investigating reasons for sport drop-out amongst girls
TRANSCRIPT
Sustaining participation in teenage girls
Chris Lillistone, Insight and Innovation, WSFF and Carrie Myers, Girlguiding UK
Contents
• Introductions
• Teenage drop off – the problem
• The dry bit: research background and method
• Why do girls drop out?
• Drop out myths
• Its not all bad – what young women love about sport
• So what do we do to keep them in?
• How do other organisations deal with drop out? Case study: Girlguiding UK
• Discussion
Teenage drop off – the problem
In all sports, almost half as many 16 – 24 year old women take part in sport as men of the same age
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Girls
Boys
Proportion of young people who take part in recommended levels of physical activity, by gender and age
Many sports notice a significant drop out or withdrawal from their sport among
female participants in their teenage years
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
16 17 18 19 20
Netball
Football
Basketball
Badminton
Tennis
Gymnastics
% of girls who take part in sport at least once a month by age
Active People Survey 4 (2009-10)
The research and method
OBJECTIVE: identify key reasons (practical, psycho-social and individual sport specific) for young women dropping out of sport, and identify further
interventions to shape a new future
THE PROBLEM: 9 National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs), have identified retention as a target and want to gain a deeper insight around drivers and barriers to participation as well as sport-specific motivations.
WHO: WSFF commissioned the Futures Company to carry out the bespoke research
HOW: Paired interviews and focus groups with 16-19 year-old current participants and non participants from each of the 8 participating sports
(badminton, tennis, basketball, hockey, football, rugby union, rugby league, netball)
Why do girls drop out?
Understanding the pressures and demands of being a teenager is critical to understanding the role of sport
in their lives.
As they grow up, teenage girls have to contend with a number of personal and
lifestyle challenges.
11 yrs old
12 yrs old
13 yrs old
14 yrs old
15 yrs old
16 yrs old
17 yrs old
18 yrs old
19 yrs old
Relationships/ boyfriends
Increased body consciousness
Peer pressure to be socially accepted
More pressure to do well at school
Less direct parental involvement and
support
9
Personal reasons
Lifestyle reasons
Sporting reasons
Embarrassing
Not very good at the sport
Parental support
School work
Work/ job
FriendsRelationships/
boyfriends
MoneyTransport/
convenience
Risk of getting hurt
Other sport/ hobby
commitmentsCoach personality
Lack of match play
Seasonal
No future potential/
career opportunities
Jump to senior league
No school links with clubs
Time for something new
Too competitive
Tired of playing against same
teams
Lack of players
Lack of coaches
No role models /lack of
publicity
Unfriendly team/club
Fall out with other players
Unfit
Lazy
Personal reasons
Lifestyle reasons
Sporting reasons
BAD COACHES/
SPORTS TEACHERS
COMMITMENTS/ PRESSURES CONFLICTS
BIG JUMP FROM JUNIOR
TO SENIOR LEAGUES
TIME FOR SOMETHING
NEW
COMPETING SOCIAL
PRESSURES
NOT ENOUGH OPPORTUNITY
TO PLAY IN MATCHES
LACK OF PLAYERS
LACK OF SUPPORT
FROM SCHOOLS
8 key reasons
Sometimes girls just want to try something new – it bears no reflection on the sport experience itself.
Playing a sport from a young age can get boring after so many years
Girls who have played a particular sport for a long time can reach a point where they become tired and bored and yearn
for something new – either another sport or a non-sport interest.
Playing sport at a high level requires a lot of commitment and
dedication
Having to commit and dedicate a lot of time to play at a high level can become
too much for some girls. They can become resentful of the sport and leave to regain
some freedom.
TIME FOR SOMETHING
NEW
Dedication and commitment to a sport can, after while, become something of a burden
REASON IMPACT
“People can get bored of playing and stop. I swam loads when I was
younger but when I was 16 I started going less – it can take its toll and I
wanted to take up the opportunity to try dancing or rowing”.
“There is too much training at a high level and if you started
young you may get bored by a certain age – that happened with
me with rowing”. Hockey lapsed
VOX POP (1)Played for so long I’m now bored of it
Increasing independence/freedom
Girls start to discover new interests (socialising, shopping, going out) and as a
result drop other past-times including sport.
Greater emphasis on education and academic success
From the age of 15 girls start focussing more on studying, and feel under
pressure to do well in exams (GCSEs and A-levels). As such, more time is spent studying leaving less time to spend on
hobbies/interests.
COMPETING SOCIAL
PRESSURES
New interests in socialising and increased focus on studies mean that sport may have to take a back seat
“Boys and girls are different in what they want to do in their
spare time – girls have different priorities and
interests –it’s [sport] just not what you do I guess”.
“People get
boyfriends and would rather spend
time with them”.
“You have to work – your parents can't support you
forever!”
“When everyone gets to 15-16yrs that’s when you start drinking
and going out and developing a social life – it takes over and
becomes a priority”.
This is a difficult issue to address but sports need to be understanding of competing pressures and help girls find ways to
fit sport into their lives.
REASON IMPACT
“School work and exams get in the way of playing”.
A school’s commitment and encouragement of sports is critical in maintaining participation
LACK OF SUPPORT
FROM SCHOOLS
Schools and clubs largely operate independently – they lack links and
schools fail to encourage and promote clubs to students
Students who enjoy playing sport at school are largely unaware of club
opportunities. Players get limited exposure to larger
competitions/other teams.
Senior schools often prioritise and focus on only a certain few (often traditional
girls’) sports
For the remaining sports, the coaching and match opportunities are limited or non-existent. Students are often left to
organise play themselves – this can easily fall apart.
Schools are committed to the academic success of their students and are also
protective of their sporting talent
Schools can be discouraging of students playing sport outside of school as it
conflicts with study time and can also cause a conflict of loyalties between
school and club sports.
REASON IMPACT
Absence of interest in B teams
B teams are given less opportunity to train and compete, leaving girls in B
teams feeling neglected and de-motivated.
Schools/ colleges provide fewer opportunities for 6th formers (16-18yrs) to
play sport
A lack of organised sports for 6th formers (no coaches/training/matches) means that
they may discontinue playing sports.
What girls have to say...“I had a big problem with an RS teacher at
school. She didn't like me playing for a hockey club. If I didn't do my homework she
would tell me I was playing too much sport”.
“Our school wasn't really into netball – we had an A team but they didn't want a B team so we created
it ourselves”.
“Our school didn't coach us netball so we had to form our own team and got a 6th
former to come and help out – I would have liked more support from the school”.
“Schools should do more to encourage the game and link you to clubs”.
“Sometimes schools won’t connect you with a local club – they want you on their tennis
team”.
LACK OF SUPPORT
FROM SCHOOLS
Schools need to provide opportunities to play throughout senior school and sixth form across a range of sports.
CONFLICTS WITH OTHER COMMITMENTS/ PRESSURES
Other interests (another sport, job or other) require fixed, regular
commitment
• Scheduling of interests can clash – two things happen to be on the same day at the same time – and one gets dropped.
• High level sports require a lot of commitment and it can become hard to juggle other sports as well. As a result, sports tend to get dropped so the girls can focus on just one.
Time pressures may compromise dedication to sport
“I played for a team (Badminton) but it conflicted with rugby training so I
had to stop. My friends were in rugby”.
“I was on a hockey and netball team but I gave up as did a foundation in art
which takes up time”.
“I was on the first team (hockey), but I prefer dancing, dancing is what I do. It
will help with my career- it’s about priorities”.
Whilst a sport can’t be designed to fit around every girl’s schedule, permanent drop out could be reduced by making it easier for girls to come back to a sport once their conflicting
interests have ended.
REASON IMPACT
“When you’re 16 you want a Saturday job but matches are always on
Saturdays”.
VOX POP (2)I had to chose between two sports and prioritise
The coach’s role is vital in the quality of the sport experience
Some coaches are unenthusiastic
Coaches play a crucial role in enthusing players. Without their enthusiasm and commitment, players can lose interest
and leave.
Some coaches have favourites (often the really good players)
Unfair decisions and preferences can mean that girls miss out on match play. This leaves players feeling undervalued
and de-motivated.
An overly aggressive, critical or serious coaching approach is very
off-putting to girls
Girls need to feel supported and understood, as well as be allowed to have
fun, otherwise their enjoyment of the experience can be ruined.
BAD COACHES/ SPORTS
TEACHERS
Enthusiastic, supportive, committed and fun coaches are key to maintaining teenage girls’ interest in and commitment to the sport.
Having a female coach is much less important.
REASON IMPACT
“Some of my badminton coaches took it too light-heartedly – they didn't care whereas in rugby the coaches weren't like that and with them I wanted to try harder and impress my
coaches more”.
“I had a bad football manager – he was never
around – he was too quiet and didn’t encourage us. He
also had favourites”.
“Jackie (football coach) was good – she was relaxed about things and if you did something wrong, instead of shouting at you, she would just mention it and tell
you how to do it better next time”.
“The teachers not being
enthusiastic is a big thing. PE teachers love
their teams but are not very nice
to the people who aren't in the teams. They have too much pride in
talent”.
“A coach makes it for
you – if they’re not enthusiastic then you’re not. If you get picked on it makes it a horrible experience for you”.
“Some coaches shout a lot at you and some people don't like that
and take it personally – it can put them off”.
What girls have to say...BAD
COACHES/ SPORTS
TEACHERS
LACK OF PLAYERS
“I stopped netball because not many girls my age were playing and at school there weren't enough people to
carry it on”. “When I got to 6th form there weren't enough people to make teams and the standard is too
high outside of school so I stopped”.
Other girls in the team/club leave due to other commitments and
social pressures
The girls that remain in the sport end up being affected by the girls who leave as
they are left with too few players to form a team or no-one to play with.
With others leaving, girls that stay can lose out
Maintaining numbers of players is important in keeping hold of those who do want to play. Clubs need to have a bigger player
base to allow for some drop out.
“your friends prefer to go shopping and if you are
the only one who wants to kick a ball around it’s not
cool!”
REASON IMPACT
VOX POP (3)No-one my age to play with at the club
BIG JUMP FROM JUNIOR
TO SENIOR LEAGUES
The transition from junior to senior leagues is a sudden and significant leap
Senior players are more experienced/ better players
Girls are concerned that they won’t be as good, they might struggle to keep up and
lack confidence playing against senior ladies.
Senior players are at a different life-stage
Senior ladies can be aged from late twenties to fifties and have different
interests to teenagers. A lack of common interests makes it harder to socialise and
bond (especially in team sports).
Senior players are bigger and stronger
For some sports (typically the more physical/ contact sports) girls are
concerned that they will have to play against much stronger players, which
could increase the risk of injury.
Senior players have a different attitude towards the sport
There is a feeling that women either take sport too seriously or too light-heartedly
and in either case these girls view the sport differently.
REASON IMPACT
“I was 17 and everyone else was above the age of 25 – I didn't like it. We did all the
running - they would say “young legs you can do it”, you get more injuries. Playing people
much older and bigger is scary”. Netball
“For netball once you go from under 17s you go into ladies leagues and go in to a league with 50 year olds and it not fun – they don't care about
the sport so much”. Netball
“Our age (18/19) is really difficult as you’re too old to play with people your age and the old people are either doing it just for fun or are
seriously good. Its hard to play with people the same standard at our
age”. Badminton
“Some football clubs have an under 18 team but many jump
from under 16 to all ages. It can be rough when you are 16 having
to play with 30 year olds”. Football
“It’s a massive jump to women’s – 15 to 18 was a big enough
jump!” Rugby union
“Old fogies at the club can’t keep up with you. It’s not fun playing with older people – the club I joined were struggling for players my age”.
Tennis
What girls have to say...BIG JUMP
FROM JUNIOR TO SENIOR LEAGUES
Easing and smoothing the transition will help increase girls’ confidence and encourage them to stay in senior league.
Whatever the level, girls want more opportunities to compete and play in matches against different teams.
NOT ENOUGH OPPORTUNITY
TO PLAY IN MATCHES
Playing in matches is fundamental to a good experience of sport
Only the best players get opportunities to play matches and
compete
If you’re not one of the better in a squad, you don’t get selected to play as much as
others – this can be disheartening and boring. Girls want to play matches.
Competitions/tournaments don’t cater for less serious or less good
players
Some girls play for the enjoyment rather than serious competition. They still want to work towards something: to be able to compete and get properly involved in the
game is vitally important.
There aren’t enough opportunities to go on tour
Going on tour is highly motivating: it offers adventure, stories, friendships and bonding. Plus, playing on the same circuit
against the same teams all the time can be come boring.
REASON IMPACT
“If the 2nd team always played when the 1st team played then less people would quit – this is the main reason
why my friends have quit sport”.Netball current
“If you're not on the A team you don't get to play many games so you don't get the fun part. What’s the point if
you're not going to play any matches?” Netball lapsed
“It’s really important to play a game – its what you wait for and where you learn the most – you can get bored
watching on the side line”.Rugby union
What girls have to say...NOT ENOUGH OPPORTUNITY
TO PLAY IN MATCHES
“If you’re not good, if you don’t get on the team then you’re just going to quit. If you’re on thirds, then you’ve got no
incentive”. Hockey lapsed
Drop out myths
Regular sessions appeal – ensuring dedication and good turnout
Female coaches not critical – attitude is more important
The ‘real’ game is liked – ‘don't mess with it’
Playing matches is ‘what it’s all about’
Training sessions were too rigid
No female coaches
The game is too formal
Too much focus on competing vs. fitness
No opportunity to play with boys
Facilities were poor
Girls like playing with girls – boys can be overly competitive and too rough
Do not stop girls playing even if poor
Rules are complicated and hard to follow Only at the start – you get used to them fast
Some hypotheses of reasons for drop out were disproved in the research
MYTH: REALITY:
More publicity could help to address these misconceptions.
Girls are aware of the stereotypical images some sports have – particularly the traditional male sports - rugby, football (and
hockey).
NB: Tennis is particularly successful in promoting a positive image of female players – they are perceived to be glamorous and
attractive as well as athletic.
“People always ask me how many
lesbians are in my team but it doesn't
bother me”. Current rugby union
“I have experience of being called gay... you
can brush it off but some people have got
low self confidence and if it gets drilled into you
enough then it’s not nice”.
Current rugby league
Whilst it is not a reason in itself to put someone off playing it can be hard on girls to experience name calling.
“People think of butch lesbian hockey players
but if you watch England or Germany
play you can see they are all gorgeous and they’re doctors and
stuff”. Current hockey
Some sports are perceived to have a negative image for girls. However, this is not a big enough reason to stop playing
Its not all bad –
what young women love about sport
Girls who don’t drop out of sport tell us they feel a powerful sense of belonging
My identity
My club is like my family
My releaseWe’re in it together
I don’t know what else I’d
do
I’ve grown up playing
My passion
Enjoyment
Fitness & Opportuni
ties
Friends &
Socialising
Challenges &
Achievements
Safety and
Escape
Team spirit and support
What can we do to keep them in?
Personal reasons
Lifestyle reasons
Sporting reasonsBAD COACHES/ SPORTS
TEACHERS
CONFLICTS WITH OTHER COMMITMENT
S/ PRESSURES
BIG JUMP FROM JUNIOR
TO SENIOR LEAGUES
TIME FOR SOMETHING
NEW
COMPETING SOCIAL
PRESSURES
NOT ENOUGH
OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY IN MATCHES
LACK OF PLAYERS
LACK OF SUPPORT
FROM SCHOOLS
There is potential for sporting bodies to address a number of reasons concerning the sport infrastructure and experience to
prevent drop outPersonal and lifestyle reasons are perhaps harder to tackle
directly, however could be addressed indirectly – as a secondary outcome of interventions
Schools and clubs can improve their relationship:
• Schools could help sign post students to nearby clubs, ideally with named contacts
• Club coaches could visit schools and hold sessions to promote their clubs
• Clubs or schools could hold workshops with professional players
• Schools could share facilities with clubs and vice versa
Schools can provide more opportunities for match play across abilities to maintain interest and motivation of players:
• PE teachers and coaches could arrange more tournaments and tours, mixing school and club players
• A and B teams could train more and play matches together so that B (and C) team players have more opportunities to play
Schools and clubs working better together
LACK OF SUPPORT FROM SCHOOLS BAD COACHES/ SPORTS
TEACHERS
NOT ENOUGH OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY IN MATCHES
Initiatives based on these ideas could help maintain participation across sports
LACK OF PLAYERS
• Get clubs talking to and working with each other – if one is short of players then it could collaborate with another to get enough players to maintain a team
• Offer more matches and competitions across all levels (not just A teams)
• Make tournaments accessible for different levels so everyone can take part. This give girls exposure to playing against better players and helps players improve their game
NOT ENOUGH OPPORTUNITY
TO PLAY IN MATCHES
BIG JUMP FROM JUNIOR
TO SENIOR LEAGUES
• Introduce under 18s or under 20s league to provide a smaller jump to senior league
• Team up clubs with local university teams to allow junior players to play with older players who are not necessarily as experienced or as serious/ competitive as senior leagues
VOX POP (4)An example of a club that eases the transition
of junior to senior
Initiatives based on these ideas could help maintain participation across sports
• Ensure that coaches strike the right balance of fun and seriousness in their training techniques
• Make coaches (particularly male coaches) aware and understanding of how to adapt their coaching methods for girls
• EXAMPLE - The FA is working with coaches using WSFF ‘Coaching Women’ resources to better understand
BAD COACHES/ SPORTS
TEACHERS
For seasonal sports, offer opportunities for players to train and compete over summer months to help them maintain fitness and prepare them better for the next season (and in some cases help get them in shape for pre-season trials)
Dealing with coaches and seasonality
“Coaching and refereeing are other
things people our age can put on CVs which is
a good thing”
“it means that even if you are not serious about the sport you can be
part of things which is good”
“it makes you feel really proud when younger ones you have taught improve –
you can pass your skills down to them”
These ideas, which build on the benefits, could help sport to successfully compete against other
commitments and social pressures
Opportunities to get involved in other ways such as refereeing or coaching may offer additional personal benefits e.g. good for UCAS form/ CV, a way of earning some money.
Provide other reasons to stay
More opportunity to take part in national competitions and tours give girls something to work towards and offer a sense of achievement
“If you said to someone you played in a national competition people
would think wow that’s really good”
These ideas, which build on the benefits, could help sport to successfully compete against other
commitments and social pressures
Tours and competitions
Clubs could better facilitate social events for their players:
• Hold BBQs, social outings (cinema, meal), social night at the bar where players can hang out (can be non-alcoholic)
Events for family and friends to get involved:
• Encourage players to invite friends/ family to watch them play in training/ matches – this helps encourage support, it can reassure family with regards to risk of injury and can increase performance levels and motivation
• Hold social events where players can invite friends and families e.g. BBQs, award ceremonies, annual ball/ party
• Hold sport events for friends and family to take part – adds a sense of fun and allows everyone to join in and experience the sport
Combining socialising with sport can create a bridge between the activity and other family/ social
interests
Building social aspect of sport
Finding creative ways to cover costs gives a real sense of team spirit. It also gets family, friends and
the community involved – increasing the exposure of both the team and the sport
Girls at Stockport Basketball club have a great attitude to working together and
helping the team stay afloat.When they host matches they have to provide food for the other team. They assign every team member an item to
make and bring along.They raise money for their club fund. This year they packed bags at Morrisons. They also organise cake sales. All the money
goes to the club fund for trophies, mini bus, referees and team trips.
The girls also keep in contact via Facebook to pass on the latest news and chat about
the game.
Fundraising to overcome financial issues and increase opportunities for tours/competitions
How do other organisations deal with teenage drop out?
Case study: Girlguiding UK
Over to you
Group work
2) What reasons are there for drop out?
1) What is the problem?
3) What might you try to overcome the problem?
Further information
Chris Lillistone, WSFF, [email protected] Myers, Girlguiding UK, [email protected]