New initiative to get girls active

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A new initiative to encourage teenage girls to do more exercise and participate in sport has been launched by the government.

The government run scheme ‘Fit for Girls’ will introduce alternatives to the traditional PE lessons and offer girls the opportunity to participate in yoga and dance classes alongside the more familiar sports like netball and hockey.

Schools will be given an added spending of £1,400 in a bid to increase the low of only 40% of 13-15 year-old girls taking part in the recommended one hour of exercise each day. The money will be spent on improving changing facilities and providing female accessories such as hair straighteners and hair dryers in a bid to lure girls back to sport.

The scheme which has already been piloted in several schools across Scotland has seen positive results and teachers are adamant it’s making a difference, “There is an appreciation from the girls where they’re saying ‘We’ll go out there and we’ll do it’ because they know they can fix themselves up afterwards.”

Youth Sport Trust have said the new investment will give teenage girls more opportunities to enjoy the social, psychological, and physical benefits made possible through physical activity and that the ‘Fit for Girls’ initiative will make the experience of PE more appealing to these girls, thus encouraging participation in later life.

Olympic and Commonwealth medallist Liz McColgan also voiced her praise of the initiative in the realisation that change is needed. “We have to move with the times and initiatives like this will captive the girls’ imaginations.”

The initiative will be led by SportScotland and rolled on to be introduced across the country.

Harriet Edkins, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine

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