Girls and Sport

[Uhu]

Earlier this week, Womans Hour on R4 were discussing the reasons why girls at school do not like to participate in sport. I went to a girls school and many of them were concerned about breaking their nails, getting sweaty or hated the sportswear!

Personally, I think the attitudes towards sport starts in the home and is then reinforced by the media. With the exception of tennis, horse related events and atheletics, most sport shown on TV or written in newspapers is male dominated, e.g football, cricket, snooker, darts etc.

What do you think?

I think that sport apathy in schools is because its not 'cool'

I tend to agree with you Uhu, I was into lots of sports as a kid, both in and out of school, and that is mainly because my mum encouraged it - ie. swimming lessons - and took us to sporting events - football matches etc. I was never a girly girl though so nails breaking didn't bother me.
It is also to do with what sports are available to you at school. I played hockey and netball, but hated the gymnastics / dance lessons.
The lack of female sporting role models outside of athletics is also a factor. Although womens football is growing, and you can watch some matches on TV could you name the captain??

Agree zubb. I was always called a tomboy because I use to like playing cricket with my brothers and their friends. I also practised Kung Fu for a number of years at a club with my brothers and the only allowance I was given was that nobody was allowed to hit me in my chest! They saw me as one of the boys. At tournaments, the successful male fighters always had dolly birds cheering them on whereas the female fighters like me were not viewed in that respect (no make up and no coiffure)! The fact that I am feminine in that I do like to dress well and make the most of what I have was always overlooked.

In todays society as well as yesteryear, girls are still conditioned to be dainty and fragrent with a hint of vulnerability. Sporting women are just not like that! Its

I always wondered why the rest of us were made to participate when there were always 3 or 4 girls sitting there sniggering with period pains the same ones each week for 3 years
It didnt help the rest of us motivate thats for sure. They introduced written P.E work for the last year if you werent participating and that miraculusly cured the girls period pains
I know them sitting there didnt inspire me to do my best...