By Faatima Zahra Gardee
Primary school participation for girls and boys is almost identical, yet this gender parity dwindles as girls get older through secondary and high school. So what is causing girls to become disillusioned with sports, and what is the solution to keeping girls in sports?
I caught up with Chloe Reynolds, a member of the Young Ambassador delivery team to get her thoughts on why we see this drop in participation from girls as they grow up: “I think that girls mature a lot faster than boys and with that comes a sense of self-consciousness. I feel like a lot of girls sometimes don’t want to get involved in stuff because they don’t like the way that they look, they don’t think that they are good enough or they don’t think they are as physical as the boys, which means that they don’t think that they have a chance against them – which obviously isn’t true. But I do think that girls do face that insecurity in themselves of being like ‘I don’t think I’m good enough for this’ or whether it be, like I said, the physical appearance, being insecure in their own body. So maybe getting changed in front of others into PE kits or even wearing PE kits, sports clothing like leggings– they might feel self-conscious in that.”
Chloe’s answer touches upon the nuanced, psychological reasons for girls’ disengagement with sport, and is reflected in Women in Sports research that found 61 per cent of the girls surveyed said that they feel judged in sports and 50 per cent admit to lacking self-belief.
The self-consciousness that Chloe mentions can also be a barrier in getting girls to share their concerns as most would rather throw in the proverbial towel on sports than risk confrontation by pointing out the obstacles they are facing.
Fit for Girls, a national program devised by Sportscotland and the Youth Sport Trust has devised an effective strategy called the post box method to address this. Girls are asked to write down issues that they are currently facing and can submit them anonymously to a ‘post-box’ – thus making them feel seen without putting them on the spot, whilst also informing PE teachers, coaches and coordinators of the existing issues to be addressed. Creating a barrier wall is another useful Fit for Girls method where girls can write down their concerns on post-its and stick them on a wall, validating their concerns as they see that others face them too, making them feel less isolated and alleviating their sense of self-consciousness.
Chloe also shared a bit about her work as a Young Ambassador to drive forward female participation in sport at her school in Lochaber: “As part of the Young Ambassador program, I have done two Active Girls Days which got P7 pupils from different schools in my area to come and try out lots of different sports along with high school pupils so there was a bit of a mix, which was also good transition-wise coming up to high school making sure that that the girls’ love for sport was still there. We had, Judo, Athletics, football, and dance, so it gave girls a good chance to see what sports are on offer in the area and that they can do anything.”
As Chloe says, running Active Girls Days aimed at pupils going into their teenage years and high school (the time when girls usually drop out of sport) is a really great way to cement their love of sport and keep more girls engaged at what could be a pivotal point in their sporting journey.
Making connections between school sport and club sport is also especially important since getting girls involved in club sport provides an aspect of continuity that means girls are more likely to remain involved in sport regardless of their age and participation in school; whether they are at middle school, high school, on a break, or leaving school, them being a part of sport through their club remains the same – meaning that sport can be a much-needed form of support during periods of change in girls’ lives. As coaches, teachers, councillors, guardians, friends and volunteers, the responsibility falls on us to make this connection between schools and clubs, promoting and introducing positive ways for girls to keep involved in sports.
Chloe embodies this responsibility in her own time coaching netball and dance, mentioning how she tries to ‘promote the fact that girls can do just as much as boys can as often as possible because it is so important.’ This comment definitely rings true – although sexist stereotypes of women in sport are now relics that are systematically being overcome, constant positive affirmations are vital to override the self-doubt and self-consciousness that may still exist in the minds of girls on a subconscious level.
There are so many resources out there for us to use to promote female engagement in sport throughout and beyond school. These resources are amazing, but the thing that makes the difference are the people who take the initiative to use them – people like Chloe who set up Active Girls days, people who encourage girls to get involved in sports and connect them with clubs, people who use Fit for Girls methods within their schools and clubs. An off-the-cuff piece of advice or support you give out could make all the difference between a girl dropping out of sport or staying involved. This, in my opinion, is the key to keeping girls in sport.
