Half of Canadian girls stop participating in sport by the age of 17: expert

An alarming number of girls stop playing sports by the age of 17, and a new campaign aims to keep them in the game.

‘Get Girl Coached’ is a national campaign launched by Canadian Women and Sport Monday with the purpose of keeping girls playing.

“Girls are being asked to adapt to sports systems that aren’t really designed to serve them. They bump up against coaches that don’t fully understand them, lack of resources or inequitable resources, and lack of visibility and support,” says Allison Sandmeyer- Graves, Canadian Women and Sport CEO.

Sandmeyer-Graves says half of Canadian girls stop participating in sports by the age of 17. The organization is hoping this campaign helps turn these numbers around.

“Unfortunately, the drop out rate starts early in adolescents and continues and builds throughout those teen years,” says Sandmeyer-Graves.

Ayushi Kurian played sports throughout her childhood and, when she got to university, the pressures of school and a part-time job forced her to take a step back.

“I used to love running. I used to be in a lot of races, marathons and things like that. I was on the basketball team, we used to do interschool competitions, and it feels like ages ago,” says Kurian.

Figure skating coach Stephanie Steele says the teen years are when she sees skaters slow down. She works hard to make sure her skaters have fun and know she’s there for them.

“There’s just so much pressure on them from all aspects of life, school etc., so I think just trying to make sure that they know we are always there for them whether that’s five days a week or cutting down to accommodate their schedules and giving them that range of options,” says Steele.

“We want to really rally sport leaders all across Canada – that means coaches, board members, administrators. It can also mean corporate sponsors and the media and others who play a role in this space to get girl coached, which means really listening to the girls and understanding their wants and needs and make sport a place where girls play and stay,” says Sandmeyer-Graves.

These experts say there are many benefits to playing sports that these girls are missing out on.

“Work ethic, discipline, self motivation and working in a team even in an individual sport, working with your training mates and with your coaches and learning those life lessons is really important,” said Steele.

Alyssa Ivany started playing hockey at four years old and has no plans to stop.

“What I like about hockey is that I get to stay active and stay in shape and I like making a lot of new friends,” says Ivany, a U15 hockey player with Metro West Force.

Ivany says hockey will also help open doors for her in the future.

“I want to stick with it until I get to college so I can get a scholarship to university and then become a doctor,” said Ivany.

Carolyn Farnand continues to run marathons in adulthood and encourages all young athletes to stick with it.

“I got to be a lifeguard in university, I played soccer, I played water polo. I started running in university as well and that was such a cool tool just to have something for myself and help with my mental health and get out of my head and my thoughts,” says Farnand.

Flipping the dynamic and having the girls teach the coaches is something Sandmeyer-Graves says will help them succeed in sports.

“We believe that girls are experts on their own experience and their own wants and needs. So, let’s put them in charge and listen to what they have to tell us, says Sandmeyer-Graves.

“If we listen straight from them and we act on what they tell us we are absolutely going to have more success being better coaches for them and making stronger environments for them and ultimately keeping them playing.”

Despite a number of girls stepping away from the courts, fields and tracks, Sandmeyer-Graves says there has been tremendous momentum behind women’s sports overall. She adds professional women’s sports is a growing space in Canada.