' Girls and Sport '

Girls and Sport

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

Girls and Sport

Courtesy of CAAWS