Multi-sports star Jess Foy: Sport is a fantastic tool for life and girls can benefit so much from it

‘The Impact of Sport on Girls’ Resilience’ provides insights into girls’ attitudes towards sport and the role sport plays in building resilience.

The research — commissioned by Electric Ireland — involved parents and PE teachers of schoolgirls from a cross section of Northern Ireland’s secondary and grammar schools.

The report has led to the production of a digital resilience resource which includes a commissioned one-woman play, panel discussion and digital workbook which will be made widely available online and to all Northern Ireland secondary level schools.

PE teacher Foy believes the initiative is vital and will encourage teenage girls to remain in sport.

“I watched the play on Thursday, and it is so relevant to the experience that young girls face in everyday life. It highlights the challenges and obstacles that come your way in life.

“It looks at the barriers that prevent girls participating in sport, but also highlights the benefits to remaining active.

“The play is a great conversation starter, and the research itself is vitally important.

“It shows that girls can use their experience in sport to overcome challenges in everyday life.

“Sport gives you the toolset and the confidence to deal with all sorts of everyday situations.

“As a PE teacher myself, I see that the resilience you build through sport can help girls deal with pressure at exam time or when it comes to doing interviews for university or work.

“Sport is a fantastic tool for life.”

The key findings show that 60 per cent of parents are unaware of the positive impact sport has in building resilience.

The top factors given by parents affecting girls’ resilience are social media (80 per cent), body image pressure (72 per cent) and cyber bullying (49 per cent).

When asked about sports impact on resilience in girls, 81 per cent of parents believe that playing sport will give their daughter more confidence.

Foy — who captained the Glens to league and cup glory last year — agrees that sport can build confidence among young girls.

She said: “14 or 15 is a crucial time for teenage girls. That’s when you become self-aware and body conscious.

“Sometimes there’s an embarrassment factor when it comes to participating, particularly if a child doesn’t excel in sport.

“The girls often compare themselves to those playing at an elite level, and then feel inadequate.

“What we try to do as teachers is encourage the girls to find a sport that they enjoy. If they enjoy it, they’re far more likely to stay in that sport for longer.

“Football is the main sport in most schools nowadays, but it’s not the ideal sport for everyone.”

For over a decade, Foy has balanced her football career with her inter-county GAA commitments. Inevitably, this meant the 28 year-old had to make a series of sacrifices — but she believes those sacrifices have all be worth it.

The Down star said: “As a teenager I made a lot of difficult decisions. I missed out on things because I was training nearly every night, and had to turn down going out on a Friday or Saturday night as I had a match the next day.

“There was always peer pressure to do other things, and it can be tempting to drift away from sport in those circumstances.

“It can be tough financially as well, because your friends will all take on part-time jobs while your out playing sport.

“But the rewards are there if you stick with sport. My club has always been my social outlet – you make so many friends from all sorts of backgrounds by playing sport.”

In the report, PE teachers like Foy highlighted the negative influence of social media on body image, confidence and mental health. It causes many girls to skip or opt-out of PE in school.

The teachers identified mixed classes and sport kit issues as having negative impacts on girls’ participation in PE and sport.

Reflecting on the report, Foy said: “The research that has been done is incredible. I’m delighted that this will be promoted across all schools in the next few weeks, as it will create a conversation in classrooms — and it’s a conversation we need to have.

“We want to give schoolgirls confidence to get involved and stay involved in sport. Not everyone needs to become an international or play at an elite level — it’s okay to play sport at a local club just for the fun factor.

“You will still gain resilience and develop your life skills from playing sport at an amateur level. It’s all about making connections with people from different backgrounds — sport is an amazing way to develop your character.”

Anne Smyth, Sponsorship Specialist at Electric Ireland said: “It is well documented that adolescent girls aged between 12–15 years old are more likely to drop out of sport and physical activity than boys of the same age.

“There has been much research into why this happens and into the benefits of playing sport. In commissioning this report we wanted to take the conversation a step further, address any gaps in awareness around the benefits of playing sport and highlight the lifelong benefits of playing sport that extends well beyond the sports pitch.

“While some parents are aware of the positive impact of playing sports, our research shows that a sizeable number of parents remain unaware of the transferable life skills that sport teaches.”

Electric Ireland have teamed up with leading Irish mental health charity Pieta, to develop a Resilience Workbook with exercises and discussion topics for Key Stage 3 pupils. The booklet, along with links to the play and panel discussion will form a digital resource which will available online and distributed to participating schools across Northern Ireland from March 11.

From April, Electric Ireland will host a school’s roadshow where women from a range of sporting backgrounds will talk to girls about their love of sport and the benefits of playing it throughout their lives.