coaches earn just 14% of what their male counterparts make.
Women hold less than 30% of board positions in most national and international sporting bodies.
Even in women’s sports, men dominate the most lucrative coaching and leadership roles. This not only limits opportunity for female professionals in sport management, but sends a clear message to the next generation of girls: your place is on the field, not in the front office.
Women like Kim NG, commissioner of Athletes Unlimited Softball, are breaking this mold and showing girls they belong on and off the field.
A Virtuous Cycle: Why Representation Matters
When women win, especially on global stages like the Olympics, they inspire cultural change. The EY report notes that countries with higher rates of female education and labor force participation win more Olympic medals in women’s events, regardless of their size or GDP. This is a powerful reminder that success isn’t just about funding or facilities, it’s about belief and opportunity.
More female visibility on the field leads to:
Stronger perceptions of women’s capabilities
Shifts in public policy
More young girls seeing what’s possible
More women stepping into leadership roles
What Can Be Done?
The data couldn’t be clearer. If we want more women leaders, we need more girls in sports and sustained investment in programs that keep them there.
Action Steps for Institutions and Organizations:
Invest in girls’ sports from the ground up - Equal access to facilities, gear, coaching, and mentorship is critical.
Recognize sports backgrounds in recruiting pipelines - Former athletes often possess the leadership traits companies need most.
Drive understanding of why sports matter - From classrooms to boardrooms, stakeholders must connect the dots between participation and performance.
Ensure gender parity in coaching and sport governance - If women lead on the field, they’re more likely to lead off it, too.
Final Word
As Julie Foudy, Olympian and World Cup Champion, said: “Progress may not be a straight line, but we do know - with tremendous clarity - that sports turns girls into women who lead.”
The future of female leadership isn’t just built in classrooms and corner offices. It starts on the court, the track, the field, and in every young girl brave enough to play. Let’s keep the doors open.
