How Parents Can Encourage Girls To Play Sport
Photograph your child being active
Enlarge the photo
Frame it
Be proud of it!
Actively support your daughter’s involvement in physical
activity
Buy her good equipment - not her brother’s hand-me-downs
Go and watch her games
Consider volunteering
Drive her to and from practices
Make sure your daughter has time in her life to be active - don’t make your
daughter sacrifice her involvement in sport so she can baby-sit or do housework
Take your daughter to the park and be active with her
Help her to learn the fundamental skills of running, throwing, catching,and
kicking
Be an active role model yourself
Mom’s participation in sport increased participation rates of her child by
22%
Dad’s participation in sport increased participation rates of his child by
11%
Emphasize fun and fitness rather than competition and
slimming attributes
Encourage your daughter to try a variety of new activities, and help her acquire
the skills and equipment she needs to participate.
Avoid comments about your daughter’s body size and shape.
Love and support her just the way she is.
Don’t undermine her confidence and take the joy out of playing by telling
her "she throws like a girl". Help her to learn the skills she needs
to enjoy sport.
Introduce your daughter to active women
All too often women in sport are viewed as cheerleaders, water girls or chauffeurs.
Your daughter needs to be exposed to women who are athletes, coaches, officials
and leaders in sport.
Buy sports books about women athletes
Watch women’s sport events on TV with your daughter
Take your daughter to women’s sport competitions in your community
Read the sports pages with her and follow the performances of Canada’s great
athletes such as Silken Laumann, Kate Pace, Angela Chalmers, Myriam Bedard,
Ljiljana Ljubisic, and Alison Sydor.
Plan Active Vacations or Weekend Excursions
Try hiking, cross-country skiing, rafting
Canadian
Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity
N202 - 801 King Edward Avenue
Ottawa, ON, Canada
K1N 6N5
Phone: 613-562-5667
Fax: 613-562-5668
Email: caaws@caaws.ca
