Engaging women and girls in sport - what Doorstep Sport Clubs need

to know

• Us Girls is the ground-breaking initiative to get 30,000 young women from disadvantaged areas in England more active

• Us Girls is the public face of the Active Women Consortium (64 organisations), which is funded by Sport England and delivered by StreetGames

• StreetGames is the award-winning sports charity that brings sport to the doorstep of young people in disadvantaged communities across the UK

• Us Girls works with young women aged between 16 and 25 in 60 areas of high deprivation in England

• The programme began in April 2011.

Who we are

Sources of Insight

•Quarterly project m&e reports c. 50 projects

•Brunel University - project manager research / participant views

•Diva Creative - research 16-19 year old college students - attitudes and engagement in sport

•Doorstep Sport Advisers – thematic pieces of work

•Case studies.

What we have learnt - 12 months

Top Ten characteristics of a good programme

1. Partnerships

2. Flexibility in delivery

3. Willingness to change when not working

4. Effective coaches and leadership

5. Participant led-matching need

6. Families and friendship groups

7. Convenience of sessions

8. Regularity of sessions

9. Importance of value based pricing plans

10. Incentives work.

Implications for Doorstep Sport Clubs

Multi-sport sessions

“Sometimes you don’t know what you like”.

“Multi sport is absolutely right with our target group, perfect for reluctant young women without a sporting background”.

“We try to give young women an experience of different sports that they might not have played before or for a long time”

“If they go straight into a sports session, it will put them off”

Multi-sport approaches

• Multisport session – one sport after the other

• Multisport session – choice of sports at any one time

• Multisport courses with one sport for a block of 4/6 weeks

• Multisport taster courses with a different set sport each week

• One off multisport events/tasters.

Style of session

INFORMALFUN

NON -COMMITAL

SOCIAL

MUSIC

FEMALE ONLY

FRIENDLY

ACCESSIBLECONVENIENT

NON-PRESSURED

HIDDEN COACHING

AFFORDABLE

CASUAL FLEXIBLE

PAY & PLAY

Other things to think about…..Considerations

Doorstep sport basics Right time, right place, right price, right style

Programme of activities • Programme must reflect demand• Consider a wider range of activities - new

partners, additional training, demos/tasters, multi-sport

• Activities with a ‘twist’

Encourage & develop a sense of independence

This may involve:•Simply showing participants where to go / how to find info•Visits to sports venues to teach women how to use them•Liaising with leisure centre staff to ensure a welcoming environment•Discuss with centre staff the most appropriate communication channels & messages

Foster links with NGBs Be aware of ‘informal sport’ offers

Identify and support peer champions

• Women are influenced by other women• Importance of friendship groups a peer

champion.

Other things to think about…..Considerations

Communication - Using the ‘right’ tools & messages

• Posters and leaflets isn’t enough• Messages - fun, short and to the point, vibrant• Emphasis - losing weight, looking good, relaxing,

de-stressing, socialising• Images – real people who are having fun• Channels – WOM, Facebook, tasters/ demos, sms • Loyalty cards, discounts, incentives

Provide opportunities to develop leadership skills

Coaching, volunteering and decision making opportunities

Support young people to look for opportunities to join sports clubs

• Clubs & events – helping to identify where these are and how to join them

• Highlight appropriate player pathways/exit routes • Creation of new informal groups

Increase motivation • Health and lifestyle – drip feed• Explain the value of lifelong activity• Use of music!

Develop sports specific skills

This may require the provision of:•Structured coaching opportunities; learn basic skills, build confidence, put skills into practice•Setting participants skills or tricks to practice between sessions•Recognition, rewards and incentives•Access to competitive opportunities

Activity 1

• Think about who you want to work with in the future or who you want to work with more

• Give that person a ‘name’

• Provide a quote from that person – what they currently think about sport

• What are the motivations for this person to do sport or to do more sport

• What are the barriers that stop this person participating.

Activity 2

• Your commitment to working with women and girls in the next 3 months….

Us Girls - Plans for the future

• A series of practical ‘How to’ guides

• Interactive (& fun!) 3hr workshop - ‘Breaking the myth of Leanne – engaging women & girls in sport & physical activity’

• Identifying participants and their needs

• Recruiting & engaging young women – how to reach them

• Consideration of different settings

• Style of delivery.

For more info or to join the Us Girls network visit:

www.usgirls.org.uk

Or contact:

helen.crowley@streetgames.org or claire.wheeler@brunel.ac.uk (for London

projects)