From concerns about body image to lack of paternal support, researchers uncover some pervasive reasons girls leave sports - via healthing_ca healthing healthnews
While close to half of the girls surveyed said they stopped playing sports because they were busy with school work, 61 per cent cited a lack of confidence as one of the reasons for their withdrawal, and a worrying 68 per cent said they left sports for fear of being judged — both because of their body as well as their performance.
Almost half of girls felt they didn’t have “the right body shape” to play sports, compared to 35 per cent of boys: “My school has a lot of unisex clothes, by unisex, they’re made for boys,” one girl said. “When you are in puberty and have wider hips it doesn’t fit right.” And when it came to performance, while 44 per cent of boys said they didn’t like people watching them, that number rose to 65 per cent for girls.
“Fathers [or] father figures could be a powerful source of support for girls,” the study says. “We know when dads support their daughters, they are more likely to be sporty.” In fact,y found that “paternal influence” was a bigger factor in girls’ decisions to pursue sports than their mom’s influence.
One way to help girls enjoy sports more would be eliminate at least some of the competitiveness, the study authors say. Girls should feel “they deserve opportunities to play even if [they’re] not top tier.” Encouragement from parents, particularly dads, could help. And providing practical and emotional support could help girls “stay active during puberty and reinforce body confidence.”
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