Researchers at Flinders University say there is an urgent need to encourage more girls to participate in sports, following a new study that reveals a striking lack of research on girls’ sports engagement.

A new study in Sport in Society journal set out to review existing data on interventions to engage female adolescents in organized sport, and to explore the different factors that influence their experience and decision making in sport. The paper is titled “Organized sport engagement interventions for female adolescents: a systematic review using the Youth Sport System.”

“Despite a rigorous systematic search of more than 3,000 articles, only five (globally) were found to have specifically examined ways to increase female adolescent participation in organized sport, demonstrating that this is a woefully under-researched area,” says James Kay from the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work.

“The distinct lack of literature on female adolescent sport participation may go some way to explain why we see so many girls drop out of sport and never return,” he warns.

In Australia, women are under-represented in organized sport—as participants, coaches, officials, administrators, and board members—when compared to their male cohort.

Despite the numerous benefits of sports participation—such as improved cardiovascular health, enhanced self-esteem, and better mental health outcomes—a staggering trend of disengagement persists among female adolescents.

Recent data indicate a dropout rate of approximately 60% for girls aged 15 and older in Australia, demonstrating a significant disparity compared to their male counterparts, who see a 42% reduction in participation.

“Factors contributing to the dropout include low confidence, societal pressures, body image concerns, and a lack of understanding regarding the impacts of the menstrual cycle on sports participation,” says Mr. Kay.

“Additionally, prevalent gender stereotypes often discourage girls from pursuing traditionally masculine sports, leading to further disengagement.”

The limited evidence-based research available shows that when interventions by schools or clubs take into consideration girls’ cultural and social norms, there is a greater engagement and retention of female adolescents.

Importantly, once they are engaged in a sports program and feel comfortable and on an equal footing with boys, the need for tailoring of activities is reduced.

“We need to more carefully consider the factors that contribute to female adolescent sport participation and find ways to better engage this population,” he says.

“We need to see sporting offerings available to female adolescents that are equivalent in quality to that of males. This doesn’t necessarily mean they need to be identical, but currently there is a wealth of organized sport options available to boys, and far less for girls as they progress through adolescence, resulting in a disproportionate rate of dropout.

“It is hoped that this review can provide a basis for more research in this area and also highlight some key elements that future participation programs may wish to consider and incorporate,” he adds.