"When they take surveys of women in business, of the Fortune 500, the successful women, 80% of them, say they were in sports as a young woman"

Billie Jean King points to a striking correlation between women’s early athletic participation and later success in top corporate roles. The implication is that sport functions as a training ground for leadership, agency, and perseverance. For many girls, it is one of the few sanctioned arenas where ambition, competitiveness, and assertiveness are praised rather than policed. Learning to practice with intention, compete fairly, accept coaching, and bounce back from losses builds a sturdy psychological toolkit that translates naturally to high-pressure business environments.

The competencies sharpened on courts and fields are the same ones rewarded in boardrooms. Athletes set measurable goals, track progress, and iterate; they study opponents and adapt strategy; they operate within teams, shifting fluidly between leading and following; they communicate under stress and make decisions with incomplete information. Regular exposure to performance feedback accelerates growth, while physical confidence often matures into executive presence. Time management, discipline, and resilience are forged through long seasons and setbacks. Beyond skills, sports create social capital: coaches and teammates become lifelong networks; scholarships open doors to elite education; and, since Title IX, broader participation has widened the pipeline of women with leadership experiences before entering the workforce.

There are caveats. Survey data reflects correlation, not causation; access to youth sports is shaped by resources, geography, and safety, so the benefits accrue unevenly. Many girls encounter barriers, costs, lack of facilities, limited media visibility, or exclusion in certain sports. The practical takeaway is not that athletics is the only route to success, but that early, structured opportunities to compete and lead matter. Expanding equitable access, funding school and community programs, diversifying coaching, ensuring safe environments, valuing athletic experience in hiring, and supporting women’s sports publicly, can multiply these benefits. Give more girls the chance to move, compete, and lead, and more women will carry that confidence and capability into the C-suite.