Sports For Girls Research Articles

77 How do we include low SES girls in sport? A qualitative study on girls’ perceived barriers to sports participation

77 How do we include low SES girls in sport? A qualitative study on girls’ perceived barriers to sports participation

‘What do you love about sport?’ Exploring boys’ and girls’ embodied experiences of sport

ABSTRACT There is a wealth of research documenting boys’ and girls’ gendered identities in and through sport, much of which provides a critical account of masculinist discourses, particularly related to team sports. Furthermore, while there are many accounts of children’s enjoyment of sport, definitions of fun and enjoyment are wide-ranging, and little has been written on children’s positive orientations towards sport from a corporeal perspective. Using the starting question, ‘what do you love about sport and how does it make you feel?’, this research explores how boys and girls speak about their embodied experiences in and through sport. Twenty-one focus groups took place with boys and girls (n = 147) from seven primary schools in the Republic of Ireland. Before analysis, the data were separated into girls’ and boys’ responses. Reflexive thematic analysis resulted in the construction of patterns around girls’ and boys’ embodied experiences of sport. Boys described their experiences predominantly in terms of physical encounters such as collisions and skill improvement. Girls displayed a wider array of feelings and sensations towards sport, describing experiences as calming, prioritising social interactions, while physical experiences were also important. While many of the results conform with normative gendered discourses, there are some examples of both girls and boys subverting these subjectivities, with girls in middle childhood accessing a wider range of physical identities than previously imagined. Given the importance attached to children’s embodied accounts of their sporting experiences, implications for children’s continued enjoyment and participation in sport are considered, particularly related to the provision of meaningful experiences for girls in sport.

Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better: The Sexist Implications & Health Consequences of K-12 Transgender Girls Sports Bans

Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better: The Sexist Implications & Health Consequences of K-12 Transgender Girls Sports Bans

A STUDY ON THE EXAMINATION OF GENDER EQUITY AND FEMALE PARTICIPATION IN SPORTS

The purpose of this paper is to explore the history that surrounds the issues of gender equity in sport, what actions have been taken to provide equal opportunity for women in sports, the current issues facing women in sports today, the research surrounding the issues pertaining to gender equity in sport, and also to discuss the findings and present recommendations for further research in this area.Undertake to close the gap in investment in women's sport and promote equal economic opportunities for women and girls. Promote women's equal participation and bias free representation in the media. Provide equal opportunities for girls in sports, physical activity and physical education.The main aim of this research is to know about the gender equity and female participation in sports.Empirical research is used for the purpose of the study.Convenient sampling method is used to collect the samples.Samples are collected based on the ease of access or availability.The sample size of this paper is 200. Statistics used in the research are clustered bar graphs.The information was collected from secondary sources like journals,articles,books and so on. Keywords: equal opportunity, women ,sports,gender equity ,physical education.

Promoting girls in sport – (Still) in keeping with the times?

Introduction “Promoting girls in sport”: How to find an interview partner for this topic? In their search, the editors of the Swiss girls’ magazine ‘KALEIO – For Girls (and the Rest of the World)’ learnt that the topic is ‘out’. But although we see more and more equalization of sport-related behavior (e.g., Hartmann-Tews, 2009), promoting girls in sport still makes sense. Methods The results stem firstly from an overview article, in which international findings were summarized. Secondly, data come from reanalyzes of two representative MOBAK studies, where children were measured by gender-neutral MOBAK-tests and parents were questioned about their children’s physical activity behaviors. Results The overview article (Adler & Gramespacher, 2021) compiled international findings on the activity behavior of girls and boys during the transition from kindergarten to grade one. The studies available report on gender-stereotypical behavior of children – and girls stand out here in different ways. Further evidence of gender-stereotypical behavior can be shown by reanalysis of MOBAK-data with 1st graders (Gramespacher et al., 2022) and 3rd graders (Gramespacher et al., in press): Overall, reanalyzed MOBAK-data show, that there is a difference in basic motor competencies that might be explained by gender-stereotype sport socialization – and this clearly is a disadvantage for the girls in some motor competencies. Discussion/Conclusion Presented data point out the still existing need for action in promoting girls in sport. We must discuss the complexity associated with the promotion of girls in all fields of sport and in this realm, we must define specific goals of promoting girls in sport (e.g., Kugelmann, 2002). But in future, we should consider the role of differentiation in research and sports practice: Shouldn’t we differentiate in general for all different types of learners without classifying?

Sport-related concussion in 8- to 12-year-olds: an understudied population.

Most studies regarding sport-related concussion (SRC) focus on high school and collegiate athletes; however, little has been published on children younger than 12 years of age. In a cohort of children aged 8-12 years with SRC, the authors sought to describe demographics, initial presentation, and recovery in this understudied population. A retrospective cohort study of children aged 8-12 years who sustained an SRC between November 2017 and April 2022 and were treated at a regional sports concussion center was conducted. Demographic information, injury characteristics, traditional Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 5 (SCAT5) and Child/Parent SCAT5 scores, and outcomes, defined as days to return to learn (RTL), symptom resolution, and return to play (RTP), were reported. Outcomes in boys and girls were compared using effect size analyses given sample size constraints. Forty-seven athletes were included. The mean age was 11.0 ± 0.8 years, and the majority were male (34, 72.3%). A sizable proportion of patients visited an emergency department (19, 40.4%), and many received head imaging (16, 34.0%), mostly via CT (n = 13). The most common sport for boys was football (15, 44.1%), and the most common sports for girls were soccer (4, 30.8%) and cheerleading (4, 30.8%). These athletes reported a variety of symptoms on presentation. It took a mean of 8.8 ± 10.8 days to RTL, 27.3 ± 38.3 days to reach symptom resolution, and 35.4 ± 41.9 days to RTP. When comparing boys versus girls, there appeared to be moderate differences in symptom severity scores (Cohen's d = 0.44 for SCAT5, 0.13 for Child SCAT5, and 0.38 for Parent SCAT5) and minimal differences in recovery (Cohen's d = 0.11 for RTL, n = 35; 0.22 for symptom resolution, n = 22; and 0.12 for RTP, n = 21). In this cohort of concussed athletes aged 8-12 years, a little less than half of the athletes initially presented to the emergency department, and approximately one-third received acute head imaging. Across all athletes, the mean RTL was slightly more than a week and the mean symptom resolution and RTP were both approximately 1 month; however, much of the cohort is missing recovery outcome measures. This study demonstrated a strong positive correlation between Child SCAT5 and Parent SCAT5 symptom reporting. Future efforts are needed to evaluate differences in clinical presentation and outcomes following SRC between children and older populations.

Keeping Girls in Sport: A Two-Part Evaluation of an E-Learning Program for Coaches and Activity Leaders

The purpose of this study was twofold: first, to identify who engaged with the Keeping Girls in Sport e-learning program and, second, to evaluate coach and activity leaders’ perceptions of the program and their perceived learnings gained from completing the program. An explanatory sequential mixed-method design was adopted. First, an online survey was distributed to all individuals who had participated in the program. In total, 511 (33% response rate) completed the survey. Quantitative survey data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Subsequently, interviews were conducted with 20 survey respondents. A realist logic of analysis was applied to the qualitative data, and context–mechanism–outcome configurations were formed. Overall, survey findings indicated that most participants identified as women (56%), coaches (69%), and were between 40 and 49 years of age (37%). In general, participants had positive perceptions of the program. Participants perceived that the accessibility and flexibility of the program increased opportunities to engage with content and, thus, their learning. They described improvements in knowledge and perspective regarding working with female athletes. This increase in knowledge provided participants with confidence to establish trusting and positive relationships with others, specifically parents. Nevertheless, participants highlighted a need for more tailored but also more expansive programs.

Dominant Discourses at Play: How Children’s Soccer Coaches of Mixed-Sex Programs in Ontario, Canada, Understand Sex and Gender

In this study, we explore how soccer coaches of children’s mixed-sex programs in Ontario understand sex and gender in the context of their coaching practices. Informed by feminist science studies and feminist methodologies, we conducted semistructured interviews with 11 coaches. Through critical discourse analysis, we identified the coaches’ (re)production of three discourses: (a) gender is constructed but categorical; (b) inevitable and hierarchal sex differences necessitate sex segregation; and (c) girls’ sport is vulnerable, and girls in sport require support. The results of this study indicate that these coaches’ understandings of sex and gender are heavily informed by discourses of sex essentialism and sex and gender difference, which together legitimize the need for a binary sex/gender model of sport. Understanding the ways in which sport enforces and is shaped by the limited binary and naturalized notions of sex and gender is one step in reimagining a more just and inclusive model of sport, including children’s sport, and in creating sport spaces where players of all genders can thrive.

Prediction and optimization of individual skill development patterns in physical education based on big data analysis

Abstract This paper proposes a data-based gray preprocessing neural network optimization model based on the principle of the BP neural network model and its optimization method. SPSS statistical software was used for statistical analysis to compare the student physical education test data of S college students from 2019 to 2023. The GA-BP optimization prediction model is applied to generate and process the raw data of 5-year sports tests to find the law of systematic changes and generate the data sequence with strong regularity so as to predict the condition of the future development trend of things. The results show that the measured and actual numbers have a high rate of conformity, and the maximum error is 0.67%, which is high accuracy. The overall speed and strength of boys and girls in sports is on the rise. The overall endurance level of boys is increasing while the overall endurance level of girls is decreasing. In the future, endurance training should be strengthened as a way to improve the continuing trend of low endurance quality among students.

Participation of girls and women in community sport in Ghana: Cultural and structural barriers

Despite numerous international and national policy documents promoting girls’ and women's empowerment and participation in community sports, the actual access to sport for women and girls is still restricted in several countries. This paper explores the situation in Ghana. Through the analytical lens of Cooky and Messner’s theory of ‘the unevenness of social change’, we analyse the cultural and structural barriers that prevent girls and women from participating in sport in Ghanaian communities. The data material is document analysis, focus groups and semi-structured interviews with male and female officials representing state-funded regional and district sports organisations as well as non-state sports organisations in Ghana. The findings reveal that cultural barriers, rooted in deep-seated cultural norms and structural hindrances that undermine gender-inclusive policies, contribute to the limited participation of girls and women in community sport. Furthermore, the interplay between these cultural and structural factors leads to gender-specific practices and fewer women in leadership positions. Based on our analyses, we suggest that structural changes (enforcing and implementing gender policies) can result in cultural changes (positive gender equality outcomes) over time.

Early Adolescent Girls Develop Their Self-Worth through Participation and Achievement

Abstract 
 2022 marked 50 years since the passing of Title IX, which allowed girls and women to have equal opportunities to participate in sports. One of the impacts this bill has had on girls is that participation and achievement in sports help early adolescent girls develop their self-worth. A finding from a recent phenomenological study on early adolescent girls’ self-worth found that girls develop self-worth through feeling competent in important capacities in their lives. This article will focus especially on the development of self-worth as it connects participation in sports to the impact of Title IX on girls. Furthermore, the participants’ related understanding of misogyny, violence against women, and achievement in a patriarchal society will be discussed in order to improve safety and inclusion for girls in sports. 

Personal Construct Theory and Parents’ Perceptions of Developing Girls Through Sport

Despite increased participation across all sporting contexts, many sports are still thought to be more or less appropriate for female athletes to engage with based on biologically or socially constructed characteristics (Plaza et al., 2017; Abadi & Gill, 2020). Further, the persistence of gender stereotypes continues to impact the participation levels of girls in sport; particularly in traditionally masculine sports (Tucker Center, 2018; Staurowsky, 2016). Given the influence parents can have in dictating their children’s participation in sport (Dorsch et al., 2020), the objective of the present study was to explore how parents perceive their daughters’ participation in traditionally boy-dominated sport. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight parents of daughters currently engaged in traditionally boy-dominated sports at a competitive level. A laddering interview technique—based on the personal construct theory—was used as a basis for the interview guide (Bourne & Jenkins, 2005). This technique allowed the interviewer to elicit participants’ higher-level constructs, revealing their overarching values more effectively. Three themes were constructed through the assessment of the interviews, these being that parents believe participation in non-traditional girls’ sport provides young female athletes with (a) the capability to identify gender inequality more easily, (b) opportunities to face unique challenges and shed the perceived limitations imposed upon girls, and (c) opportunities to express less stereotypically feminine traits and, therefore, to grow. These results suggest that parents of daughters who participate in traditionally boy-dominated sports perceive these sports to contribute to building several positive aspects of their daughters’ development.

The co-creation, initial piloting, and protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial of a coach-led positive body image intervention for girls in sport

BackgroundGlobally, girls disengage from sports at an earlier age and higher rate than boys. This is, in part, due to the unique body image challenges that girls face, relative to their male peers. Existing intervention efforts that aim to reduce girls’ negative body image and movement experiences have proven marginally effective, if not ineffective. This paper outlines the co-creation, initial piloting and protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial of Body Confident Athletes (BCA); an in-person, coach-led intervention that aims to foster positive body image and sports enjoyment among girls.MethodsFollowing co-creation and an initial pilot, a two-armed cluster randomised controlled trial will assess the immediate (post-intervention) and short-term (1-month and 3-month follow-up) impact of BCA on girls’ (N = 1,036; 11–17 years old) body image, sports enjoyment, and affect. Sport organisations will be randomly allocated (1:1) into either an intervention or waitlist control condition. Girls and coaches in the intervention condition will complete three 60-minute sessions over three consecutive weeks. The primary outcome will be the immediate change in girls’ body esteem, with secondary outcomes assessing the immediate and short-term changes in girls’ body appreciation, self-objectification, attuned self-care, sports enjoyment, and affect.DiscussionThis research is the first to utilise an international multi-stakeholder partnership to co-create and evaluate an intervention that addresses the intersection of girls’ body image and sport experiences. The theoretical and methodological considerations of this research have led to a feasible intervention and trial protocol, and if proven effective, BCA may assist in reducing the global gender disparity in sports participation.Trial registration numberNCT05594524, registered 25th October 2022.

Gender Fair Participation for Girls in Co-Curricular Activities (CCA): Barriers and Enablers in Pakistan’s Education

Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) are the part of the students’ life and a way of developing a student holistically. There are different studies which showed that the participation of girls in sports is lower than the boys. Low participation indicates that there are some reasons behind this. As females are an equal and important component of society, therefore, it is essential to enhance the participation of girls in sports for their health and brighter future. The main purpose of the study was to explore the restraining factors in equal gender participation in co-curricular activities in higher education institutions in Sargodha-Pakistan. The current study was mixed method in nature. The population was consisted of all girls who were studying in general public universities of Punjab province. A total of three hundred girls were selected as sample for collecting quantitative data while eight girls were selected for collecting qualitative data. Respondents were selected by multi-stage sampling technique. Data were collected through self-generated questionnaire having forty seven statements and through interview protocol having seven questions. Quantitative data were analysed through SPSS while interviews were analysed through thematic analysis. Percentage, independent sample t-test and one way ANOVA were used for quantitative data analysis. Both the results and discussion visibly showed that there exists familial, institutional and societal barriers involved in equal and fair gender participation of girls in co-curricular. It is recommended that higher education institutions should play their role in making strategic reforms to overcome such barriers which are restraining factors for all girls that make them hesitant to participate in co-curricular activities in universities in Pakistan.

A six-country study of coaches’ perspectives of girls’ body image concerns in sport and intervention preferences: Template analysis of survey and focus group data

Coaches are a key influence of athletes’ body image, but often feel ill-equipped to address body image concerns and can perpetuate harmful body ideals. Limited research has investigated coaches’ attitudes and beliefs and few effective resources are available. The current study explored coaches’ perspectives of body image among girls in sport, as well as their preferences for body image interventions. Thirty-four coaches (41% women; Mage=31.6 yrs; SD=10.5) from France, India, Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States took part in semi-structured focus groups and completed an online survey. Template analysis of survey and focus group data resulted in eight first-order themes grouped under three categories: (1) perspectives of body image among girls in sport (objectification and surveillance, impact of puberty, the role of the coach); (2) preferences for intervention design (content of the intervention, accessibility of the intervention, incentives for taking part); and (3) cross-cultural considerations (acknowledging your privilege, cultural and societal norms). Two integrative themes were defined: (1) girls’ disengagement from sport and (2) the role of community. Coaches perceived body image to be a significant barrier for girls in sport and a need to address this in a formal and accessible intervention.

“They are men, they will be looking even if you put on pants or a sweatshirt”: Girl athletes' and coaches' experiences of body image in Mexico City sport settings

Body image concerns are a barrier for girls’ participation in sports. Scarce evidence from Mexico suggests adolescents experience high levels of body dissatisfaction, and national statistics report low levels of physical activity among girls. This study aimed to explore girls’ body image concerns and coaches’ perceptions of girls’ body image experiences in sport. We used reflexive thematic analysis on secondary data from semi-structured focus groups conducted in Mexico City with 12 girls aged 11–17 years and six coaches from two sports organizations. Girls expressed feelings of self-consciousness about their performance, body-related teasing, the male gaze, and harassment within and outside sports contexts. Lack of support from coaches resulted in making excuses for withdrawing or supporting one another. Coaches’ accounts demonstrate gender stereotypes about girls in sport. They acknowledge that girls abandon sport because of appearance-related teasing and body image concerns. In addition, colorism and discomfort with speaking directly about bodily functions are fundamental sociocultural influences affecting their communication. This is the first qualitative study exploring girls’ body image concerns and coaches’ perceptions of such concerns in Mexico City. Further research in lower- and middle-income countries is key in developing effective intervention programs to help girls benefit from sport.

Body confident coaching: a pilot randomized controlled trial evaluating the acceptability of a web-based body image intervention for coaches of adolescent girls

Coaches influence athletes’ body image, but often feel ill-equipped to address body image concerns and inadvertently perpetuate harmful body ideals. No evidence-based, empirically-tested body image intervention for coaches exists. This study evaluated the acceptability and preliminary efficacy of a novel web-based intervention (body confident coaching [BCC]), comprising five self-led 20-min modules. A pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted with 97 coaches of adolescent girls (M age = 36.6yrs, SD = 10.4; 70% women). Coaches were randomized into the intervention (n = 52) or waitlist control condition (n = 45). Intervention condition participants completed baseline self-assessments (demographics, target outcomes), took part in BCC over two weeks, and completed post-intervention self-assessments (target outcomes, acceptability, adherence). Waitlist control participants completed baseline (demographics, target outcomes) and post-intervention self-assessments (target outcomes), after which they received unmonitored access to the intervention. Intervention condition participants who completed post-intervention assessments (n = 16) finished all five modules and 75% reported engaging with the additional resources. Coaches found the intervention easy to follow, appropriate, useful, and enjoyable. Preliminary efficacy analyses indicated that the intervention condition reported higher levels of self-efficacy toward body image (η p 2 = .19), and lower levels of fat phobia (η p 2 = .39) and gender essentialist beliefs (η p 2 = .20) at post-intervention, compared to the waitlist condition. A limitation of this study is the small sample size and high attrition rate (51%), which may bias results. Following modifications to the intervention and trial protocol, BCC will be evaluated in a large-scale randomized controlled effectiveness trial. Lay summary: Body dissatisfaction is common among girls in sport, but coaches are unprepared and unskilled to address these concerns, and few resources for coaches exist. A new education program was found to be appropriate, useful, and enjoyable for coaches and improved their ability to recognize and address athletes’ body image concerns.

Gender-Based Violence in Girls’ Sports

Millions of girls and young women participate in organized sports annually as a vehicle for developing a strong sense of self, social bonds, a positive body image and a sense of agency. Although the benefits of sport engagement are experienced by many girls, the overwhelming evidence of experiences of gender-based violence in sport cannot be ignored (e.g., USA Gymnastics, Hockey Canada). This paper will address gender-based violence experienced by adolescents in sport with a focus on psychological violence. The literature is replete with evidence that girls experience higher rates of gender-based psychological violence in sport than boys, and as a result, incur developmental costs. Psychological violence is experienced by girls in sport in the form of demeaning comments, body shaming, inequitable media coverage and funding and the ongoing policing of women’s bodies in sport through sexualized sport attire and physiological testing. The causes and effects of psychological violence will be addressed along with recommendations to prevent and address gender-based violence in sport.

Regulatory Policy and Women’s Sports: The Nexus of Gender Verification, Title IX, and Trans Inclusion

Title IX specifies that “no person” shall be subjected to discrimination on the basis of sex. Yet, advocacy groups and state legislators have debated transgender girls’ and women’s right to participate in sports teams consistent with their gender identity. Such entities employ misguided research about testosterone’s role in sports, assert that transgender girls displace cisgender girls in sports, and weaponize gender verification against transgender girls. Title IX’s original intent catalyzes access for all young people in sports, regardless of gender identity. A review of the historical underpinnings of the regulatory policy driving Title IX’s implementation, leading up to the Biden administration’s current efforts to assess Title IX’s application to sports, underscores the path to the truest implementation of Title IX. The regulatory mechanisms establishing Title IX implementation compel maximization of sport opportunities for all girls and women, which includes trans girls and women.

One of these is not like the other: The retrospective experiences of girl athletes playing on boys’ sports teams during adolescence

ABSTRACT Adolescent sport is predominately organised by single-sex sport environments, where girls and boys compete separately. Enhancing opportunities for all youth to compete together may be important for providing broad sport opportunities for girls in sport, reframing preconceptions about the inferiority of girls’ athleticism, and for situating boys and girls within mutually respectful relationships. Yet, limited research has explored girls’ experiences of competing on boys’ sports teams. The current qualitative study explored young adult women’s retrospective experiences of playing on a boys’ sports team as an adolescent. Eleven women (M age = 20 years) who had played on a boys’ sports team during adolescence participated in individual semi-structured interviews. Using reflexive thematic analysis, three overarching themes were generated including (1) the culture of boys’ dominance and superiority in sport, (2) girls are positioned as the ‘other’, and (3) strategies to navigate the boys’ sport environment. Overall, the women reflected on the boys’ sport environment as superior regarding its opportunity for skill development and competition. However, they also described having to navigate tensions and problematic assumptions of girls’ inferiority in sport that limited their inclusion in the boys’ sport environment as an adolescent. The results highlight the complexity of navigating sex and gender in sport, and unique challenges associated with adolescent girls competing on boys’ sports teams. Researchers and policymakers should continue to understand and widely implement strategies for promoting positive sport environments to support adolescent girls and boys in competing together on sports teams.