e.l.f. Beauty and Parity Release "Girls Who Play Change the Game", Connecting Girls' Sports Participation to Long-Term Workplace Impact
One of the largest and broadest studies of its kind, the study reveals the connection between the skills girls learn playing sports and women's careers
OAKLAND, Calif., August 31, 2026--e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE: ELF) and Parity today released a first-of-its-kind research report revealing a powerful, data-backed link between girls' sports participation and women's workplace performance. The study draws on more than 9,500 respondents across the United States, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom, making it one of the largest and broadest studies of its kind. The findings are clear and consistent: women who played sports in their youth are more likely to become workplace leaders, are more likely to aspire to senior leadership and are more likely to negotiate their salaries. These women also credit skills learned in sports with helping them advance professionally.
The report sits at the intersection of e.l.f.'s two long-standing purpose commitments: Change the Board Game, the company's commitment to boardroom equity and empowering.legendary.females., its commitment to women's sports. Both initiatives are rooted in creating access and accelerating pathways for the next generations of leaders.
Parity, a women's sports consultancy focused on closing the gender income and opportunity gap in sports, is e.l.f.'s partner in the research. Aligned by shared beliefs, Parity brought their research expertise and rigor to execute the research at scale and e.l.f. leaned into its global platform of positivity, inclusivity and accessibility.
The report centers on the Everyday Athlete – women who played sports for at least three years before the end of high/secondary school and now work (or recently worked) full time – alongside pro women athletes, men and women board members and women with little or no sports experience. Across all four countries, the study shows women who played sports carry those lessons into their careers.
See how Everyday Athletes say sports change the e.l.f.ing game for women at work:
Nearly 90% of Everyday Athletes who have been promoted say a skill they learned in sports helped them move up.
69% of Everyday Athletes who have worked at least five years say the lessons they learned in sports are more important than ever in today's workplace.
Everyday Athletes are nearly 50% more likely to hold leadership roles at work than women who played less or no sports.
Everyday Athletes are 37% more likely to aspire to senior leadership and nearly 25% more likely to have negotiated their salary than women who played less or no sports.
80% of women leaders who were Everyday Athletes say sports were an important part of growing up.