Tackling the Opportunity Gap in Sport for Girls
Published
When a girl finds her team, everything changes.
With the right team around them, girls gain more than a sporting opportunity: they gain life-skills, self-belief and belonging.
But currently 24% fewer girls than boys in England are playing team sport.
That’s 930,000 girls missing out on the joy and belonging sport can bring.
Our latest research, supported by Metro Bank, explores why girls-only options matter – and what needs to change to close the team sport gap.
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7 in 10 parents
say girls-only options in team and contact sports are important
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68 % of parents
say that having girls-only options in sport is important for girls of all ages
“If we had more opportunities to play with the girls, then I’d be more interested in playing.” – Girl, aged 14
Key findings
Of the 13 sports we analysed…
- 9 had lower participation rates for girls
- Only 1 in 6 opportunities to play sport were just for girls
- Only 20% of team sport opportunities were girls only
- Only 27% of contact sport opportunities were girls only
Mixed sport might sound equal, but when it’s not proactively designed and managed with girls’ needs in mind, it doesn’t always guarantee equal participation – or a positive experience for girls.
Girls-only sport allows girls to thrive.
It provides a physically and emotionally safe space for girls to feel the joy and freedom of sport. Being with other girls who share their lived experience can be empowering and give girls a strong sense of belonging that can keep them engaged in sport.
To explore the full findings and explore our recommendations, download the full report below and check out our coaches toolkit.
Read the full report
Supported by
Self-shooting Director & Editor: Estefanía Rodríguez Pérez