Did you know?
sports participation has long been known to build the skills needed for success and leadership on the field, in the classroom, and in the boardroom. as the women’s sports foundation has aptly put it, “sports are more than entertainment - they are a catalyst for equity, leadership, health, and empowerment.” However, despite many advances in the past 50 years, women and girls still lag behind in access, leadership and coaching opportunities, pay, and media coverage.
Only 1 out of 3 girls ages 6-12 participate in sport on a regular basis
girls are two times more likely to drop out of sports than boys by age 14
40% of teen girls are not actively participating in sport compared to 24% of teen boys
mental health disorders are about 2 times lower for girls who play sports versus those who have never played
2 out of 3 women who played youth sports hold at least one formal leadership role outside of the family
The S.W.A.G. Team
my name is natalija and i am a soccer player in philadelphia, pennsylvania. sports, and soccer in particular, have played a huge role in shaping me and how i view the world. I find this statistic especially upsetting: girls are two times more likely to drop out of sports than boys by age 14. that means that many girls stop playing before they reach high school!
even though a lot of progress has been made and there are many other organizations doing similar work, breaking down the barriers for women and girls in sports remains an important mission with a societal and cultural impact that benefits everyone. This is why i founded the s.w.a.g. (sports for women and girls) team - a nonprofit to work on breaking down those barriers, motivating others to join my mission, and have fun while doing it!
Mission + Goal
the s.w.a.g. team was founded in december 2025 with a mission to empower and inspire community advocacy for girls and women in sports through education, activism, and celebration while forming new connections.
while we are based in philadelphia, pennsylvania and focused on making local impact, we are a community that includes anyone and everyone who is interested in, excited about, and supportive of sports for women and girls - even in outer space!
As founder and S.W.A.G. team captain, i have set an ambitious goal to raise $14,000 in support of women and girls in sports in the next two years, symbolically representing the age (14) at which many girls stop participating in sports. fundraising efforts will go towards organizing and hosting local community events like watch parties that celebrate, spotlight, and inspire girls and women in sports. funds raised from those events will be donated back to specific local girls teams or community programs focusing on girls sports in philadelphia.
