USTA Florida (USTA FL) sought help from Clarity Writing and Research (Clarity) to gain insights into the current state of women and girls in tennis and to consider ways USTA Florida’s Women in Tennis (WiT) initiative can advance gender equity in tennis. To accomplish this, Clarity did contextual research, reviewed extant data from internal and external sources, and compiled a selection of relevant best and promising practices for equity work.

This report is structured into three sections:

Section 1 provides a contextual description of data and recent trends in tennis participation, youth sports, and the experience of women and girls as sports players, coaches, and leaders.

Section 2 focuses in on Florida and includes both extant data on tennis in Florida and a detailed description of USTA Florida’s Women in Tennis initiative and the activities and supports it provides.

Section 3 presents targeted conclusions and specific recommendations for how USTA Florida can put this research to work.

View the full Clarity Writing & Research report on our resources page.

Published on September 9th, 2024

This new report is a groundbreaking study that reveals the cross-generational impacts of girls’ and women’s sports participation on leadership. The research illuminates the skills, traits, and experiences developed through youth sports and how they connect to leadership outcomes in adulthood. With survey respondents ranging in age from 20 to 80 years old, the research also provides insight into the shifting barriers to sports participation for girls and women across the generations, and the impacts of Title IX.

The present report set out to examine:

1. What is the relationship between sport participation and mental health in adolescent girls?

2. How do the characteristics of the sport environment affect the relationship between sport participation and mental health?

3. Does the relationship between sport and mental health differ across contexts and demographic groups?

The research used for this report entailed three major components. First, we extracted data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study to examine sport participation and clinical levels of mental health for a nationally representative sample of 11,875 children. We also commissioned eight focus groups with 45 girl athletes and a nationally representative survey of 2,956 girls between the ages of 12 and 17.

America’s youth are experiencing a mental health crisis, and their futures are on the line. As the nation has witnessed an alarming rise in mental health challenges among young people, including increases in depression and anxiety, the need for urgent action to prioritize mental health is more important than ever. It is essential to share how sports participation impacts girls, offering far-reaching benefits beyond physical fitness as it can serve as a cornerstone for nurturing positive mental health and promoting holistic development in girls.

View all Women in Tennis infographics in our resources section.