Why do girls participate in fewer sports than boys?

 Why do girls participate in fewer sports than boys?

They are ignored in physical education classes and parks, and society imposes stereotypes.

Sports can help you keep your health, reduce stress, and even improve your cognitive abilities. Exercise is beneficial to people of all ages, but studies show that adolescent girls are more likely to avoid it. We understand what happened and how they are attempting to correct it.

Adolescent girls are less likely than boys to participate in sports.

In 2015, the United Kingdom investigated the level of physical activity among schoolchildren. It was discovered that only 15% of boys and 9% of girls aged 13-15 exercised for at least an hour every day. The researchers included outdoor games and light exercise among other activities.

Three years later, the Women in Sport charity conducted its own study and found nearly identical results: only 8% of girls aged 13-15 actively moved for at least an hour per day. A World Health Organization study published in 2019 discovered that adolescent girls lagged behind boys in physical activity in 142 of 146 countries.

The hour of physical activity required by the researchers did not include any professional sports. It was ten minutes of dancing, cycling to school, and playing on the school playground after school. Girls, however, are less active than boys. According to Leanne Riley, one of the study's authors, "it is necessary to create appropriate opportunities for girls in adolescence, and then in adulthood, taking into account their interests and needs.

Why do girls exercise less than boys?

Girls' interests in physical education are rarely taken into account in school. Sports are unavoidable in physical education classes for all students. However, girls are frequently required to conform to male-created standards. Teenagers, for example, are primarily taught to play football and volleyball. Push-ups and pull-ups are among the required standards. Of course, girls can enjoy volleyball and athletics, but if some students are interested in other sports, they are simply ignored.

Stereotypes are formed as a result of gender norms. Typically, they simply reduce the number of approaches for students: for example, instead of 32 push-ups from the floor, girls perform only 20. They fail some standards completely and remain on the benches as the boys climb the rope and pull themselves up on the horizontal bar. On the one hand, such a division corresponds to the average student's capabilities. On the other hand, it contributes to the stereotype that "all girls are weak."

The school does not expect girls to excel at strength exercises, but it does expect flexibility. As a result, the standard for bending down from a sitting position is stricter for girls than for boys. At the same time, training is required for the ability to do push-ups and sit on a twine. Dances and choreography, which only improve flexibility and coordination, are rarely practiced in school. The exception is rhythm, which is often only taught in primary school.

Students can play sports games if there is time left in the lesson after passing the standards and mandatory exercises. The boys are usually divided into football or volleyball teams, while the girls sit on the benches. To be a part of the game, they frequently have to persuade the boys to accept them on the team. You must perform admirably because a poor pitch can lead to dissatisfaction or ridicule, such as "what else can you expect from a girl?" Statistics back this up: many girls believe that it is only worthwhile to participate in sports if you have special abilities, rather than for fun.

Girls' activity is influenced by their complexes. VTsIOM and the DOVE brand conducted a study on adolescent self-esteem in 2021. 94% of 14-17-year-old girls wished to change their appearance. Two-thirds remembered how others commented on their appearance. The majority of the girls polled want to change their weight, belly, or waist size. Such girls may feel extremely vulnerable in physical education classes while dressed in sportswear. Especially if the teacher or classmates make critical comments during the exercises.

Gender inequality in amateur sports is being addressed by charitable organizations. Women in Sport, for example, has created a special manual for physical education teachers in schools. The guide suggests allowing the girls to choose an activity and incorporating it into the lesson. Elements of zumba or aerobics, for example.

It is proposed that the distribution of children into groups be altered. For example, instead of competing "boys against girls," form mixed teams based on student abilities. At the same time, focus on the rules and the correct execution of the elements rather than the competition. This can lessen the aggressiveness and schadenfreude that repels girls. At the same time, Women in Sport offers to speak with girls in order to encourage them to participate in sports and to help them overcome gender stereotypes.

Girls have a more difficult time breaking into "male" sports.

Dancing and acrobatics are still standard sections for female athletes. While the boys are assigned to hockey and football. Women are more likely to participate in volleyball, fitness aerobics, swimming, and athletics than men. Football, hockey, water skiing, and mountaineering are the least popular. Despite the fact that there are no physical barriers to gender separation. FIFA, the world's governing body of football, even recommends that children under the age of 12 be trained in mixed teams.

In the first two stages of training, girls train alongside boys in the hockey sections. Furthermore, because girls can be older than other players, they can become unofficial team leaders. However, by the age of 14-15, girls are no longer permitted to train in mixed teams. During this time, the physical capabilities of boys and girls differ, and girls require a different load and a separate locker room.

Girls must choose whether to leave the sport or continue their athletic careers in adult teams. In Russia, there are only ten women's hockey teams, whereas the Continental Hockey League has 24 men's teams. As a result, young athletes face intense competition right away. Women's hockey has only been included in the Olympic Games since 1998. While the male has been doing so since 1924.

Girls' access to football has only recently improved. The Department of Women's Football has been running digital courses for PE teachers since September 2021. Teachers are taught how to organize a women's football section in their schools. The course proved popular, with 960 teachers enrolling in the first session.

Girls can participate in the We're in the Game festivals during the summer. Master classes and football quests teach them how to play. After that, the girls simply play football - without competition or a desire to win. They also work with parents at the festivals, informing them about women's football and attempting to dispel the stereotype that "football is a man's game."

On playgrounds, conditions for girls are rarely created.

In the 1990s, an unexpected shift in outdoor sports for boys and girls was discovered. The Vienna authorities have noticed that many teenage boys play on the sports grounds, while girls over the age of ten avoid them. The girls explained that they did not go to the park because it had nothing for them to do. They also encounter older boys who tease them.

Hammocks and wooden platforms were placed in Einsiedler Park to make the space more comfortable for girls to chat. The playground was then rebuilt to include a hotel area for badminton, netball, and jumping rope. The park now has better lighting and additional entrances. The existing ones were also expanded so that the girls could pass freely without having to squeeze past the men's businesses. There are also more swings and shells for balancing in the park.

Other cities have also designed new park layouts. Public spaces aimed at teenage girls have appeared in Barcelona, Stockholm, Ume (Sweden), Barcelona, and Myanmar. They designed small areas rather than large areas for team sports such as football and basketball. Girls could play sports alone or in small groups on such playgrounds.

The parks were created in collaboration with a teenage girl focus group. So low covered benches with seats that are comfortable for teenage girls appeared in Ume's public space. Groups of teenagers could hide from the rain and listen to music on the round covered benches without disturbing anyone.

Parks with additional infrastructure for women and girls remain separate projects. The Yorkshire Sports Foundation has been researching girls' outdoor activities since the pandemic. It was discovered that girls are more likely than boys to believe that playing sports in the local park is dangerous (49% versus 26%). The feeling that they are being watched, as well as the lack of toilets and changing rooms, impedes training. The girls also recalled that as children, they enjoyed playing in public playgrounds, but that there is nothing interesting for teenagers in parks.

There are standards in Russia for the size and inventory of public sports grounds. A horizontal bar, parallel bars, a gymnastic bench, and a basketball court comprise a basic set of equipment. As a result, this scene is common in Russian courtyards: men play basketball while women stand on the sidelines.

What is the outcome?

Girls are less likely to participate in sports, owing to stereotypes such as "sports for boys" and "girls should be flexible, not strong." They are also frequently embarrassed by their changing bodies and feel insecure in competitions with boys. Outside of school and clubs, it is more difficult to participate in sports because parks and public sports fields are frequently unsuitable for teenage girls.

The good news is that girls' attitudes toward sports can be changed. However, it will be a lengthy and methodical process. New types of activities that take into account the interests of girls and do not force them to compete with boys should be added to physical education classes. The growth of women's hockey and football sections will demonstrate that all sports are available to girls. Finally, well-designed park spaces can encourage girls to spend more time outside.