Women's Sports Foundation

10/09/2026

🏃‍♀️ Chicago, we’re showing up! 💪

Our incredible WSF runners are taking on the 2026 Bank of America Chicago Marathon this Sunday! Cheer on Felicia, Brooke, Silke, Brooklynn and Emily as they take on 26.2 miles in support of creating more opportunities for girls and women through sport.

Whether you’re running alongside them, cheering from the sidelines, sharing their story or supporting the cause, every step makes a difference.

Let’s go, Team WSF! 🏅 https://womenssportsfoundation.salsalabs.org/2026chicagoteamwsf/index.html

10/09/2026

🎤 In Conversation

As National Youth Sports Week comes to a close, Tamika Catchings reflects on her first memories of playing sports and the opportunities she had growing up around professional basketball.

Not every young girl has the same access to sport. For more than 50 years, the Women’s Sports Foundation has worked to change that - providing opportunity, access and resources so every girl has the chance to play, grow and discover what sport can make possible.

The Women’s Sports Foundation is proud to amplify the voices helping to shape the future of girls and women in sport. Learn more about our work at WomensSportsFoundation.org

10/08/2026

Have a Donor-Advised Fund? Consider putting it to work for the future of girls and women in sport.

This DAF Day, support the Women’s Sports Foundation and help break down barriers that keep girls and women from accessing the power of sport. Together, we can create more opportunities for every girl to discover her power through sport and every woman to reach her full potential.

Learn more about giving through your DAF: https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/support-us/ways-to-give/

10/07/2026

Since its launch last week, the inaugural WSF Sport Report™ 2026 has been making headlines and sparking important conversations about what comes next for girls and women in sports.

The research found that media plays a critical role in strengthening the women’s sports pipeline, helping build visibility, elevate role models and show girls what’s possible.

We’re grateful to USA TODAY and the many other outlets that have put a spotlight on this research and the barriers girls still face, from the cost to play and sense of belonging to awareness of Title IX, even as women’s professional sports reach new heights.

Read USA Today’s coverage and explore the full WSF Sport Report™ at https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/wsf-sport-report/

10/06/2026

Happy National Coaches Day! 🏆

Behind every athlete is a coach who inspires, mentors, and creates opportunities to grow. At the Women’s Sports Foundation, we’re committed to investing in women coaches and building pathways for the next generation of leaders in sport.

Through the WSF Tara VanDerveer Fund for the Advancement of Women in Coaching and the Scott Pioli & Family Fund for Women Football Coaches and Scouts, we’re helping women advance their careers and shape the future of sports.

Today, we celebrate the coaches who are changing the game. Thank you for your dedication, leadership, and lasting impact!💙

10/06/2026

: October 10 is , a time to raise awareness about mental health and reduce the stigma surrounding it.

With youth mental health remaining a serious concern, the CDC found that 43% of high school girls in 2025 reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, compared to 24% of boys.

WSF knows that sports can be a powerful tool to support girls’ well-being. Through our research, Thriving Through Sport: The Transformative Impact on Girls’ Mental Health,’ we found that mental health disorders are 1.5 to 2.5 times lower among girls who play sports compared with girls who have never played.

Yet access remains out of reach for many girls, especially those with intersectional identities from historically marginalized groups. These inequities persist despite the clear mental health benefits of sport participation across race, income, parent education, sexual identity, and disability status.

When girls have the opportunity to play in supportive and inclusive settings, sports can help reduce depression and anxiety while building a greater sense of purpose. Every girl deserves that opportunity.

Your Turn:
1. Visit our website and check out WSF’s Thriving Through Sport report to better understand the intersection of mental health and sports participation for girls. https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/articles_and_report/thriving-through-sport/

2. Share ‘We Play Interactive’ with a coach or program leader in your community. This free resource on our website offers professional development training and activities to help adults better support girls through sports and physical activity. https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/get-involved/we-play-interactive/

3. If you or someone you know is facing a mental health challenge, reach out to a health professional or call or text the Su***de & Crisis Lifeline at 988.

10/05/2026

It’s National Youth Sports Week! 🥎🏐🏀⚽️🏈

Every young person deserves the opportunity to play, grow and discover what sport can make possible. Let’s celebrate the people and programs helping make that opportunity possible for all. https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/

10/04/2026

“Billie Jean King has often said that she was moved to form the women’s pro tennis circuit after earning $600 for her 1970 Italian Open title — while Ilie Nastase took home $3,500 for winning the men’s tournament the same year… In 2027 — nearly six decades after King’s title at the Foro Italico — the Rome clay-court event will finally award women the same amount of total prize money as men, as part a “major milestone” initiative that the WTA Tour announced Thursday.”

The WTA Tour has announced a major milestone for gender equality in tennis. Starting in 2027, all combined WTA 1000 events, including the Italian Open, will award equal prize money to men and women.

10/03/2026

“Five years after its launch, TOGETHXR is an influential media and commerce company, a growing collection of events and partnerships and communities. It is an ideal case study for this growth period. It is proof of a concept that traditional sports business remains slow to recognize: Women’s sports already had an audience, and neglect of that base restrained growth more than anything else.”

Who gets to tell the story? It is the question stalking this era. I spent months learning the difference between witnessing and claiming.

09/30/2026

The inaugural WSF Sport Report™ 2026 is here. 📊 Women’s sports are making history. But the progress making headlines at the professional level isn’t reaching every level of the pipeline behind it.

Our new annual benchmark examines the state of girls’ and women’s sports from a girl’s first opportunity to play through the collegiate, professional and elite levels.

What did we find? Girls want to play. But access, cost and belonging continue to shape who gets the opportunity. Meanwhile, women’s sports are experiencing unprecedented growth at the professional level, while college and elite sports face important warning signs.

The findings offer both a reason for optimism and a clear mandate for action.

Swipe through some of the key findings, then read the full report: https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/wsf-sport-report/