During elementary school, I came to believe I wasn't "athletic." I was finally able to debunk that myth a full 20 years later when a friend and I completed the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa. At the age of 27, I discovered that women could motivate each other to complete those last five miles of the day, that there was camaraderie in sharing a bowl of spaghetti with the gal who had beaten you to the top of the hill -- and that sports weren't about humiliation but about setting goals and helping others face challenges.

Today, women's sports are in the limelight. Over 90,000 people flocked to the final game of the 1999 Women's World Cup. The Women's National Basketball Association averaged almost 11,000 fans per game in 1999, up 12 percent from the previous season. Even the Women's Pro Softball League recently topped the TV ratings of men's Major League Soccer during the same time slot. Sports apparel companies including Nike and Patagonia are devoting catalogues and Web sites to women. And as basketball player Mariah Burton Nelson puts it, "As millions of girls grow up playing team sports, they, too, are discovering how to embrace victory unapologetically and other essential life lessons."

New programs are springing up to help build young women's self-esteem. At Girls Rock, a Seattle-based mentorship program founded by former Outward Bound guides, each student works with an experienced female rock climber for nine weeks, learning basic climbing skills as well as personal and inner strength. Says mentor Rana Betting, "I started climbing when I was 19. This sport taught me to take leadership in situations, to set small goals that build on each other, to problem-solve, to think through situations, and to have confidence in myself -- all skills I use every day which could have helped me when I was 14."

What do girls learn by participating in sports? Athletes point to the following life skills:

-- How to be a teammate, not just a friend. Says Betting, "A friend might say, 'I don't want to start a business with you because it might hurt our relationship.'" A teammate says, 'Of course, I'll do it with you: we share the same vision and passion, so we'll be successful.'

-- How to compete. Athletes use competition to connect, not to divide. They use it to bring out the best in themselves, and shake hands at the end of the game.

-- How to lead. Team leaders learn emotional intelligence and motivation skills.

-- How to bond. During the first season of the program, Girls Rock mentors started noticing cliques and sat the girls down and explained the program wasn't going to work if kids put each other down. The girls thought it over and talked about how they'd like others to treat them. From that point on, they worked as a team on achieving common goals.

-- How to take risks. Athletes don't always succeed, but they're always willing to try.

-- How to ask for help. Says Nelson, "In basketball, athletes on defense need to yell 'HELP!' Nobody can succeed in life without learning to ask for help when necessary."

Elisabeth Keating (e-mail Elisabeth)
Seattle, Washington

A few of Elisabeth's favorite goodthings:
Roman Holiday with Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn. The Children's Eternal Rainforest in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Tulips and daffodils. Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico. Teaching Tolerance magazine. The National Park Service. Baking coffeecake on a snowy winter morning. PAWS.




TALK ABOUT IT
How have team sports made a difference in your life? Did you play? Did you coach? Tell us your story.

LEARN ABOUT IT
Get inspired by Seattle's Girls Rock after-school climbing program and let us know when you find similar programs near you.

Goddess is Nike's brand-new online sports magazine for women and girls about everything from Olympic champion Marion Jones to capoeira (you'll have to check the site out to get the scoop on capoeira!).

Yes, you read that right. Elisabeth rode her bike across the wind-swept plains of Iowa. Learn what the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa is all about.

MOTHER-DAUGHTER BICYCLE TEAM UPDATE!
Back in March, we introduced you to a different kind of team, Girls Whirl, a mother and daughter tackling the incredible task of riding their tandem bicycle from San Diego to St. Augustine, Florida. Would you believe they've made it to Louisiana? Check out the Whirl Log, the amazing highlights from their inspiring trek.

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