Serena Williams’ new ad shows why it’s vital to keep girls in sport

It's well known that, for a number of reasons, girls drop out of sport at a younger age than boys.

It's a shame, because we know that on top of fitness, playing sport benefits girls' mental health, fosters independence and ambition and is even linked to better grades in school. We'd all like to see our daughters take part and enjoy sport, which is why we loved Serena Williams' new ad so much. It shows new mum Serena comforting her baby daughter and delivering a monologue about what sport can do for girls.

"Sports will teach you to be strong," she tells her daughter "You’ll discover the power and grace of your body. You’ll learn to move and you’ll learn the way to move others. "Sports will teach you the strength of your allies. Whether your bond is by blood or by ball, whether she shares the color of your skin, or the color of your jersey, you’ll find your sisters in sweat."

Interestingly, the baby in the ad wasn't actually two-month-old Olympia - Serena had intended to include her but the baby was too unwell at the time of filming to take part.

A post shared by Alexis Ohanian Sr.? (@alexisohanian) on Nov 17, 2017 at 9:28pm PST

My heartbeats ❤️ photo

A post shared by Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) on Nov 20, 2017 at 12:35pm PST

The ad comes not long after Serena and her partner Alexis Ohanian said 'I do' - the couple wed at a star-studded ceremony in New Orleans on Sunday.

COMMENT: I quit my sport at 17... don't let your daughters do the same