When nearly 62% of Canadian adolescent girls are not participating in sport, we're clearly doing something wrong. We are failing the future generations of women, and taking away leadership opportunities before they can have them.
" Less girls in sport now translates into less girls and women in leadership roles - in sport and beyond."
- Allison Sandmeyer-Graces, CEO, Canadian Women + Sport
I have been beyond fortunate to have found my community. To have found belonging through sport, and through opportunities that came my way via sport. Unfortunately, not all others are as lucky as I am. One in three girls are dropping out of sport before late adolescence. Girls are leaving the sport they love because they do not find belonging, find a mentor, or find community.
Today, our female youth are flooded with images of external beauty, not those of confident, strong female athletic role models. To a lot of girls, fitting in means constantly being told to stay in the "lines" is more important than standing out. Peer pressure can affect girls at any age; when that pressure isn’t offset with strong encouragement to participate in sports and healthy physical activity, the results lead girls to drop out altogether. They are struggling with low confidence, negative body image, poor perceptions of belonging, and because they do not feel welcome. This needs to change, and it needs to change now.
Through hardships, we (as supporters) need to stay the course. Stay present in the sports world, not only for your own personal well-being, but also for the future athletes who need someone to look up to. Do it for the young girls without a role model. Push through the doubts, negative self-image, the low confidence; rather take confidence in knowing that your presence in sport is inspiring young athletes. That you are shaping the youth, and helping girls find who they are, and where they belong.
Girls need to see female leaders in their lives step up and advocate for those stuck in the shadows. For women of every age, seeing athletes who look like them in the media can be what pushes them to accomplish incredible athletic achievements. They need to see positive images on their social media feeds, to contradict the negative images that spread like wildfire. When girls see images and hear comments in media that show respect for the strength and grit of female athletes, it could push little girls to become record-setting athletes. Maybe when that little girl learns about women who are brave, she’ll picture a basketball player.
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