This article was originally published on We Are, The Student Media Site of William Clarke College, Sydney, Australia. Republished with permission as part of Teen Scene, Inc.’s international student voice partnership.

Do you think girls can play sport? Well, you might already say that girls do play sport, and you are right they do. Girls can play different sports like netball, soccer, basketball and heaps more. Boys and girls have similar skills and talents which means that they play the same sports.

Women’s sport is increasing in popularity. Who would have thought that the names of Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler would be as well known as Lionel Messi or Cristiano Renaldo? In June of this year the Matildas played multiple sold out matches here in Australia and have inspired hundreds of girls to play sport, even me. I have just started playing my first season of soccer and I am loving it.

A reason why girls should play sport is because it can help you make friends. I started playing netball when I was in Year 1. I signed up because the girls in my class were all going to play, and it was a good way for me to get to know them. We have now all become good friends and have played in the same team for winter and summer netball.

Playing sport can also keep you fit and healthy. It’s also fun playing a game on the weekend and then meeting up during the week to go to training. It means more time with your friends while you are doing some exercise and learning some new skills.

It can also teach leadership skills and how to work together as a team. Each week at netball we always like finding out who is going to be the captain. Teamwork helps us to learn how to communicate better with each other and we learn how to listen to each other. This can help us when we are at school.

So, put on your running shoes, grab your friends and join a sports team. It’s so much fun!