Gains are for the Girls

GET 500,000+ GIRLS PLAYING FOR i9 SPORTS IN 2030

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We are making a commitment to girls, with the launch of our “Gains are for the Girls” campaign.

Our goal is bold, and meant to match the energy and passion of female athletes: 

Get 500,000 girls playing in i9 Sports programs annually by 2030.

Why 500,000? To help bridge the current gap between the amount of boys playing in youth sports versus the amount of girls.

Gains are for the Girls is more than an campaign, it’s a movement and long-term promise to create greater access, opportunity, and spaces in youth sports where girls feel they can learn, grow, and thrive as athletes and as people. 

Why? Because when girls play sports, they gain confidence, strength, and leadership skills that empower them to crush their goals in sports and in life!

i9 Sports’ purpose is to help all kids succeed in life through sports by developing not just great athletes, but great people. Our Gains are for the Girls campaign takes that mission to the next level by solidifying our responsibility to design programs based on what young female athletes and their parents are looking for in youth sports.

To prove we are committed to listening to our athletes and their families, we developed a survey—Shaping the Future of Sports For Girls.

What We Learned from surveying parents of girls in sports across the US

We surveyed our members who have registered a female in our youth sports programs in the last 2–3 years. Survey recipients were encouraged to take this survey with their girls in order to hear perspectives from both parents and players. 

We wanted to understand what truly motivates girls to play, and how youth sports can better support them now and in the future. We received more than 1,500 responses from all across the US, over half of the respondents included daughters ages 7 and up. 

Using these insights, we will continue to evolve our girls sports programs and empower girls to believe in themselves long after their final game with i9 Sports. Whether girls are playing in coed or girls-specific programming, we’re committed to making sure they have what they need to thrive. 

Key findings from our players’ parents that directly align with i9 Sports’ mission and new goal include:

  • Girls are seeking a strong sense of belonging.
  • They feel more comfortable, and more likely to participate, when they know someone on the team.
  • Who coaches them matters less than how they are coached. They want coaches who focus on teaching the sport while providing a fun and supportive environment.
  • Parents want sports to help their daughters build confidence, not just athletic skills.
  • Girls continue playing because it’s fun, and they have established a love of sports.
  • Winning has little to no influence on parents’ or girls’ decisions to participate in sport.

See the full survey learnings

We asked and you answered! We’re excited to share the full learnings of our 2025 Gains are for the Girls initiative survey. 
Download the Full Survey

OUR COMMITMENTS to girls in sports

CONTINUED LISTENING
We will conduct more surveys in every sport to ensure we continue to listen to our parents and players.

A girls programming advisory council is also being created to ensure we keep our focus on designing programs girls will enjoy.

Programs built for girls, by girls.
GIRLS COACHING RESOURCES
We have worked with our partners at Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), Nike, and Coaching Her to provide dedicated coaching resources on how to coach young female athletes in order to ensure positive, supportive coaches girls and parents have asked for. Visit the Game Day app and take the courses!
INCREASED REPRESENTATION
We will have dedicated Gains are for the Girls promo items and on-field signage to create an environment where girls feel welcome and supported.
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