More and more girls are beginning to play sport every year, and it is awesome to see. However, research is showing that some girls do not want to participate in physical active because they feel embarrassed or feel they are putting their bodies on display and they do not feel like they meet society’s beauty standards.
Victoria University’s Clare Hanlon completed a national study on what girls want in sport uniforms to make them feel comfortable and confident in sport. 312 Victorian girls completed a survey to share their thoughts and beliefs about sport uniforms. The following preferences are identified for sports uniforms;
Shorts:
- 90% prefer to wear shorts during school sport
- 94% prefer to wear shorts during sport outside of school
T-shirts:
- 94% prefer to wear t-shirts during school sport
- 86% prefer to wear t-shirts during sport outside of school
Girls DO NOT want to wear:
Majority of girls do not want to wear skirts
Skirts:
- 61% do not want to wear skirts during school sport
- 57% do not want to wear skirts during sport outside of school
Recommendations for sport uniform policies:
726 Australian girls were also surveyed; 76% of them want their sport uniform to make them feel ready to play and 26% of them reported feeling fashionable is the least important feeling that they seek from sport uniforms.
Uniforms should be supplied with material consisting of three main features:
- Hides sweat (90%)
- Stretchy (81%)
- Dark coloured (64%)
Clubs should provide uniforms designed for girls and not for unisex design (61%) and should be given the freedom to choose from a range of sport uniform designs (65%). These options enable girls to feel empowered to have a choice on what they want to wear!
CADBURY Get In The Game Grants Program!
Women Sport Australia have been in contact with Sports Community, and we are proud to present the Cadbury Get In The Game Grants Program.
Women Sport Australia has supported and worked in collaboration with stakeholders from around Australia and the world to improve opportunities for girls and women in sport and recreation – both on and off the field.
Women Sport Australia and CADBURY share a vision to empower girls and women and to fuel their confidence through movement and connection. The CADBURY Get in the Game Grants will provide girls and women sports uniforms to organisations around Australia. Grants are up to $5,000 for each club or association.
What is the CADBURY Get In The Game Grant?
By offering this assistance to sporting clubs or associations across Australia we will be able to help break down one of the major barriers that often prevent female participation, the design and cost of uniforms. Our aim is to make participating in sport more inviting and accessible and in turn assist more girls and women to participate in female teams in sporting organisations across Australia.
This program’s objectives are supported by the identified research above.
CADBURY will be making donations to Women Sport Australia (WSA) through our partner Australian Sports Foundation (ASF). This donation will be used to fund the management and distribution of up to $5000 grants that can be spent on the redesign or purchase of uniforms for girls and women’s teams. Any registered sports club or association across Australia playing in any official sporting competition can apply.
The CADBURY Get in the Game Grants campaign launched on September 6th 2021. The CADBURY Get in the Game Grants program will officially launch with applications opening on 11th October 2021 – The International Day of the Girl.
A short video (max 3 minutes) is part of the application process. This will enable you to enhance your application and other club members including players should appear. The video can be shot on a smartphone (don’t worry about the quality of the video, we care more about your content), and be no more than three minutes. The video should include responses to the following questions:
- What impact this grant would have to your girls or women’s team(s)
- Why you are applying for the grant (can include relevant personal and club circumstances).
- Why breaking down barriers for girls and women playing sport is important.
You should submit an application before 5pm (AEDT) 10th December 2021. Successful grant applications will be announced on the 21st February 2022.
Head to https://form.typeform.com/to/E1acI74e to submit!
Let’s continue to make strides to remove this barrier that has an influence on young girls playing sport and participating in physical activity in Australia! Do your bit as a sporting club or school and take into account the research and suggestions on female sporting uniforms! And don’t forget to submit your application for the CADBURY Get In The Game Grant!
