Why Write Books for Girls About Sports?

How reading and writing can create a new generation of athletes

Why write books about girls in sport, instead of actually doing the sports and bringing girls in? 

Well, here’s the thing: Not every girl is going to be interested in sports right off the bat. And not every girl is going to feel comfortable getting outside, signing up for tryouts, or putting herself out there as a beginner. She may not see herself in that sport: Maybe the team in town is predominantly white, and she doesn’t identify with a lot of the other girls who play. Maybe she doesn’t have the same body type as most of the girls in that sport. Maybe she lives in a town where there actually aren’t any girls playing that sport.

I’m a huge fan of organizations like Fast and Female, Little Bellas, and NICA’s GRiT program when it comes to the point where the rubber meets the road. Those programs do amazing things as soon as girls walk in the door. But for the bookworms, the shy kids, the kids who’ve been told they aren’t natural athletes… Heck, even the kids who just simply don’t think it looks like fun! 

What about them?

I believe we need to meet girls where they are, and help them see themselves in sport. Books are the perfect driver for this. I don’t just say this as a serious bookworm from day 1, I say this because we see it in the research. Compared to movies, TV, video games, and social media, books will always be the best way for kids to put themselves in the shoes of the characters they’re reading about. Books may contain vague character descriptions, but they leave a lot up to the imagination—and that’s a good thing. A movie character may not look like you. But a book’s heroine? You can put yourself in her shoes.

Books create worlds of endless possibilities. They let every reader become the heroine of the story, and that’s the goal of Strong Girl Publishing. To provide that level of increased visibility when it comes to girls in sport. Because we believe that once a girl can imagine herself on the playing field, it’s only a matter of time before she does sign up for tryouts.

For a lot of girls (like Strong Girl Pub founder Molly Hurford), books aren’t just for school. Books are what show us possibilities, and give us views into other worlds—like the world of cycling in the Shred Girls series. They let us see our potential in the pages… and they can help a bookworm see that she can also be an athlete. Studies have shown that reading can have a significant impact on children's development and behavior. Exposure to positive role models and stories that promote positive values, such as perseverance and teamwork, can encourage children to adopt similar values and behaviors in their own lives. 

That’s why we NEED stories about girls in sport. 

Additionally, reading can help children develop empathy and understanding of others, which can contribute to their social and emotional development. It is important to provide children with a diverse range of books and stories that reflect a variety of experiences and perspectives to promote a well-rounded worldview.

Think back to your childhood: Did you read Harriet the Spy and start keeping a journal? Fall in love with the Babysitter’s Club and start your own small business? Read books from the American Girl series and do any number of colonial crafts based on how Felicity mashed berries to write letters? I know it’s not just me who did things like that.

Now imagine girls reading books about cyclists, runners, boxers, surfers, skateboarders, basketball players… all their age, all girls, all finding not just a love of sport, but learning about themselves in the process. I can all but guarantee that if I had a series like the Shred Girls available to me as a preteen, I absolutely would have been swayed to ride a decade earlier. 

So, that’s why I wanted to start Strong Girl Publishing. I think that organizations helping keep girls in sport are doing AMAZING things, and that’s why we donate a percentage of our profits to them. But I also think there’s a step missing for the girls who don’t see themselves as athletes, and that’s the piece of the puzzle I’m trying to bring to the table.

Not convinced? Grab a copy of one of the Shred Girls books and share it with a middle grade bookworm you know. I bet next time you ask, she’ll be up for a bike ride.