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, chris@wsff.org.ukCarrie Myers, Girlguiding UK, Carrie.Myers@girlguiding.org.uk