Wild reason Gen Z aren’t athletes

An elite netballer has revealed the reason she kept putting off returning to sport, despite the fact she was “yearning” for the community. She says she’s not alone.

A former elite netball player has revealed how she kept putting off returning to sport, despite the fact she was “yearning” for the community.

Sarah Wall spent 12 years playing netball at an elite level, winning three national championships in the process.

Wall stopped playing netball at the elite level temporarily, allowing her to build netball coaching business NETFIT, before the “yearning” for that sense of community returned.

“It was an old coach that said to me you really need to come back and play, even if it’s just a quarter, because we want you to feel like part of the team again,” Wall told news.com.au.

“I had kept finding reasons in my head not to go back, but as soon as I did I felt so empowered again and realised I had just been in my own head too much.

“I am so grateful to that coach because it helped me start again — slowly — and fall in love with the sport all over again.”

Wall at the ASICS event. Picture: Supplied

She said she found a new sense of enjoyment for netball, falling in love with the social aspect of the game without being dragged down by self-critiquing that plagued her previously.

“Being present, noticing a thought come into my mind and not ignoring it or being critical about that thought ... just saying to myself ‘that’s interesting that came into my mind and just letting it out’,” she told news.com.au.

Wall isn’t the only one who experiences negative self talk when it comes to sport — but for some, that feeling makes them walk away from their sport all together.

Wall played at the elite level for 12 years.

Research commissioned by sportswear brand ASICS ahead of the launch of the Netburner Ballistic FF 3 shoe launch revealed that as well as the obvious health benefits, being part of a community and connecting with others were identified as the key benefits.

But, almost one in two people drop sport in their teen years, typically because of schoolwork and a lack of self-confidence in ability.

The research found Gen Z are the most insecure, with more than half lacking the confidence in their skills to continue the sport.

Overall, men are twice as likely to continue in their sport, according to the ASICS research.

“This statistic is quite striking and may indicate insecurities young women often feel as this stage and/or social pressures and expectations of young women, overlooking the benefits that come with playing sport beyond their teenage years,” Meg McClurg, ASICS ambassador and psychologist said.

Wall’s experience influenced her coaching career. Picture: Daniel Munoz/Getty Images

“Demonstrating to young women that team sports are a valuable outlet for stress relief, can help build confidence, and promote a s sense of community with like-minded people, subsequently helping lessen this divide.”

Wall said as a coach she does her best to look at the sporting environment, now asking how everyone’s day was first up.

“I like to point out strengths in every single player so they get their confidence up and I also want them to feel valued in a team so I constantly remind them what they bring to this team and I also say thing like ‘it’s okay that we have to work on., but we’ll get there, and you have so many other strengths already’,” she said.

“When coaches and players around me said those things to me I know my confidence lifts, so I do the same for others.

“When I hear stories of people quitting their favourite sport because they don’t feel like they are good enough, or they don’t feel like they’ve perfected certain skills, it breaks my heart because movement should really be focused on feeling good, instead of trying to be the best.

“The biggest focus for us at NETFIT is to create an environment where everyone feels welcome, and that everyone has fun and can be themselves.”

Originally published as Wild reason Gen Z aren’t athletes