A recent survey conducted by Women In Sport, showed that over one million girls in the UK lose interest in sport after leaving primary school compared to boys.
The survey found that lack of support and opportunities are significant factors as to why girls don’t want to participate in sport as they get older.
So how can we help? The survey by Women In Sport said we can help in different ways. The main one being inside and outside of school. They believe girls should have a wider range of opportunities available to them where they are free from judgement.
Teacher at Netherton C of E Primary School in the Black Country Bernard Moseley said: “At our school we provide a variety of after school clubs including: dance, netball, football and cricket.
“We offer all these to the girls, as it gives them the opportunity to try out sports that aren’t just specific to one gender.”
Another finding from the survey highlighted the fact girls understand the benefits of being active but they experience a serious disconnect between desire and enjoyment. Many girls like the idea of competitions (in the right context) as they are something fun.
Moseley added: “We have competitions for all ages of girls. On average 76% of pupils attend after school sports clubs, out of this 55% are girls. Recently, our dance performers, 98% of which are girls, competed in three dance festivals. Each of these were in front of over 1000 people. And a lot of them have gone to dance clubs outside of school which is a great achievement.
“I feel strongly about our after school clubs, we not only tailor them for PE enthusiastic kids, but for those who don’t engage as well in PE too, including girls. We also asked the girls what they wanted and then put in place various different after school clubs to engage them even more.”
Lack of support from teachers and parents, mainly fathers/father figures is a key factor in why girls don’t engage in sports after leaving primary school. Fathers are more likely to support their son rather than their daughter when it comes to sport, and in some cases teachers are more likely to support their more enthusiastic PE students.
Moseley said: “I think on the whole teachers, coaches and parents don’t push their children enough, it’s too easy to drop them off at a sports club or listen to them saying ‘I don’t want to go today i’m too tired’, instead we should be instilling resilience into them.”
The opportunities on offer to girls at Netherton C of E primary school prove that when listened to and given the chance by their teachers, girls can fall in love with and enjoy sport.
Moseley added: “I hope other primary schools will look at the success of what we are doing in such a deprived area. We have boys and girls going to local tournaments in the Black Country and regional tournaments.
“We as teachers must be strong and motivate the girls but encourage and believe in them so they can see how much they can achieve when they put their mind to it.”
Sporty AF 