Girls in the Game

Two weeks ago I attended a talk at the Kramer IMAX Theatre presented by June Zimmer called "Girls in the Game: Developing Confidence, Competence and Friendships for Young Girls through Sport". It was the first talk in the Speaker Series that we put together to complement Our Body: The Universe Within. The next talk, with a different topic, is tomorrow! More on that in a bit.

I really enjoyed June's talk! She is an excellent speaker, which makes sense of course because she used to be a school teacher and is now a university professor. I didn't go to the talk because I work here, though. I went because I am a girl and I play lots of sports -- I wondered what June had to say.

A few of the statistics that she mentioned really surprised me. I learned that if a girl does not participate in a sport by the age of 10, there is only a 10% chance she will be physically active when she is 25. I played baseball when I was 10, so I guess I am lucky! I also remember fairly decent gym teachers in my Grade 9 and 10 years, and we played lots of different sports.

You're also probably wondering how it's possible that girls might not play sports at all by age 10, considering kids are all required to take gym class in elementary school. I had. According to June, a lot of gym classes simply don't teach sport basics. A lot also rely on the kids to determine what they'll do that day in class, which is often just playing a game called Murderball. Remember Murderball? Also known as dodgeball, it's where the class splits up in two, each half takes a side and they throw balls at each other. Not exactly a sport! It's actually just a chance for sanctioned bullying when you think about it. Pick off the weak kids by hitting them with something!

Another terrifying statistic in these worrisome days of inactivity and obesity: Beginning at age 12, girls' involvement in physical activity declines steadily until only 11% are still active by age 16-17.

June provided us with a ton of information about girls in sports, but this is yet another point supported by research that saddened me: Many studies have shown that girls and young women understand the importance of physical activity to their health and want to increase their participation. That their participation remains low suggests that social and systemic barriers (e.g. lack of opportunity, program structure, choice) are affecting their involvement.

So, June started an amazing program called Girls in the Game, a non-competitive sport introduction program for Girls in the Game logo young girls. It teaches the basics of basketball, volleyball, hockey, football, rugby, wrestling, badminton/tennis, track and field, golf, baseball, soccer, and lacrosse.

I currently play soccer in a recreational league with Regina Soccer. Did you know that in the rec leagues, if a woman scores a goal it is worth two points? This isn't how soccer is normally played, of course, and when I first heard about that, I was quite offended. My first thought was "oh, because girls aren't as good at sports, we get two points? Gee thanks." (note the sarcasm.)

I also play Ultimate Frisbee, and guess what -- the girls on a team I know went on strike a few years ago because the boys wouldn't throw the disc to the girls. I spoke to one of the girls who went on strike not too long ago, before June's talk in fact, and she said that she really wanted to learn how to play Ultimate, but she just never really got the chance. The boys wouldn't throw to the girls, and they weren't interested in practises, so during games the girls really were just there to make up the minimum girl requirements. The girls never had a chance to get better. At least two of the girls who went on strike that year no longer play Ultimate, and it's a direct result of how they were treated on the field.

While I like that the girls are valued heavily in soccer -- in a close game, the guys will not dare shoot but will pass to the girls in an attempt to get that extra point -- you also feel sort of used as well. Giving us more points than the boys is not an effective solution to this problem! It works, but in an embarrassing and demeaning way.

But Girls in the Game is an effective solution that improves self esteem and confidence. And by teaching girls the basics of sport, in a non-competitive and safe environment, they'll have the tools to play sports their whole lives and not just be a means of satisfying the gender ratio on a mixed team.

June said so much more, but I'll have to finish up there. Check out the Girls in the Game website for more information on the specific program, and how you can get your child active in sports.

As for our next talk, it's coming up tomorrow -- Wednesday, June 30th. Brenda Rossow-Kimball, also from the University of Regina, is going to talk about Leisure & Recreation for Older Adults with Intellectual Disablities. Considering our aging population, it's quite relevant to all of us right now. And I'm sure it's also going to be fascinating! She attended June's talk, so she knows the high standard that June has set. Oh and it's not just a talk -- there is lots of time afterwards for questions and discussion. And it's FREE! If you haven't seen Our Body: The Universe Within yet, or if you wanted to see it again, you'll only have to pay $16 (instead of $20) to see the exhibit after the talk.

Here are the details on tomorrow's talk:

Exclusive/Inclusive Leisure & Recreation for Older Adults with Intellectual Disabilities : Where do we go from here? Presented by Brenda Rossow-Kimball, PhD Candidate, University of Regina. Talk begins at 7pm at the Kramer IMAX Theatre. Free to attend!

Stay curious,
Collette

(Also, sorry about the lack of blogging lately. I have so much stuff to tell you guys! I have a lot to catch up on. I promise there will be no more silences this long again!)

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