Black Girls and Sport: Partner Pack

This Story

For many Black girls, sport is a source of pride and aspiration: they dream big, they feel good at it and they value the power it has to support their wellbeing.

But 48% of Black girls break up with sport in their teens and only 1 in 7 are active for 30+ minutes a day outside of school.

This isn’t about lack of passion – it’s about a system that’s not working for them.

The Insight

Our ground-breaking study, shaped by Black communities and leading researchers, reveals the deeper context of Black girls’ lives:

• Minoritisation
• Fears around safety
• Pressures to succeed in school
• Racism, adultification and gendered stereotypes
• Barriers in sport: from haircare to typecasting to inflexible systems

Sport should be a sanctuary: a joyful space and a source of freedom and self-expression. But too often, it becomes another place where Black girls feel misunderstood and excluded.

The Campaign – ‘Dear Sport’

To bring this research to life, we are launching a campaign on Wednesday 21st May, which focuses on the experiences of the girls we spoke with in our research. As part of this process, the girls wrote deeply personal love letters and break up letters to sport, revealing both the highs and the heartbreak – and ultimately the reasons which forced them to walk away from the sport they once loved.

Their incredibly powerful words are at the heart of this break up story – one that demands to be heard.

Your Voice Matters

We’re asking influential voices like yours to help spark change.
Here’s how you can support:

1. Record a ‘Dear Sport’ message: Share your own story and why this matters to you. Use the hashtag #KeepBlackGirlsPlaying and tag others to encourage them to add their voice.
2. React to the campaign film: Watch and post your reaction to our powerful video message to sport
3. Spread the word: Re-share content from @womeninsport_uk and encourage your followers to join the conversation

We need to spread this research far and wide to make the biggest impact possible. We would love if you could encourage your followers and supporters to share their own experiences too.

Our handles:

• Instagram: @womeninsport_uk 
• LinkedIn: @Women in Sport 
• TikTok: @womeninsport 
• Bluesky: @womeninsportuk.bsky.social