Youth sport participation rates are at an all-time high, but one segment of the youth population showing notable declines is female adolescents. Research indicates that time spent on physical activity shows decline in traditional United States high school ages 14 through 18. The current research studied 37 female adolescent student athletes� individual motivation, to understand the factors that motivate female high school student athletes to continue sport participation beyond freshman year. Through this knowledge, the current research aimed to counter the trend of declining female athletic participation in the high school years. Study results indicated that female adolescents are most impacted by positive team cohesion, developing values that impact life outside of athletics, and playing for themselves rather than to satisfy others (i.e. parents, teammates, coaches and peers). These results regarding motivational factors will allow coaches and administrators to develop effective programs to increase female participation in sport.