https://www.cbc.ca/sports/canadian-girls-sport-covid-19-study-1.6101546
https://womenandsport.ca/?fbclid=IwAR37XUQhu5dPk1BPOV-METvVLL2hKCzln39F0RAwL62p0E0CHhQTj68MzYw
As a sport, dominated by female participation, we are taking this issue very seriously. Read the linked story, and the study it is based on, about the concerning drop in the number of girls returning to the sports they were involved in before COVID. There are long term social, emotional, physical and cognitive negative consequences for these girls by abandoning sport in their teenage years. Most of these girls would still be involved, if not for the pandemic, and much needs to be done to encourage them to stay involved – for their own well-being.
At CheerStrike, in spite of constant obstacles throughout the last year, we strived to keep our athletes connected and staying active. Many of the restrictions placed on sports because of COVID were disproportionately harsh on sports dominated by girls. Dance, Gymnastics and Cheer had to abide by rules created for sports like soccer, baseball, football and hockey making it impossible to run our sports in a meaningful way for the girls involved. These sports keep girls fit, they build social connections, they provide them with future work experience, they build positive body image and most importantly fight off depression, anxiety, boredom and a lack of purpose.
If you have a pre-teen or teenage daughter who is considering not returning to sport because they feel disconnected, out of shape, or just lacking motivation after a year of being told “no” so many times – please reach out to us. We are here to support athletes and families in doing what is best and healthy for their children. We are partners in making sure our athletes and all children recover from these past 17 months – socially, physically, emotionally and cognitively. These important developmental needs are met through sport – especially for girls.
At CheerStrike, our staff our currently engaged in training specific to keeping girls in sport. We are a business that builds confidence and skill in all athletes that enter our program – but we are improving our own coaching skills and educating ourselves to ensure that we are meeting this specific need to help girls re engage in the sport they love.
Email us today – we truly have a program for children and teens of all ages and all skill levels that will ease them back into being on a team and working towards their goals.