The Connected Girl: Give them a sporting chance with Dr. Nicole LaVoi
Loading player...
Participating in school sports and physical activities is proven to boost confidence, resilience, and the ability to work as part of a team. These benefits extend beyond childhood into adults’ professions and relationships, making a positive difference in almost every aspect of life.
But the UN reports that girls drop out of sports in adolescence at twice the rate of boys. There are a multitude of reasons for this, including social expectations, stereotypes, and a lack of investment in quality athletic programmes. We know that the biggest predictor of sport participation for a girl is her own perceived competence. So what can adults do with this knowledge, to give girls a fair chance?
This episode’s guest, Dr. Nicole LaVoi, offers hope. She shares research-driven strategies to improve access and opportunity for girls. Girls love sport – and if you give them the opportunity, they will play.
Dr. Nicole LaVoi is the Director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, and a faculty member in the School of Kinesiology at the University of Minnesota in the US. She has co-produced three Emmy-nominated documentaries on female athletes, hosts a podcast, regularly conducts workshops and talks, publishes prolifically, and was a student athlete herself.
The Connected Girl is a podcast series produced by the International Coalition of Girls' Schools and hosted by Trudy Hall. In this season, we’re looking at how the adults in girls' lives can nurture agency – the confidence and capacity to act – while allowing girls to evolve, experiment, tolerate discomfort, and sometimes fail. The sporting realm is a perfect place to flex these muscles. Listen to find out why.
But the UN reports that girls drop out of sports in adolescence at twice the rate of boys. There are a multitude of reasons for this, including social expectations, stereotypes, and a lack of investment in quality athletic programmes. We know that the biggest predictor of sport participation for a girl is her own perceived competence. So what can adults do with this knowledge, to give girls a fair chance?
This episode’s guest, Dr. Nicole LaVoi, offers hope. She shares research-driven strategies to improve access and opportunity for girls. Girls love sport – and if you give them the opportunity, they will play.
Dr. Nicole LaVoi is the Director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, and a faculty member in the School of Kinesiology at the University of Minnesota in the US. She has co-produced three Emmy-nominated documentaries on female athletes, hosts a podcast, regularly conducts workshops and talks, publishes prolifically, and was a student athlete herself.
The Connected Girl is a podcast series produced by the International Coalition of Girls' Schools and hosted by Trudy Hall. In this season, we’re looking at how the adults in girls' lives can nurture agency – the confidence and capacity to act – while allowing girls to evolve, experiment, tolerate discomfort, and sometimes fail. The sporting realm is a perfect place to flex these muscles. Listen to find out why.
