How to reach and engage girls in our (community) sports activities? Together with five European partners we decided to form a partnership and tackle this challenge. The name of this programme? She Got Game!
It made us realise that reaching and engaging girls in community sports is more relevant than ever. For girls participating in sports activities means actual empowerment on the field. It makes them participate, explore their talents and it provides opportunities for leadership and achievement to name just a few examples. When girls sit on the side-lines they miss out on these great advantages. And that is unacceptable.
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The She Got Game programme is not a one size fits all solution. But it is an innovative and a great starting point towards girls’ engagement in Europe. Now, two and a half years later, we have completed a guide for community sports organisations, and a handbook for coaches working with teen girls – because organisations and coaches need to work together to create change.
1 – Organisational support package for community sports organisations
Despite numerous initiatives over the past five decades, the harsh reality remains that teen girls and female coaches are underrepresented in community sports throughout Europe. To be more effective at reversing this disengagement, organisations need to have a better awareness of the systemic structures and modes of thoughts that have a deep and enduring influence on how and why these young women make the lifestyle choices that they do.
We developed an organisational support package to facilitate community sports organisations in a process of reflection within their organisation, with the aim to recognise the challenges posed in engaging young women and girls into sport and physical activity. Our aim is to support organisations to be disruptive and to step out of the historical reproduction that exists around women and girls’ participation in sport and physical activity. It is time to think, and act differently!
Curious about this package? Take a look at the She Got Game website.
2 – Girls’ engagement guidebook for community sports coaches
Coaches play an important role in getting and keeping girls active. We developed a guide that is designed to serve coaches working to include girls in sport with the goal of not just adding girls to existing programs and activities created originally for boys, but to create activities and safe and welcoming spaces for all.
The guide provides tips, suggestions, and answers to your questions about how to attract and include more girls to your sessions. And it will help you run sessions that will appeal to them and keep them coming back. Although there is no magic solution, we as ISA strongly believe the key to engage girls in your sports activities is to share ownership. Meaning actively engaging them in the development of activities and the sports community they are a part of. For example, by engaging girls in defining the content of the training sessions. This enables the inclusion of the ideal preferences, and opinions of girls, as they are the experts of their experiences and needs.
Get to know more tips? Take a look at the She Got Game website.
Interested in the She Got Game programme?
At ISA we are committed to further discover this topic and let as many girls participate in our global activities as possible!
We are more than happy to have a conversation about girls’ engagement and explore opportunities!
Take a look at the SGG website
Or contact: Tim Hertsenberg
