Just last week, I stepped onto the pitch to play alongside our men’s team in a friendly tournament. To my dismay, their coach told me, “oh great, maybe you can play when we face a weak team.” How is it that a coach who has no knowledge of my skill level is going to assume that I’m not good enough to compete? I’m relatively accustomed to these sorts of comments, but it never ceases to frustrate me. What’s more frustrating is realizing that this attitude extends to many female athletes, contributing to the alarming dropout rates among girls in sports, which are double that of boys by the age of 14.
The reasons behind these dropout rates are multifaceted, encompassing factors such as limited access, financial constraints, ingrained societal stereotypes, a dearth of role models, and negative experiences within the sports realm. For those unfamiliar, in many European countries, co-ed teams are the norm for players up to approximately 12 years old. However, what often happens is that there are only one or two girls and 15 boys on the team, presenting an immensely challenging environment. Consequently, it’s no surprise that many girls choose to step away from sports, citing issues ranging from inadequate support to a pervasive sense of unwelcomeness.
On the other…
