Sport New Zealand Address Declining Number of Teenage Girls in Sport
March 11, 2022
Sport New Zealand (NZ) has launched a new campaign to combat the steep drop in teenage girls' participation in sport and active recreation. ‘It’s My Move’ focuses on helping young women feel confident and empowering them to be more physically active in their own ways.
The effort is in response to a Sport NZ study on youth physical activity which revealed that young women increasingly opt-out of formal sporting environments as they grow older. By age 16, there is a 17% gap between male and female participation in sport and recreation; by age 17, that gap increased to 28%. And, at age 17, the top three activities young women engage in are running, walking and workouts.
Sport NZ Chief Executive, Raelene Castle, says that the initiative wants to create awareness around the reasons why many young women stop participating in structured and recreational sport and support them in finding the activities they love to do. This includes equipping parents and guardians with strategies to better support female youth.
“We need to take the time to understand what young women want when it comes to participating in physical activity. We need to create environments in which they can thrive and encourage, motivate and enable them to move in whatever way works for them,” she said.
Inactivity levels have been exacerbated by the impact of COVID-19, which has caused ongoing disruption to sports and remote learning, particularly in Tamaki Makaurau (Auckland). The research showed that 90% of young girls want to be active and 96% understand why physical activity is important. However contributing factors, including judgment, lack of confidence and motivation, time pressures and the fear of failure, are contributing to a decline in participation.
“As someone who has struggled to find my way in the world of organized sport and growing up having dealt with body issues myself, this campaign has connected with me on a number of levels. It is so important to support young women and girls through this critical time in their life and empower them to engage with sport and recreation on their own terms,” said Campaign Ambassador Jess Quin.
A number of leading sporting figures, well-known parents and inspirational young women including Arizona Leger, Ella Williams, Irene Van Dyk MNZM, Wendy Petrie and April Ieremia will be involved over the coming months.
Digital content and resources available on Sport NZ’s site for young women, parents and sector leaders, along with on-demand workouts designed specifically for teenage girls. The campaign is a key milestone in the organization's ongoing work to support the Government’s Strategy for Women and Girls in Sport and Active Recreation.