The Importance of Female Leaders in Sport
Sport does much more for youth than simply building endurance and muscle; it facilitates the opportunity for individuals to develop confidence, build character, and improve communication. Learning from past mistakes, overcoming adversity, and performing under pressure are regular tests that athletes face daily; athletes are encouraged to take these experiences and apply them in other areas of life, especially their future careers. Unfortunately, these experiences begin to dwindle for female athletes around the time they enter high school. At the young age of 14, female students are dropping out of sport at 2 times the rate of their male counterparts. Given the overwhelming positive attributes of sport, the number of females continuing to play sports in high school is underwhelming. So what gives? Girls stop playing sports for a number of reasons. Here are the most popular themes:
The importance of female leaders in sport has never been more important than today, when the rate of girls dropping out of sport is at an all time high. From a young age, children form their identities by what they see around them. Quite often, we need to ‘see it to believe it’ and when ‘less than 5% of sports media content is dedicated to women’s sports and less than 15% of sports news is presented by women’, it can be difficult for young girls to picture themselves in careers that have historically been dominated by men. Representation of women in sport helps show girls what is already possible, allowing dreams and aspirations to take flight. Limited coverage of women’s sport may minimize what girls are exposed to, so having female coaches and trainers (especially at the grassroots level) can be pivotal. Creating a positive environment and fostering a sense of community from an early age, above and beyond instructing the X’s and O’x of the game, can help shift how girls view sport as a whole. Aside from those involved directly in game play, the off-court successes of female athletes need to be shared. In a 2013 survey of high-level executives conducted by Ernst & Young, 90% of female respondents indicated that they had played a sport. This stat rose to 96% when looking at females in the c-suite roles. The benefits of sport, such as tenacity and grit, lend themselves to giving women the courage to succeed in both their professional and personal lives. Girls drop out of sport because parameters change and their lives begin to move in different directions. Women in leadership positions can help girls understand that leaving sport is not the only option, and continuing to play may in fact lead to more options down the line. The key is to collectively empower girls to understand their potential. We need female role models to not only show girls what they are capable of, but to help them develop the tools to not simply reach glass ceilings, but to shatter them. This post was written by Right Way coach, Jen O’Connor, a former USPORTS Basketball Alumna, who is currently a secondary school teacher and coach in Ottawa.
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"Undirected diligence isn't very efficient; therefore, an element of planning must go into hard work." - John Wooden
Who do you want to be? Why? Where do you want to go? Why? What is stopping you? Why? What steps can you take to change that? What are my interests? What if I don’t have clear passions or direction right now? These are JUST A FEW of the questions my mentors have helped me answer. You and I may not have the exact same goals, but think about how many situations these questions apply to. Struggling to find direction and motivation? Identifying areas of interest? Choosing what to do after high school? Transitioning to the next level in your sport? Everyone can use some help finding these answers. We are bombarded with advertisements that seemingly offer quick fixes. Get stronger, faster, skinnier, smarter, happier - you name it! Despite this, most people know that there are no real shortcuts to success and fulfillment; it takes time, intentional work and focus to achieve your goals. However, in my experience, mentorship is an effective way to fast track growth. As famed investor Warren Buffett says, “It’s good to learn from your mistakes. It’s better to learn from other people’s mistakes.” Having access to someone with more life experience that can advise and counsel is more effective than doing the journey alone. A mentor in your corner that truly cares about your development will ensure that your time, work and focus are moving in the right direction...towards the person you were meant to be! Having a mentor is NOT a quick fix; it is still you who has to walk the path. Think of a mentor as someone who helps groom the path for you. They become someone you can talk to, someone you can be real with, someone you can ask questions and someone who is invested in your success. I have benefited from the power of mentorship and I see it as my responsibility to pay that forward. We are not meant to go through life alone, we are not meant to withhold the “secrets” to success from each other. We are stronger individually AND as a community when we build each other up. I am grateful for the guidance my mentors have given me and I am grateful that Right Way has given me the opportunity to share that power with the next generation! This post was written by Right Way director and coach, Clare Murphy, a former USPORTS Basketball Alumna, who is currently a certified teacher while also serving as an assistant coach with the University of Ottawa Women's Basketball Team. Our Youth Need Our Help to Stay Focussed
With a young child, having a schedule is very important; almost as important as school and sport are for our teenagers. Motivation and initiative among youth has seen a sharp decline across the board since March 13th, and as a high school teacher I have witnessed this first hand. “Who cares if I don’t do any more work?”. “What difference does it make?”. “Why hand in any assignments if my mark can’t go down?”. Holding oneself accountable can be difficult enough when there is someone watching. Remove that someone (in the current case, everyone), and who’s left to provide motivation? As those who watched “The Last Dance” can recount, Michael Jordan was always playing a game within a game; he created reasons why he had to perform every game, and even made some of those reasons up. Real or fabricated, he knew how to create intrinsic motivation and enable himself to perform to the best of his ability. That doesn’t mean self-motivation is easy. In fact, it’s incredibly difficult for children and adults alike, and that’s before you throw in a global pandemic. As a collective society, we’re struggling; we’ve never had to do this before. Self-motivation is a tool that is not easily learned, and from the lack of routine to the absence of connection, it’s even harder to foster in isolation. So how do you build that fire inside when no one is watching? You ask yourself why (5x). Get to the root of why you do or don’t want to do something. Whether it be love or fear, understanding why is most important. Then acknowledge that the hard work that’s required won’t be easy. Fortunately, a little struggle and adversity makes us work harder and come out stronger than we were before. If you don’t want to shoot when no one is around, no one is going to make you. We’re without teammates and coaches physically… but that doesn’t mean our community is gone. Challenge yourself to step outside your comfort zone and to be accountable to yourself, but don’t do it alone; ask a friend or teammate to join you (virtually or at a distance). Set daily and weekly goals together and review regularly with encouragement to stay on track. Asking a coach or mentor for guidance can provide a great deal of benefits; regularly asking for and implementing feedback makes you a stronger person. We’re learning how to navigate new territory and now more than ever, we have the opportunity to come together and support one another in ways that didn’t previously exist. It’s the work you put in during the offseason that makes the most difference... and this may be a long off-season. This post was written by Right Way coach, Jen O’Connor, a former USPORTS Basketball Alumna, who is currently a secondary school teacher and coach in Ottawa. |