Dove and Sports Illustrated unveil a groundbreaking initiative to tackle the challenges faced by young female athletes today.
Young female athletes are taking center stage in Sports reIllustrated, a special edition from Sports Illustrated in collaboration with Dove. Launching February 3, just before the Big Game, the issue highlights 10 rising stars in sports while taking on a major crisis: nearly half of all girls quit sports by age 17 because of body image pressures.
The statistics are stark. Research shows 48% of girls walk away from athletics because they’re told they don’t have the “right” body type. Dove’s Body Confident Sport program, a key component of this campaign, provides science-backed coaching tools to help girls build resilience and confidence. The goal? To ensure young athletes stay in the game, not just for competition, but for the lifelong benefits sports provide.
Meet the Future of Sports
The Sports reIllustrated edition features 10 young female athletes from different disciplines, each proving that passion and perseverance—not body image expectations—define an athlete.
Ja’Nor Elzie (12, Basketball) – Slidell, LA
Liana Chan (11, Ice Hockey) – New York, NY
Carmen Wilkey (12, Track & Field) – Severance, CO
Pepper Persley (13, Basketball) – New York, NY
Lala Scholl (12, Soccer) – New Orleans, LA
Noelani Spicer (12, Track & Field Para-Athlete) – San Antonio, TX
Julia Dinar (13, Fencing) – Brooklyn, NY
Calyx Watkins (14, Basketball) – Detroit, MI
Krin Brown (13, Lacrosse) – Philadelphia, PA
These girls continue to push boundaries and inspire the next wave of athletes to keep going, no matter the obstacles.
Game-Changing Athletes Back the Movement
The campaign has also drawn support from some of the biggest names in women’s sports. Tennis icon Venus Williams, sports equality pioneer Billie Jean King, and rising tennis star Emma Navarro have joined Dove’s Body Confident Collective to fight for a more inclusive and supportive environment for female athletes.
These legends have paved the way for the next generation, advocating for equal pay, media visibility, and resources so that young athletes can pursue their dreams without limits. Other leading female athletes are also stepping in, ensuring that future sports stars see themselves reflected in the highest levels of competition.
The Gender Pay Gap in Sports Is Impossible to Ignore
Despite the momentum behind women’s sports, the pay gap between male and female athletes remains staggering:
WNBA players average $113,000 per year, while NBA players pull in $10.8 million.
The LPGA pays an average of $346,000, while the PGA pays $1.04 million.
In soccer, NWSL players make around $54,000, compared to $471,000 for their male MLS counterparts.
Media coverage, sponsorships, and investment in women’s sports still fall far behind men’s leagues. This lack of financial support fuels a cycle where young girls see fewer opportunities to make a career in sports, leading many to walk away before they reach their peak.
A Movement That Goes Beyond the Game
This campaign amplifies an important message that needs to be heard: girls belong in sports, and they deserve to be seen, paid their worth and celebrated.
The issue will be available February 3 online and in New Orleans ahead of the Big Game, with a print feature running in the March edition of Sports Illustrated.
Keywords: Dove initiative, Sports Illustrated, Girls in sports, Female athletes support, Youth sports empowerment
#GirlsInSports #EmpowerTheNextGen #SportsForAll
