This informative resource explores some of the basic principles of gymnastics and the factors that motivate girls who dedicate themselves to perfecting the sport’s skills. It analyzes body types and sizes, age, and building gymnastic strength and flexibility. Some beneficial exercises and stretches are described as well as basic skills. Common ailments and injuries and how to avoid them are discussed, as are nutrition and eating disorders. Equipment required for basic events––balance beam, floor exercise, uneven bars, and vault––is explained as well as the ways to perform safely. This indispensable volume offers girls an interesting and instructional guide.

In 1972, equality of the sexes took a major step forward with the enactment of Title IX, which said that young women could not be excluded from playing their favorite sports in school. By 1976, women's basketball was an Olympic sport and well en route to becoming one of the most popular women's sports. This book introduces all the tips, tricks, and courtside lingo of basketball to active middle school-aged girls. The rules of the game are covered, as are the drills, nutrition essentials, and health regimens that will turn any devoted athlete into a star on the court.

Requiring high levels of athleticism and lots of hard work and practice, volleyball is an exciting sport. Aimed at both high school women’s volleyball players and young women who just happen to be curious about volleyball, this book introduces the terms, techniques, and tips they’ll need to become great players. The book offers a quick history of the sport and explains the rules of the game. There are extensive tips on staying healthy—including eating right, proper stretching techniques, the dangers of overtraining, and dealing with injuries. Also addressed are the challenges of playing on a team and the need for good sportswomanship. Competition at the high school, college, and professional level is discussed, along with opportunities to play recreationally.

This title is perfect for inspiring any girl to join the ranks of the most popular sport in the world: soccer. The straightforward information teaches pretty much everything there is to know about the game, including the rules, skills for success, proper exercises and training, the competition circuit, and the first steps to joining a team. Not only does this book promote physical activity, but it also levels the playing field in this historically male-dominated sport, giving girls the confidence to get out there and win.

Tennis powerhouses like Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova make it difficult to believe that tennis was originally a man’s sport. Since the early twentieth century, however, girls and women of all ages and skill levels have secured a permanent place on the tennis court. After discussing the history of women in the sport and the importance of Title IX, this exciting primer describes the rules, equipment, and skills required to play. Readers will learn how to grip, volley, and swing their way to an invigorating match. Profiles of key players, past and present, will interest tennis novices and pros alike.

The contemporary era has been the most revolutionary for women in sports, with more females involved in athletics than ever before, at all age and skill levels, largely due to the push to make school sports inclusive for girls and women. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to and historical overview of figure skating. It covers all aspects of participation in the sport and staying safe on the ice. Included are anecdotal and inspirational success stories of figure-skating luminaries, and special attention is paid to recent advances and trends in the sport.

This book introduces the influence of Title IX legislation on track and field. It begins with an introduction to all of the different activities in track and field for those just becoming interested in this sport. The book goes on to detail how athletes train and how they need to prepare themselves physically and mentally to participate in the sport. The book ends with a listing of track and field events and the kinds of things readers can expect to see as a participant or an audience member. Photographs illustrate the book and help readers visualize the sport.