How many times have you heard comments like "girls shouldn't play that sport" or seen girls' teams playing in half-filled arenas? What impact does this have on girls and their desire to play sport throughout puberty? Have you thought about how this impacts your daughter, niece, or even sister's interest in sport? These are critical questions that Always are committed to answering, and as the world prepares for the 2016 Olympic Games, they wants to urge, encourage and inspire girls everywhere to Keep Playing #LikeAGirl.
Laura Trott
British cycling star and Olympic gold medallist Laura Trott is partnering with Always #LikeAGirl to share her own story and encourage girls to keep playing sport. She explains:
"For me, it's about being a role model and trying to inspire girls not to give up. We all go through it, but puberty can be such a challenging time for girls, you suddenly feel really self-conscious about lots of things and start thinking you can't or shouldn't do certain activities. I remember kids making fun of me for cycling and wearing a helmet and that would really knock my confidence. But playing sport taught me that by believing in myself, and never quitting, you can achieve great things.
"That's why I am proud to be supporting the Always #LikeAGirl mission to help stop the drop in confidence girls experience at puberty. Sport really is one of the strongest confidence building activities and as a female athlete competing in the Olympic Games I want to encourage and inspire girls everywhere to keep playing #LikeAGirl and never quit."
Data from the most recent Always Confidence & Puberty Survey*, shows that by the end of puberty, over half of girls surveyed (64%) will have quit playing sport. To help shed light on this issue, Always partnered with Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker Nanette Burstein to find out how girls feel about playing sport. Hear their stories and be motivated by their passionate rallying call for all girls to keep playing by watching the Always Keep Playing #LikeAGirl video:
Many studies have found that ongoing participation in sport significantly contributes to confidence in girls, at any level, and provides valuable skills to help them stay confident to do any and every thing later in life. In fact, a recent 2015 study of consumers in the UK showed that women aged 18 to 24 are twice as likely to be confident if they play sport regularly, compared to those who do not play at all. Additionally, the recent Always survey found that girls reported that three of the top benefits of staying involved in sport are increased confidence, teamwork, and staying in shape. However, despite the known benefits, girls still report that they don't feel like they belong in sport. Further, 67% of girls feel that society does not encourage them to play sport.
Always is inviting everybody to join in to rewrite the rules and keep girls in sport. Pledge that you'll Keep Playing #LikeAGirl and encourage others to do the same. Upload a picture, shoot a video or tweet using #LikeAGirl to show your support and inspire young girls everywhere to Keep Playing.