In traveling teams, girls finish first

It seems like whenever we talk about sports the discussion is always about how there is less attendence at women's events, less revenue, and they are taken less seriously, which is why I was surprised to read a New York Times article about how traveling girls sports teams have greater attendence.

The article talks about how girls teams stimulate tourism because families are more likely to travel to watch their daughters play. That's awesome right? Of course it is.

What's really interesting is that these families are more likely to travel to watch daughters because they are more protective of them. One women is quoted as saying that she would let her son go off for days unaccompanied, but she would never let her daughter do it.

Why is that? Are parents more worried about daughters because they think their daughters are more likely to get in trouble? Or is it because of a heightened awareness of violence/crime against young women and girls? I don't really have any sort of personal insight into this because I am one of four girls, but it would be interesting to hear what any of you have to say about it.

Photo courtesy of www.flickr/awesomealpharetta