Everyone in the family played soccer, so I did to. It was what we did. It was part of the family culture. As a girl who was gently encouraged to continue playing through high school, I came to realize that that was not the norm in my area. Not only was the sport not commonly played by kids in my high school, not all of the girls had experience playing organized sport at all. As an athlete, that was frustrating. But as an adult who is looking at the bigger picture, that is something I ponder on.
I have thought about how culture family culture shapes in particular girls’ experiences in sports. These are just some of the ways family beliefs and experiences can keep girls out of sport.
- Some want to preserve an ideal of femininity that includes only a very slim list of acceptable physical activities
- Some expect their girls to take on household duties which leave no time for sports
- Some fear for their daughter’s safety and don’t want them to be too far from home or too exposed to unfamiliar experiences
- Some are so focused on education that every other extracurricular activity is labeled and unnecessary distraction
- Some are new to the country and simply can’t navigate the various systems and resources for sport
- Some are just trying to make ends meet and can’t afford the high costs of organized sports
- Some are overbearing, overly focused on scholarship opportunity, and overly involved in the game, driving the girls to burnout and away from the game
This list is not exhaustive, but I hope it helps you think more about the various family-based reasons that girls might not be playing sports. It is, however, a start as we need to think more deeply about how culture shapes experiences if we are going to try to encourage more girls in sport.
The Sideline Fix 
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