England Hockey Player Works to Keep Girls in Sport

July 7, 2023 

England hockey player and London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) sociology master’s student, Tess Howard, is addressing the high dropout rate for teen girls' in sport through her community-interest nonprofit, Inclusive Sportswear CIC. She created it after her research revealed how gendered school sports uniforms are playing a major role in shaping girls' experience and participation in sport. The study found that 70% of women had seen girls quit sports at school because of clothing and related body image concerns – with many feeling sexualized by their uniforms. 

“Sports kit is personal: it’s an expression of who we are, our team, our identity, our culture. It can build confidence or take it away for life,” said Howard. "The number of girls this is putting off sport, is truly alarming. It's the most underrated cause of low female sport numbers." She went on to explain that sportswear policies are a significant barrier to participation, enjoyment and performance in sport and physical activity. School uniforms are non-statutory in the UK, meaning there are no government requirements for school sports kit to be inclusive. 

Recent studies show that by the age of 14, only 10% of girls meet physical activity health standards. The UK Government 2019 School Sport and Activity Action Plan also states that the gender gap starts at five years old and girls report negative experiences of sport at a young age. The document fails to mention school sports clothing as an issue. 

According to Howard’s research which was published in April, sports kit concerns are one of the most underrated causes of low sports participation rates in girls. In a survey that gained over 400 responses, there were four common themes in relation to kits - social environment/ peer group (44%); body image concerns (42%); puberty/ menstruation (27%) and performance restriction (17%). Other frequent behaviors included altering clothing based on body image concerns such as breast exposure, weight concerns and covering up in front of boys. 

“From Year 7-9, girls in my PE classes felt uncomfortable in the fit of some kit and their self-confidence decreased in kit if they perceived to not have the “ideal female body,”’ shared one of the survey respondents. 

The research offers practical insight into how policy could be changed to promote inclusivity, comfort and greater female sport participation. Ultimately, the study found that sports kit is fundamental to enabling a positive experience of sport. Feeling attractive while playing sport is intimately linked to feeling self-confident, positive and comfortable in your active body. 

Howard's organization is working to create more inclusive sport and physical activity clothing and uniform policies for schools, clubs, sports organizations, national governing bodies and brands. Her research also influenced England Hockey to launch new inclusive kit regulations, which protect the rights of players to wear hijabs, turbans, any colored long-sleeves and either shorts or skorts. The Federation of International Hockey also made a landmark decision to change international uniform guidelines. 

On this milestone change, Howard says: “This is history. Choice supports comfort, performance, enjoyment and it’s an opportunity to evolve our sport away from the need to perform ‘hyper-femininity’ through uniform.” She is also working with LSE Generate, the school's home for entrepreneurship, to help get further support for her inclusive sportswear initiative and to make a greater impact in the lives of girls playing sports.

Howard is now focused on tackling hyper-gendered and hyper-sexualized uniforms across all of sport. 

Source: LSE