It’s time to stop and just take this moment in.
We are in a golden age of women in sport.
A time unlike any other in history when so many strong, determined, gutsy Australian women are smashing it in pools and oceans, on fields and greens, on courts and ovals. A time when these sportswomen are receiving the attention they deserve as they dominate headlines and Instagram feeds kicking goals and reminding our daughters that it’s about what your body can do not what it looks like.
Ash Barty in tennis. Sam Kerr in soccer (pictured above). Hannah Green in golf. Sally Fitzgibbons in surfing. Tayla Harris in AFL. All the teams in Suncorp Super Netball. The Matildas.
And yet.
And yet a disconnect is happening. Instead of running towards sport and the multitude of physical, social and emotional benefits it brings, our teenage girls are walking away. Close to 50 per cent of our girls are dropping out of sport by the age of 17, according to Suncorp’s Australian Youth & Confidence Research 2019 report.
CLOSE TO FIFTY PER CENT.
How is that even happening? Where are we going wrong?
Top Comments
I believe we need to concentrate on inclusivity no matter the child’s skill set. Daughter made a representative netball team at U 14 and U 15 and both years was given the absolute minimum court time by her coaches . At one carnival she played 1/2 of a game for the day. You query this with the coaches and their response “they only have to make sure each child gets the minimum court time for the carnival”. It’s all about winning not about being in a team and watching the team grow and develop. My daughter felt so humiliated by this experience that she no longer plays netball at all. Her most telling comment was when she explained how the team and parents treated her as the carnival progressed. It went from parents smiling and talking to her on the first day of the carnival to parents keeping their head down when she walked past or worse giving her pity looks at day 4 of the carnival. Clearly indicating that they felt sorry for the way she was being treated. From my view it’s children sport at this level and the adults involved need to be reminded of that and I believe the game time for each child in junior sport should be at least 50% of the game times. They made the team they should be able to play in the team
Would love to see the words Fun and Care as the underpinning concept for keeping young women involved. Every session..learn something, have some fun, increase heart rate and strength and make some friends. Champions will shine but this allows others to have a great experience. 45 years of coaching elite and junior women who still play, coach or umpire gives me hope. Don't bore belittle or bully.