Sport is integral to the lives of Grammar girls, supporting their physical, mental, and social wellbeing. Over the next three weeks, three articles will be published in BGGS News, which will focus on teenage girls and the importance and benefits of physical activity in their daily lives.
Suncorp’s 2019 Australian Youth Confidence Report found girls aged between 11-17 are significantly less active than boys of the same age in a typical week, and that by 17 years old, nearly 50 per cent of girls drop out of sport.
As a result of this drop-out rate, girls are not only missing out on the immediate effects of physical activity, but also making choices that impact their life-long attitude towards participation in sport and physical activity.
Research suggests some of the barriers for teenage girls participating in sport include: increased demands on available time due to study and part-time employment; body image concerns, wearing uniforms and peer pressure; emphasis on achieving or winning over enjoyment; competing interests for spare time; and more. The physical, psychological, and emotional changes during adolescence also contribute to levels of participation in physical activity. Transitioning to adulthood can often make teenaged girls feel unprepared and vulnerable when exercising and spark a shift away from a desire to be competitive in a sporting context. Social acceptance can also lead to a decrease in their involvement in physical activity. The barriers facing teenaged girls contribute to many missing out on the positive experiences and benefits physical activity can provide.
Stay tuned for our next article which will address the reasons it is important BGGS students include physical activity in their daily lives and learn to strike a balance in their social, emotional, academic, co-curricular and cultural endeavours.
For parents wishing to access further information on the barriers of girls participating in sport, and some strategies to overcome these barriers, please view this resource.
Ms Jane Gooden Mr Paul Pearce
Director of Sport Athlete Development Manager
