Guest post: “All women and girls should be able to experience the joy, fulfilment, and lifelong benefits of sport”

[JuliaMumsnet]

"When someone says the word "sport" what’s the first thing you think of?

For me, it is gazing longingly out of the window at the netball courts during French class. But our charity Women in Sport knows that for many women the opposite is true. "Sport" brings back horrible memories of school. Whether it was being forced to wear “gym knickers” or a leotard when you were on a period or never getting picked for the team because you weren’t “sporty”.

And yet the word sport means “being carried away from stress and responsibility”. It’s about having fun. I don’t know many women who would reject the idea of less responsibility and more freedom.

Now think about exercise. What do you first think about when someone says the word “exercise”? Many women we talk to wince because they think they should be doing more of it. For others, serious exercise conjures up pain and suffering. But when we actually get around to going out for a brisk walk or even a run, we feel great. Our bodies release endorphins when we exercise, which is the healthiest way to get high.

Women in Sport has been looking into the lives of teenage girls and women during the last year and finding out how lockdown has affected women’s experiences of, and views on, exercise and sport. Before the pandemic, Sport England statistics showed that the gap was closing but women were still slightly less active than men overall.

The biggest gender gap was in team sport – with 25% fewer girls than boys involved in teams and paltry opportunities for girls at school. That’s why the closure of schools affected boys’ sports the worst.

Why should we care about team sport? Because being in joint endeavour, in a team, trying to win while having fun brings lifelong benefits. If more girls had positive experiences of team sport at school, more women would enter the workplace and wider society trained to lead, to take risks, and to be resilient if they lose.

So, what did we find out about girls in lockdown? During the pandemic, the Government put exercise front and centre as one of the few ways we were able to leave our homes. This opportunity has released some girls into new worlds. We talked to teenage girls going for walks outside with friends for the first time, and 82% of girls said they would put more effort into being active when life returned to normal. Teenage girls we spoke to recognised the value of exercise for their physical and mental health, some for the very first time. They may not know that research shows a positive impact of outdoor sport on body image, but they are feeling it.

Then we spoke to the women. We know that women have borne the brunt of pandemic redundancies and that home-schooling has exposed ongoing stereotypes and gender inequalities in the home. The women we spoke to were time deprived. 32% of women said they could not prioritise exercise during lockdown as they had too much to do for others. But on the positive side, the crisis has led people to reappraise. People have been resetting their priorities and there is more motivation to exercise than there used to be. 85% of women in our research said they would either put more effort into being fit and active or would keep up being active after lockdown.

Our recent new research into women around the menopause showed that this too can prompt reappraisal. So, the double whammy of an unprecedented pandemic and an unprecedented change in hormones seems to be triggering a bit of a revolution amongst midlife women.

One of the most fascinating insights we gleaned even before the pandemic was how much teenage girls cherished time alone with their mum or mother figures in their lives. They saw such relationships as ‘safe spaces’ without fear of judgement. Lockdown has exaggerated this feeling and girls have appreciated time being active outside, in nature, in a safe context without toxic commentary from peers.

Last year we launched our #TimeTogether campaign based on our understanding that midlife women and teenage girls both face unique physical challenges and pressures, and that they want to support one another. Women and girls also know they ought to be more active, but many find it hard to act on that. So, we’re inspiring women and girls to team up, to get active and have fun together outside. As we go back to some normality post lockdown, this special relationship may well help overcome shared concerns about loss of fitness or being in large groups.

The pandemic has led to a growing intolerance of inequality, whether racial, economic, or gender inequality. At Women in Sport, we’ve been intolerant of this for a long time. We know that less wealthy women from certain diverse backgrounds are the least active of all. How wrong is this, that society is denying these girls and women joy and health?

The pandemic exposed underlying inequalities in society across the board, and elite sport was no exception. In August 2020 a BBC survey of elite British sportswomen showed 86% earnt less than £30k from sport, and 60% less than £10k and one in five believed they may have to give up their sport due to the crisis to focus on having a normal job. At the same time women’s sport all but disappeared from our screens. The women’s football Euros were pushed back to 2022 to make way for the men’s Euros to be played in 2021. The Women’s Six Nations was never completed, the 2020 Netball Super League, Football Women’s Super League and Championship were all cancelled. In contrast, the top three tiers of men’s football continued their 2019-20 season; the men’s Premiership Rugby 2019-20 season restarted in August, the men’s Six Nations was completed.

So it is hardly surprising that half as many girls as boys dreamt about reaching the top of sport (30% cf 60%) in a survey we ran with Sports Direct in March 2021. We should not be denying our girls the chance to dream.

We want to redefine the relationship that many girls and women have with sport and exercise. This should be about fun, and we have a right to fun at every time in our lives. Yes, we could be drawing joy from sport, even as teenagers when everywhere you look people are commenting on your appearance; and even in mid-life when that pressure cooker of responsibility means our own needs come last. We want the legacy of the pandemic to be a break down in negative gender stereotypes and the emergence of a new normal in which all women and girls can experience the joy, fulfilment, and lifelong benefits of sport."

EDIT: Stephanie will be coming back onto the thread at 11am on Thursday 17th June to answer your questions.

I feel the way to encourage girls is to remove the many barriers. Eg back when I was at school we had to wear silly, tiny netball skirts (no under shorts, leggings, joggers allowed) so anyone on their period, who had yet to master tampons, felt v self conscious. All those who weren't skinny Minnie's and had sizeable thighs felt v self conscious. I honestly think the clothing was the biggest barrier back in the 90s.
PE teachers could be more positive in encouraging girls to try out different sports to find what they enjoy. Showers were a nightmare back in the day too. And we had a pervy male PE teacher, who, in this day and age would never have got away with the comments etc.
I think there is a noticeable decline in sporty girls transitioning from Primary to Secondary and dropping once loved activities. Much is due to being body conscious and starting their periods. If clothing was more suitable I'm sure this wouldn't happen.

Girls wear joggers or leggings at my dd’s school and a big hoodie. So they are ok clothes wise.

She still hates it though

I love the idea of doing Couch 2 5k at school! Or Pilates 🥰

Focus on looks, make up slipping when you get hot and sweaty
For me it was about the risk of getting my teeth broken doing karate, or suffering pain or bruising from being struck with a ball, or cuts on my knees. Not just minor things like makeup, but real injury. I didn’t mind exercise but the activities they offered at school were often too dangerous.

@Reallyreallyborednow of course there are both competitive men and women. However the discussion is why women aren’t interested in team sports and the qualities in the OP (resilience, leadership blah blah) are very much pushing the competitive image of sport, which as pp have mentioned have driven them away in the first place. Your experience with swimming is unfortunate but again not relevant to my comment as it isn’t a team sport - you’re perfectly welcome to swim on your own and the people being rude about THAT are sexist. Competitiveness isn’t relevant.

Also unlike other areas for gender parity a critical mass of supporters is a must rather than just nice to have.

The argument for women’s sport in general is that it’s underfunded compared to the male counterpart. However to make for example women’s football as big as the men’s you’d need loads of interested girls. Why exactly do we care about this?There are literally hundreds of sports. If you’re talented in an unpopular one that sucks, but it’s not an equality issue.

Again to emphasise I’m not ignoring that there is sexism in sport. Particularly where boys are encouraged more to be active and girls to be quiet and pretty (girls running around jumping etc frowned upon). To hell with that!

What I am saying is that from my observation women tend to engage with sport differently from men. Who knows if I’m wrong and loads of women do like the same sports as men then go for it. But to say that ‘more women need to be in team sports’ because ‘men do it and make loads of money and their female equivalent is underfunded’ is just making women in the male image. If for example there was a female dominated sport (like gymnastics) that became as big as the men’s I’d happily support it! Assuming that funding is limited we should be pouring more money into sports that are preferred by lots of women if we want a big following - not just copying the men.

OP, any renewed interest in sport around the menopause is probably down to mothers being able to leave their older children unsupervised for the first time in years. This is the case for me. Not team sports, which I don't like and don't have time for. A jog or walk and back within an hour is doable.

Also to add - the female physique is very different from the males. In particular women have better lower than upper body strength and are more flexible.
I would definitely welcome more of a sporting culture among women. God knows that the dearth of sports advice tailored to the female body is depressing. Advice applicable for men isn’t always suitable.
But then again women into things like martial arts, yoga and pole dance aren’t considered athletes as those aren’t ‘real sports’, only football basketball hockey the holy grail are true sportspeople...

@LuckyWookie

Focus on looks, make up slipping when you get hot and sweaty For me it was about the risk of getting my teeth broken doing karate, or suffering pain or bruising from being struck with a ball, or cuts on my knees. Not just minor things like makeup, but real injury. I didn’t mind exercise but the activities they offered at school were often too dangerous.

Yeah - deliberately whacked on the arm with a hockey stick, anyone?

Just remembered our gym teacher giving the whole class of girls a talk about learning to suck our tummies in and clench our buttocks at every opportunity. She said we would thank her later in a knowing tone...

@Sometimesfraught82

I’m afraid the Op is far far too long for my small brain

I agree, it feels like homework doesn't it!

Oh god the showers, the horror, having to strip naked in those communal showers, I can hardly believe it happened

A theme that emerges on this thread is the need not only for better education on menstruation and other effects of puberty, but the attendant issues of shame (and bullying) surrounding cultural norms and expectations WRT body hair, changing physiques, weight, etc. It seems to me that these can't really be separated from PE at schools, because sports are where these effects are at their most obvious, from embarrassment at clothes that reveal areas of the body that are suddenly problematised, to the potential of period-related wardrobe malfunctions, to the variability of athletic performance in relation to the menstrual cycle (who knew that at some points of your cycle it's more productive to work on strength training, vs. aerobic training at other times? I certainly wasn't taught about this: I doubt the data were ever considered!). A more interdisciplinary approach to teaching these topics might be helpful here, which would have the added benefit of letting students see, in a way relevant to themselves, ways in which e.g. biology, social sciences, religion, mathematics, and physical education can interact and inform each other. From the point of view of a uni lecturer, it would be so useful to students to understand that nothing exists in a vaccuum!

Another theme is that offputting experiences at school have far-reaching effects into adulthood (again, this should be obvious, but seems not to be), and that the women most likely to be active in adulthood will be those who were either 'naturally' good at the preferred sports in school, or who had a lot of family/external involvement in other sports. So fixing things at school level would likely have positive effects, later in life. This doesn't mean that resources should be concentrated on younger people-that has a very nasty feel of writing off mature women as a lost cause-just that approaches need to be more nuanced, and targeted much more specifically than 'fund women's football'.

A third theme brought up by many is that currently, sports as a whole are measured by stereotypically masculine priorities. For example, the sports considered culturally significant are those that are currently significant predominantly to men and boys. Right now, it's football. (500 years ago, try jousting. That sounds awesome to me!) Sure, lots of women and girls like, watch, or play football, but on the whole, it's considered a masculine pursuit (and gets air time).

To bring the conversation back to ponies, arguably a very girly sort of thing to do: Olympic-discipline equestrianism (that is, dressage, eventing, show jumping), over the last 70 years, has changed from a masculine pursuit (at elite level), to a stereotypically feminine pursuit. Show jumping is the only one left with a slight preponderance of males at the top, although the sloppy stereotype (emphasis on stereotype) is that they're of course gay; the most physically dangerous of the three (eventing) has slightly more women in the top 100, and dressage has an even stronger female emphasis. The reasons for this shift, and for its loss of popularity in terms of TV coverage, are probably rather complex. 'Affordabiliy' is also a simplistic concept to apply here: it rather depends on where in the country you live, and what your involvement with horses is. I know plenty of people, mostly women, in all income brackets from 'being on benefits' onwards, who manage somehow to keep or share a horse, or to participate at a riding school. But then, in this area of the country, the general cost of living is comparatively high, whereas the cost of keeping horses is comparatively low, so in many other places, this would be unimaginable. However, it is naïve to assume that any sport at seriously competitive level (if that is one's aim) is anything other than massively expensive, if only to pay for the time that one needs to take to train. By that measure, equestrianism is actually one of the more accessible, equalising sports: I can't think of many others where a grass-roots competitor has a real chance of encountering-and beating!-an Olympian in a class, because the ordinary or garden-variety amateur, competing at the top of their game in a low-level class, is for that brief moment at the same level as the well-funded Olympian bringing up their newest baby horse through the levels.

Then there’s the way women are supposed to compete like men, but are then penalized more severely for aggressive behavior.
For instance, Serena Williams in tennis.
My niece experienced this with women’s hockey, when an important match was halted by the referee due to swearing IN THE CROWD.

The top coaches in most team sports are male, and this can mean problematic relationships as well as issues due to lack of understanding of female physical characteristics, even leaving aside the issue of predatory behavior.

Most women will just ask themselves; Why bother? The rewards for top sportswomen are very unclear for team sports.

From reading the thread I can see I am in a minority when I say that I loved PE at school. All of it, hockey, netball, volley ball, tennis, full contact rugby, gymnastics, Scottish dancing, trampolining, athletics and even cross country on a cold wintry day. I swam outside of high school and did Duke of Edinburgh expeditions etc. I had two really great PE teachers though and we were separate from the boys, which makes a huge difference as then boys don't dominate. I continued to play competitive hockey until pregnant with my oldest daughter, I could not find the time for training, travelling or risk injury, as my husband worked abroad. I still play tennis when I can. However family, work and the rest of life stuff are my priorities and my love of sport and my own personal fitness has been pushed further and further down the list so I am now unfit and feeling too old to do anything. The pandemic has made this worse.

If you want to reduce inequalities about access to sport for women and girls then the breadth of sport offered at school needs to be wide and girls need space away from boys. Schools should not feel the need to mix PE classes ALL the time. My daughters' high school is actually pretty good. They offer creative PE and my team sports hating youngest is actually thinking of creative PE as an option as she likes dancing, gym, rhythmic and yoga. It is all girls that take this class so that appeals to her too!

There needs to be more government support for swimming to be offered by schools and more subsidies for families on lower income to access sport. Including private gyms, clubs etc. The cost of girls going to dancing, gymnastics, swim clubs and other team sports clubs can be high. A bursary or grant programme that pays some of these fees could be considered.

I have one daughter who loves team sports but it's devoted to swimming. The other is a dancer. I am lucky enough to be able to afford the fees. Other less fortunate girls need to be supported.

This is all grass roots stuff though. To be inspired to take up a sport girls also need to see women's sports being taken seriously and fairly at a competitive level. This means keeping women's sports female, being paid properly, fair TV coverage etc.

Last point... There has to be safeguarding against abuse at every level. The relationship with a coach can be a close one. Girls need to be safe from predation and exploitation.

Oh I remember the hell of team sports so well. The great divide at my all girls grammar - those who excelled and those who didn't or could have excelled but just weren't interested. And those interminable sports days - all designed to sap the confidence of those without that magic prowess. All aided and abetted by thick, bullying PE teachers. Working in education until recently, unfortunately there are still plenty of PE teachers who fit my description.

I am a fit 60 something woman, who now enjoys Pilates, zumba, walking and running about with my grandson. My lovely son-in-law plays and enjoys football, and we will obviously hope that our grandson enjoys his PE at school. I would hate for him to have the miserable experience of feeling 'other' just because you're no good at either kicking a ball or hitting it with a bat or stick. There are many other ways of keeping fit and advice and actually enjoy it. I just don't get the obsession with sport.

'active'!!!

I also hated PE at school, not that I had zero ability more I wasn't a team sports sort of person, now in my 50s I'm into running cycling weight lifting, yoga and general fitness

I hated school PE. Loathed everything about it from the stupid gym knickers to the over enthusiastic PE teacher to the pointlessness of volleyball.
It was all so competitive and sport, exercise, activity doesn't NEED to be competitive to have exactly the benefits you describe.

I don't need to WIN, I just want to enjoy the exercise and outdoors. That's why my chosen 'sports' include non-competitive running (usually alone, in the countryside with just C25K's Laura and birdsong for company. Even Parkrun was too much for me, they were all so slim and athletic), walking the beautiful footpaths near my home, outdoor 'adventurous' activities like paddle boarding and abseiling with the Girl Guide unit I run, and horse riding as often as I can find the cash which is not nearly often enough.

Team sports completely turn me off and I suspect it's the same for many other women who were the last to be chosen for teams in PE or had similar to experiences to me during Freshers week when I tried joining the 'social team' for Netball at university - I was told my skills were too bad even for the non competitive team and they didn't want me.

If more girls and women are to stay in sport and keep active into adulthood we need to make sure there are more non-competitive options right from the start. Let girls be active for pleasure, not to win.

Agree with a lot of what was in the OP. There is a real gap in provision for community sport for girls under 12 where I live (small city) - no basketball, no netball. Cricket was good (All Stars was an excellent initiative) but there has not been investment in follow through for girls only groups as they outgrow All Stars. My daughter is keen at the moment but the lack of opportunity/groups might mean that she misses getting into something.

* when I tried joining the 'social team' for Netball at university - I was told my skills were too bad even for the non competitive team and they didn't want me. *

Women told you this.

My point at raising this at because for many women they don’t like trams sport because they’re jot or weren’t good at it.

Those of us that enjoy or enjoyed it tend to be good at it. I fall in to this category.

I was absolutely terrible ah drama. So I don’t and didn’t ever feel at all comfortable in drama lessons. Hated them.

We tend to enjoy what we are good at and don’t enjoy what we’re not good at.

It’s not a gender issue. It’s a “that’s life” issue. And no campaign is going to change that reality.

The perception that men have more access to team sport is not accurate. They don’t. Many many men are simply football spectator fans but don’t play themselves. This gives the false impression they’re playing more team sports. They’re not. They’re just watching it on tv.

If more girls had positive experiences of team sport at school, more women would enter the workplace and wider society trained to lead, to take risks, and to be resilient if they lose
As much as I personally dislike team sports I can see that this makes sense, perhaps we can say that men are more likely to have been encouraged to acquire the ability to enjoy and perform well in team sports?
I can see that team sports function as a way to manage interpersonal conflict and competitiveness, and that this could be a factor which gives men an edge in the world of business later in adult life?

Sometimesfraught82
My university had male and female netball teams, the social team was mixed.

I enjoyed sport throughout school and have always valued and maintained exercise as an adult.
My children are all sporty, particularly athletics. I am enraged that girls could spend years practising a sport they are brilliant at, then be wiped out at competition by someone who used to be male.
What is the future for sports for women if this is the case? It makes all their years of hard work worthless.

I am enraged that girls could spend years practising a sport they are brilliant at, then be wiped out at competition by someone who used to be male
I agree!
Do we know where the OP stands on this issue?