Socialization into sport has been viewed as a social learning process through which significant others teach, demonstrate, and reinforce sport roles and behaviors. This social learning paradigm has been synthesized into a social role-social systems approach which combines psychological and sociological indicators (family, peers, school, community). Studies of male socialization into sport indicate that this approach is a viable model and that the sport socialization process is invariant across cultures. However, findings pertaining to female socialization into sport suggest that the process is not consistent. A study of 110 female athletes and 244 female nonathletes at the University of Illinois identified several variables for determining factors in sport involvement: childhood sport involvement; present sport involvement; and peer, teacher, and family influence. Analyses revealed that the social role-social systems approach is applicable to female socialization into sport and that childhood influences on sport participation are considerably different for female athletes and nonathletes. An unanticipated result is the finding that the theoretical model provides a better explanation of psychological and sociological determinants of the lower sport involvement of nonathletes than it does for a higher degree of athletic involvement. Findings from the study support the notion that female socialization into sport is a volatile, inconsistent, selective, and extremely complex process which needs more research. (CJ)