There may be non-athletic reasons for the link; perhaps parents who enroll their kids in sports come from the better-connected, more financially well-off backgrounds that often lead to high achievement. However, girls who are able to participate often reap intrinsic rewards that are cultivated through the sport itself, not only their lineage. A 2015 joint report from EY and espnW indicated that “girls who play sports have greater social and economic mobility, are less likely to use drugs, and perform better in school.”
