Sociable

Teenage drop out

For many sports, retaining women and girls in sport provides a different and unique challenge.

WSFF commissioned the Futures Company to carry out a definitive piece of research to 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 research was designed to gain a deeper insight around drivers and barriers to participation amongst a key group of 16 to 19 year old girls as well as understanding sport-specific motivations.

Key links: 
The Futures Company
[email protected]
application/pdf icon
summary_report.pdf

Teenage girls and dropout

This factsheet explains the reasons why teenagers drop out of sport, and provides solutions for NGBs, clubs and coaches for retaining them.

It was first recognised in the 1957 Wolfendon Report that teenage girls were dropping out of sport at a faster rate than boys, this remains the case and unless the sport's sector acts this will not change.

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Teenage_girls_and_dropout.pdf

Girls in Sport - Aberdeenshire Council

In order to reach the national physical activity recommendation of 1hr of moderate activity every day, we created the ‘Girls in Sport’ club at the Meldrum Academy.

Project detailsProject duration: 01 December 2006 - ongoing
Organisation: 
Aberdeenshire Council
Project name: 
Girls in Sport
AudienceSchools
Age group: 
0 - 15
Age group: 
16 - 24
Innovation
Our project was well delivered due to our enthusiastic staff, funding and the variety of our partners. We also launched the programme with considered branding and promotional tools which were targeted to the girls. The project was delivered using multi-activities so the girls were engaged and also were not put off by competitive sports or limited types of activities. To encourage girls to come back to the club we also introduced incentives which target girls specifically including hair, beauty, nutrition vouchers and products.
Recruitment and promotion
We designed a “Girls in Sport” logo to give the club its own identity. We also produced a leaflet which was distribution to all P7-S6 girls. In addition, the girls were sent an invitation in the mail to raise the profile of the club and inform the girls and the parents. To promote the club further, we design a Power-Point presentation to demonstrate girls taking part in physical activity. The presentation was shown on a flat screen TV in the weeks leading up to the launch to raise awareness of the club. We also updated the school web page and featured the activities on the Pupil bulletin.
Location
Local
How was your project delivered?Multi-sport
Partnership
We received support from Youth Sports Trust and SportScotland which was essential for the project. To deliver the Girls Get Active project we also worked with the Local Sports Centre, a graphic designer, local businesses, Community Sports Clubs and Sports Development Officers.
Results
Lessons: 
One lesson we learnt from the Girls in Sport Club is that training and time out to plan is essential. Although it takes a lot of time and hard work to set up club, it really works. We now have started to do joint planning between the primary and secondary school as a result of the success of the girl’s project. One other thing I would like to improve in the future is further cooperation from parents, especially in terms of car sharing.
Evaluation: 
• Increased levels of girls taking part in sport and physical activity • Increased girls' participation and attendance at extra-curricular clubs • Weekly 30-50 girls attending
Themes

Facilities

Transport was an issue for some girls from the furthest away primary schools, but they arranged for their parents to meet and set up a car pool to enable the girls to take part.

Participation

We have grown girls' participation in physical activity by offering a variety of multi-sport activities and have launched a rewards or incentive scheme.  The more sessions the girls attend, the quicker they can receive small incentives that have been selected specifically for girls such as hair, beauty and nutrition products.  Vouchers are also provided to girls with high attendance figures.

Key links: 
Aberdeenshire Council

Girls Get Active - Castlebrae Community High School

The uptake of sport and physical activity among the girls in the school has been low and a large number of girls did not use to take part in PE at all. There were huge challenges with truancy, attitudes, behaviours in the school used to be seen as a “difficult school”. Morale was low among students as well as staff and in particular PE was suffering from high turn over of PE teachers and the teaching was disrupted and there was little continuity.

Project detailsProject duration: 01 September 2009 - ongoing
Organisation: 
Castlebrae Community High School
Project name: 
Girls Get Active
AudienceSchool
Age group: 
0 - 15
Innovation
The biggest difference we found in increasing the girls' participation in physical activity was providing a new kit that stays at school and is washed after every use. The kit makes the girls feel more confident about taking part in PE. The changing room updates have made a huge difference as well. The girls have shower curtains on the cubicles, good mirrors and even hair dryers and straighteners.
Location
Local
How was your project delivered?Dance
Results
Evaluation: 
Before we started the Girls Get Active programme, we only had 20% of girls choosing PE. This grew to 50% in the following term. Also there are more activities on offer for girls and more girls are taking part. Due to high demand, the dance class is now offered twice a week instead of once. Adding the gymnastics class has proven to be a positive thing as well. It's about giving the girls lots of opportunities to stay active. Being fit and doing exercise has begun to be seen as more cool and more girls want to take part. The girls' behaviours have changed radically.
Themes

Confidence and self-esteem

Forgetting PE kit used to be a big problem and as a result the staff together with the girls decided on a new kit which was more appealing to the girls. The new kit included black tracksuit bottoms, black t-shirt, black shorts and black socks. The PE- kit was also held in the school and washed after each lesson or activity. Being more comfortable in their kit whilst doing PE helped the girls' confidence and self-esteem.

Facilities

The changing rooms were identified as a real problem as they were dated, dirty and unappealing. The changing rooms have been transformed and have been painted and cleaned.  Plus a new vanity area has been built with mirrors, shelving, hair dryers and straighteners. The showers now have shower curtains and there are towels available that are washed after each use. The PE staff have made the effort to do the most they can to make the changing rooms in-line with what girls expect in any leisure facility.

Reversioning sport

Previously dance was one class that was not well attended. As a result we changed dance teachers and added new routines. Since the changes, the classes have been very well attended and are popular with the girls.  The dance class has been opened up to transition girls in primary school in February. We have also added a gymnastics class for the girls to offer another option to get involved in physical activity.

Health and well being 

The school used to have a problem with many pupils not showing up to school on Fridays. We introduced a breakfast club which starts at 7am and offers dance and running for girls followed by a healthy breakfast. The running has proven popular and there are between around 20 girls coming to run each week and also some members of staff.

Targeting obesity

The Active School Coordinator and school staff work with girls who have been identified as having a serious weight problem.  We take an informal approach where the staff encourage the pupils to become active in ways that suit the them.  We also offer a personal fitness program that the students and Active School Coordinators go through together.  The Coordinator also works with Edinburgh Leisure’s Obeisty Scheme where pupils are given a free 12month leisure pass and some personal training sessions. The approach is informal, supportive and personal.

Key links: 
Castlebrae Community High School

Creating a nation of active women: A framework for change

Creating a Nation of Active Women provides the framework to address the crisis detailed in It’s time. But it’s more than a strategy for change. It is a stark call-to-action for those with the power and responsibility to effect that change. 

A national target has been set for two million more people to be more active by 2012, of which at least one million should be women. But with 24 million women not doing enough physical activity, that should be only the beginning.

 

With practical recommendations, the strategy provides a framework, compromising three key imperatives, for those who develop policy and design, and who deliver and promote sport and exercise for women and girls.

application/pdf icon
Creating_a_Nation_of_Active_Women.pdf

London Playing Fields Foundation - Active Angels

Active Angels is an innovative multi-activity project that aims to contribute to the health of 14-16 year old girls by encouraging and sustaining their participation in sporting activity.  It focuses on girls who are currently active but who are at risk of adopting sedentary lifestyles once they have left school. The project has been providing opportunities for girls to participate in sports and physical activity in a non-competitive, friendly and supportive environment since 2004.

Project detailsProject duration: 01 January 2004 - ongoing
Organisation: 
London Playing Fields Foundation
Project name: 
Active Angels
AudienceSchools
Age group: 
0 - 15
Age group: 
16 - 24
Innovation
What makes the project so innovative is that is it customer focussed, responding to the needs of the girls rather than to a prescribed syllabus or fixture list. Active Angels targets a new type of participant – now known as the semi-sporty. The coaches were all recruited from local clubs so that if the girls developed a particular interest in an activity and wished to pursue it then they already had links established with a local club. Year 11 pupils were mentored and action plans were developed to help them identify opportunities to maintain their activity levels once they left school.
Recruitment and promotion
LPFF worked closely with the Partnership Development Manager and the Community Sports Coach to ensure that the project was promoted within the local schools. The Project Coordinator visited each school and made presentations to the appropriate Year Groups during assemblies and PE lessons and put up posters. An emphasis was placed on recruiting girls who were not participating in sport or physical activity outside school and PE teachers were asked to refer pupils they thought would benefit from the project. Participants were empowered to be Ambassadors to promote the project within their school. They were also encouraged to “Activate an Angel” and bring a friend with them to sessions. Before the start of each term reminder postcards were sent to previous participants with details of sessions.
Location
Local
How was your project delivered?Hockey, netball, badminton, football, swimming, aerobics, spinning, street dance, gym, ice blading, salsa, pilates, boxercise
Funding
Phase 1 of the project (2004 – 2007) was funded through an Active England grant. Phase 2 of the project is being funded through Waltham Forest Youth Support Service.
Partnership
Partnerships were established with the Waltham Forest Northern School Sports Partnership, Waltham Forest PCT, Waltham Forest Healthy Schools Coordinator, WF Community Sports Coach, Leyton Orient Community Sports Programme, Greenwich Leisure Limited, Women’s Sports & Fitness Foundation and Pro Active North London.
Results
Lessons: 
The key lesson learnt was the need to tailor the activity programme to the needs of the girls. For example, the intention was to deliver activity sessions throughout the three school terms; however the attendance figures dropped from January until March when the evenings were cold and dark and so a decision was made to cancel sessions during this period. The coaching style of the instructors was also a key factor in keeping the girls engaged. They were asked to focus on making their sessions fun and sociable and encouraging participation and rather than performance coaching. When the girls provided negative feedback about particular instructors the Project Coordinator approached them and asked them to adapt their sessions. If they were unable to accommodate this request then they were replaced by more suitable candidates.
Evaluation: 
The project was evaluated at the end of Phase 1 which showed that 380 girls had participated over the three year period. 39% of these girls were in Year 11 and 23% in Year 10. 16% of attendees were in Year 12 which demonstrates that participants were keen to keep attending Active Angels after they had left school. Twenty girls joined the gym using the concessionary scheme offered by Greenwich Leisure Limited in order to increase their participation rates. At the start and end of each term a monitoring questionnaire was completed by participants to measure the difference in their attitudes to the benefits of physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle. The results showed that the girls all thought their health had improved through participating in the programme and they had a greater understanding of the positive effects that physical activity had on their physical and mental health.
Themes

Tackling drop-off

In order to try and prevent the drop-off in participation for those in the 16+ age group, the project specifically targeted girls aged 14 – 16 years and provided them with a programme of activity tailored to their needs. 

The coaches delivered activities with a focus on sustaining participation rather than performance which tends to put off the target group.  The aim is to create an environment which is not only customer focused but also seeks to enhance the self esteem of the participants. 

Health and well-being

Many of the girls took part in Active Angels to control their weight and to feel good about themselves. This improved self image has helped the girls function better in other parts of their lives.

The project used several methods of communicating with participants:

  • Presentations in schools by the Activity Coordinator
  • Posters in schools
  • Reminder postcards to participants
  • Ambassadors – participants promoting the project within their school
  • Activate an Angel – bring a friend scheme
  • PE staff were encouraged to refer girls who they thought would benefit from the project

Reversioning sport

The emphasis of Active Angels was on delivering activity in a fun and relaxed environment.  The coaches understood this ethos and tailored their sessions accordingly.  After each session there was an opportunity for the girls to socialise in the sports centre.  The Project Coordinator also organised off-site trips (e.g. ice skating at an outdoor rink at Christmas) and delivered healthy eating workshops where the girls had the opportunity to socialise with girls from different schools.

Promotion and marketing

The Active Angels project used several methods to communicate with participants:

  • Presentations in schools by the Activity Coordinator
  • Posters in schools
  • Reminder postcards to participants
  • Ambassadors – we used participants to promote the project within their school
  • Activate an Angel – bring a friend scheme
  • PE staff were encouraged to refer girls who they thought would benefit from the project
Key links: 
London Playing Fields Foundation - Active Angels
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