'Moving' video captures perfectly the challenges facing teenage girls in sport
HER MOVES: Sport Ireland has launched Her Moves: It's Complicated video with the aim to spark discussion around issues which can lead to girls dropping out of sport. Picture: Sport Ireland
A moving video by Sport Ireland has launched with the aim to spark discussion around issues which can lead to girls dropping out of sport.
Released on International Day of the Girl as part of Sports Ireland Her Moves campaign the video is titled "It's Complicated" and was inspired by conversations with girls and their message to sport. The aim is to spark conversations around issues which they feel contributes to them leaving sport.
Director of Strategic National Governing Body Programmes and Women in Sport Lead Nora Stapleton said “Being a teenage girl is complicated.
"They are changing, growing, developing new interests, and navigating so many other things. Her Moves isn’t about changing sport to suit teens, it’s about trying to help sport grow with them. We are delighted with the response from the sports organisations.
"To date, we have all 29 Local Sports Partnerships engaging with Her Moves, as well as 20 National Governing Bodies running official programmes.
“Her Moves is about giving the power back to the girls, working with them to find ways of moving and exercising that interest and empower them, so it seemed natural that the video should amplify their voices in a debate they’ve been notably absent from until now.”
Women's sport in Ireland is at an all time high however research completed by Sport Ireland shows that 30% fewer girls take part in sports at secondary school level compared to primary school.
One of the Her Moves campaign aims is to change this through supporting the National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) by engaging directly with girls and adapting sporting opportunities to better suit their needs.
Gold and silver Paralympian Katie-George Dunleavy said that sport has given confidence and built up her self esteem since being diagnosed with Retinits Pigmentosa in her youth.
“In school, I was often excluded from sports because they thought I was clumsy; in reality, I couldn’t see the ball or other students. Then, at age 11, I was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa.
“I struggled with low self-esteem and understanding my condition, but at a school for the blind, my PE teacher encouraged me to try various sports like skiing, trampolining, windsurfing, athletics, and swimming.
"My parents were very supportive, taking me to training and competitions across the country.
“Sport gave me confidence, a sense of achievement, and greatly benefited my physical and mental health. I can’t imagine my life without it.”
International Irish Hockey player Róisín Upton believes the Her Moves campaign is cruicial.
“As a teenager, sports helped me manage stress, build lifelong friendships, and travel. The Her Moves campaign is crucial because it highlights the opportunities sport offers young girls.”
Another aim of the Her Move campaign is to make girls aware of options available to them, giving them a voice and a choice. This will be a system-wide approach with the campaign targeting more than the girls themselves but the adults in their lives and those who created sporting offerings for them.
A campaign hub has been launched for Her Moves where girls, parents, coaches and teachers can find further information.
One of the key focuses for Her Moves is normalising the conversation around periods in sport with posters that offer tips on tracking periods, the menstrual cycle and a checklist to help create a period-friendly environment available for clubs, schools and other spaces for teenage girls.
The Sport Ireland Coaching Teenage Girls workshop can help coaches learn what is important in teenage girl's lives and creating environments where they can flourish and enjoy sport. The workshops give access to coaches on resources around the menstrual cycle and body appreciation.
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