Girls, friendship and leadership: the delicate balance

An oral presentation at the 2015 European Sport Development Conference

Dr. Nicola Eccles

Research overview:

• Ethnographic research: 2 years of ethnographic research in a London school.

• Us Girls: focus groups and observation across the UK at specific Us Girls sessions. Participants and leaders.

Products: notebooks and scribbles.

The link between peer relations and girls’ relationships with physical activity emerges in two ways:

1. Creating identities around their friendship groups, ‘othering’ the peer groups that exist alongside them.

2. In the way that individual girls take on established roles within their peer groups (that appeared to invoke constraints).

Identities are created within and between peer groups. This in itself restricts possibility. However, more crucial is the fact that ‘athletic’ and ‘sporty’ did not seem to feature as coveted pursuits for any of the groups.

Create enough diverse activities and opportunities for different peer groups to identify the activity as their own.

Consider how physical activity can become a common script through the use of social media.

Street Games considered the interplay between friendship, leadership and engagement with the national Us Girls programmes. How can we enhance girls’ experiences?

How do friendship groups emerge in girls’ sports and physical activity sessions and why does this matter?

How does sports and physical activity leadership as a concept emerge for girls and why does this matter?

How do friendship groups emerge in girls’ sports and physical activity sessions and why does this matter?

Girls see their world through the filter of friendship groups. Sports leaders can use this knowledge to enhance their sessions.

“The girls don’t come for the activity, they come for the social element. To meet each other and have fun”.

Friends act as a comforter for girls in an area they typically lack confidence. Session leaders should avoid trying to ‘break up’ the groups.

“…we are like a family…it’s just like…a pack mentality”…“we wouldn’t feel comfortable exercising alone…it would be awkward…I like having company. It makes me feel more comfortable”.

Girls come because of friends….but it can also be the reason they leave…“the girls that came splintered into two groups…in the end one group stopped coming because they had fallen out with the others”.

Girls need to be able to communicate continuously…this may mean relaxing the rules and allowing them to drift in and out of the activity.

“One instructor we brought in was far too full-on for the girls. She played her own music…they physical activity was just too intense. The girls are very selective about what they like”

Successful sessions are not too structured and have a friendly vibe. Girls need to be able to ‘mess around’!

“In PE we feel less confident…cos the teacher is judging you…it feels safe and relaxed here”

Girls do not need to be engaged in the activity to gain benefits! Their presence can be enough to instil a belief that they are enjoying activity. This will keep them coming back.

Girls struggle to mix across schools and age groups. Yet they need to mix beyond their friendship group to enhance retention.

“The group numbers never increase…they are a tight knit group who don’t like change…bringing in new girls is not necessarily something girls want”

….therefore girls should be made aware of nearby sessions. In some instances conflict resolution is not possible but it is possible to keep engaging girls.

The perfect atmosphere to help confident friendships:

Just girls; a ‘friendly group’; sessions that are nothing like school PE, non-judgmental leaders; accepting body consciousness; encouraging girls to show an interest in all girls (even if they are not in the same clique); managing change carefully.

How does sports and physical activity leadership as a concept emerge for girls and why does this matter?

Girls feel wary about taking up a role which has not already been established and accepted within their chosen peer group….

And so the possibility of taking up a leadership position becomes limited and fragile…..

And so the growth of female coaches and leaders continues to be inhibited….

“It’s hard for them to do any kind of leadership role. They are all the same age and they are all friends together. If one started teaching the others how would that make them feel….where would that end up. It is all about the group. No girls wants to control her friends”

How can we create an atmosphere where girls would feel confident to lead a session?

“If they start by say…volunteering to manicure their friends…something they feel comfortable with…and then you encourage them to organise a 5k for their friends….that is how you get them into motivator and volunteer roles”

Sporting leadership is challenging for girls who do not consider themselves ‘sporty’ in the first place.

Successful programmes have transparent leadership and coaching pathways with clear incentives.

Two elements essential to introduce leadership roles:

1. Opportunities need to hold esteem

2. Girls need to believe they have the necessary skills to take part in these opportunities

Enhance leadership take- up by…Introducing familiar ways for girls to motivate…..offering leadership courses to groups of girls