Maximising enjoyment to sustain girls’ sport participation: a unique case study of Netball in Australia

Understanding the Leadership and Environmental Mechanisms in a Super League Netball Club

“…Gabby and Hephzi highlight that one of the most challenging elements emanating from the organizational structure, and that affected the club's broader social environment (i.e., Quality Social Dynamics gear), was the tension between performance and development, which has been extensively reported across many different contexts (e.g., Henriksen & Stambulova, 2017;Larsen et al, 2014). Our findings highlight the importance of person-centred approaches which recognize and value stakeholders' lives beyond their immediate sport experience (Litchfield & Elliott, 2020). Furthermore, our findings are consistent with many such reports which often highlight the need for effective communication between stakeholders and the maintenance of seamless, integrated, pathways as far as is possible (Henriksen et al, 2010;McLaren & Spink, 2018).…”

Keeping Girls in Sport: A Two-Part Evaluation of an E-Learning Program for Coaches and Activity Leaders

“…It is known that sport coaches play a key role with regards to sport dropout, since support from coaches has been identified as a factor impacting retention of girls in sport (Staurowsky et al, 2020). Research demonstrates that the quality of the coaching experience influences participation, where positive coaching is associated with increased enjoyment and leads to continued involvement (Litchfield & Elliott, 2021), while negative experiences can lead to disengagement and increased drop-out rates among girls (Staurowsky et al, 2020). Moreover, if coaches understand the emotional, psychosocial, and physical changes girls experience it can be particularly helpful for retaining girls in sport (Culver & Kraft, 2020), with girls themselves suggesting a preference for a coach that is patient, able to provide emotional support, and reinforce enjoyment (Litchfield & Elliott, 2021).…”

“…Research demonstrates that the quality of the coaching experience influences participation, where positive coaching is associated with increased enjoyment and leads to continued involvement (Litchfield & Elliott, 2021), while negative experiences can lead to disengagement and increased drop-out rates among girls (Staurowsky et al, 2020). Moreover, if coaches understand the emotional, psychosocial, and physical changes girls experience it can be particularly helpful for retaining girls in sport (Culver & Kraft, 2020), with girls themselves suggesting a preference for a coach that is patient, able to provide emotional support, and reinforce enjoyment (Litchfield & Elliott, 2021). By developing the KGIS program, the Canadian sport organizations recognised both the need to address issues of sport dropout among adolescent girls and the positive impact that coaches and leaders with knowledge about particular experiences of girls may have.…”

Editorial: Engaging Women and Girls in Community Sport: Building an Equitable and Inclusive Future

“…Uncovering the narratives surrounding the various issues from a range of disciplinary perspectives, country contexts and sports can inform building an equitable and inclusive future to attract and retain women and girls in community sports. Likewise, supporting community sport to develop ideas, methods and solutions with stakeholders informs practice and policy, like the development of a theoretical blueprint for attracting and retaining girls' in Australian football (Elliott et al, 2020 ) and netball clubs' utilizing fun and enjoyment to promote inclusion, participation and retention (Litchfield and Elliott, 2020 ).…”