A new Tennis Australia campaign, headlined by Ash Barty is encouraging young girls to stick with sport
Former Australian Diamonds captain Natalie von Bertouch on Tennis Australia’s new campaign aimed at encouraging girls to stick with sport into their adult years.
Women's sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Women's sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Adelaide Oval needs to have a statue of a female sporting hero
- How to make the most of your Advertiser digital subscription
The world’s No. 1 women’s tennis player, Australian Ash Barty, is fronting a new campaign aimed at keeping girls playing sport beyond their teenage years.
I must admit I’m shocked there needs to be a campaign, but such is the dire state of girls participating in sport.
According to research, despite the rise in the profile of women’s sport globally, one in three girls will drop out of playing by the time they reach the age of 18, with peer pressure, body image and being told they are not good enough as the main reasons for the dropout.
Enter Barty and Tennis Australia, who are sending the message to young girls that they should play sport for their own benefit and not worry about how they look or how good they are.
Barty’s line is: ‘I Play For Me, You Play For You’. Tennis Australia’s social media slogan is #playforyou.
It is such a commendable campaign, but I wonder how much the broader society is to blame for this situation? Certainly, a sportswoman’s physical appearance remains a key to gaining social media followers and athlete ambassadorships – which athletes and organisations alike desperately need to keep afloat.
There’s no denying that media coverage and sponsorship deals favour attractive athletes, but further research tells us that the image of the attractive athlete does nothing to inspire women to play sport, watch sport or respect sport.
Stream over 50 sports Live & On-Demand with KAYO SPORTS on your TV, computer, mobile or tablet. Just $25/month, no lock-in contract. Get your 14-day free trial and start streaming instantly >
In fact the pressure to be fit and glamorous plays a significant role in girls dropping out of sport – and not only that but can also trigger eating disorders.
In my junior years, I battled an eating disorder that almost stole my career before it started. If I didn’t have the support of my coaches and family it could have been a very different story.
I was one of the lucky ones that was able to recover before it was too late. But there are far too many athletes that aren’t so lucky, who never get back and achieve their potential.
Social media bombards our feeds with images of fit, attractive sports stars. Thinking back to when I was playing netball at the to level, image was important, and I actively participated in this negative ideal of trying to look perfect when I was playing (along with most of my team-mates).
That included things like putting on fake tan before matches, straightening my hair, there were even players who wore makeup on the court … I can’t think of a male athlete fake tanning before running out on the oval.
Looking back on it now, I wonder what pressures caused me to want to “dress up” before a match? No wonder girls dropout.
Then if you add the fact that our girls are being told they are not tall enough, fast enough, strong enough; it’s a dangerous mix.
However, this is not just a female thing. The AFL Draft is coming up next week and plenty of young men will be told their ability falls short. The fear of failure is real.
We need women (and men) believing in themselves and for those who will never be the “world’s best” to continue to be happy just playing sport for the sheer enjoyment of it.
We need to lose the image shackles and let girls just be girls – to play for themselves rather than what others think. And just imagine where women’s sport rise to if we boosted female participation overall.
Originally published as A new Tennis Australia campaign, headlined by Ash Barty is encouraging young girls to stick with sport
Ranked: Who should really be named SA’s top sporting hero?
We’ve named the top 100 athletes, teams and sporting icons from South Australia. But did we get it right? Rate our full list here.
Matildas loss rugby’s gain as teens help Aussies end long Sevens drought
Grit, a fighting spirit and a pair of young guns - including one that was touted as a future Matilda - have helped Australia end a seven-year-long drought in rugby sevens.