From interest to exit: A look into the relationship between female students and sport at Warwick

When going to university there is an opportunity to pick up an old sport, continue with one you are familiar with or try something new. The Boar Sport conducted an investigation into how welcome female students at the University of Warwick feel in the world of university sport.

43% of girls disengage with sport after primary school, from there on only taking part in compulsory PE. According to the Women’s Sport Foundation, post-school drop out of sports happens to girls for multiple reasons; lack of access, safety and transport issues, social stigma, decreased quality of experience, cost and lack of role models being some of the many.

As part of our investigation, we launched a poll and asked respondents of all gender identities about their experiences with sport from their childhoods until present.

“Going to secondary school, it wasn’t ‘good’ for girls to play or try hard at sports unless they were really athletic or played an acceptable sport (like netball)”

Respondent to The Boar Sport survey

96% of respondents played sport as children and when asked why they stopped participating in these activities, the idea that being a girl in a male dominated sporting environment was established by many. One female student said: “When I was younger (maybe up to age 12) I loved rugby. But going to secondary school, it wasn’t ‘good’ for girls to play or try hard at sports unless they were either really athletic or played an ‘acceptable’ sport (like netball)”.

Another respondent spoke about the lack of attention given to girls’ sport in school saying that “boys sport was prioritised in high school”. She added: “The girl’s rugby team won often and were never praised in the same way [as the boys’ team], same with rounders and football. The girls’ basketball team ran for one year”. Essentially, girls teams were given less opportunities and their successes were not lauded in the same way as those of their male peers.

When asked why they are not part of a sports society, one female respondent said she felt like sports societies seemed like an “intimidating environment”

To combat these barriers for women on campus it seems like it may be necessary to do more introductory and casual sessions to make commitment both financially and timely lesser.

It can be noted that Rock Up and Play sessions are available for lots of sports at Warwick. These sessions were commented on by three female respondents when asked the question, “Would you change anything about sport at Warwick?”. One said they wanted more “beginner friendly sessions (rock up and play for more sports)” and another said they wanted “more free taster sessions throughout the year to make it easier to join a sport midway through the year”. Furthermore, the final comment focused on the booking of Rock Up and Play, it read: “Even though there are rock up and play sessions, they aren’t really advertised much and the whole booking process is a bit tricky”. This added difficulty when trying to attend what are advertised as accessible sessions is unhelpful in promoting casual sport. Although, Warwick Sport has launched a new app at the start of this academic year in an aim to improve booking.

The women’s sport and fitness foundation released their findings on barriers to girls in sport. Here they outlined personal factors that influence participation such as body image, clothing and equipment, lack of self-confidence and parental and adult influence.

A female respondent added her own experience to our survey supporting this, she explained how “girls drop out of sport around the age of puberty because of issues with confidence”. She added: “This is definitely something I noticed happen in high school. Girls are put in sets, the ones in lower sets don’t think they’re good enough to try and then don’t. Also, sports don’t have enough variation throughout education, therefore girls who don’t find ‘their sport(s)’ also take themselves out of the running and quit”.

In the month of November the university did run a ‘This Girl Can’ week which entailed girls only classes in a variety of sports

One way to combat sexual harassment and clothing and confidence issues is the implementation of women’s only sections in gyms.

Pure Gym in Leamington Spa has a ‘Women’s Workout Space’ which is popular with female students who live off campus. Warwick University’s Sport and Wellness Hub Gym does not have a Women’s only section, the addition of this could make female students feel more comfortable when using the facilities. The swimming pool has dedicated times for women, although the gym does not currently offer women’s only booking slots. In the recent £1 million gym renovation a women’s section was evidently left off of the list, with consideration for women’s only slots also not being prioritised.

However, in the month of November the university did run a ‘This Girl Can’ week which entailed girls only classes in sports such as tennis, yoga and cycling, as well as climbing, gym and pool sessions. According to Warwick Sport, this was part of a “national campaign celebrating women being active” with the aim of “challenging the conventional idea of what exercise looks like and reaching out to women of all backgrounds and ethnicities who feel left behind by traditional exercise”. The sessions were available to book via the Warwick Sport app or online for free. They also included a discounted 1-day Gym Pass for £5 on Monday the 25th of November only. This event was an impressive step in the right direction for increasing female participation in sports classes and aided financial barriers to the university facilities.

“I was one of about 6 female runners (compared to about 60 male runners) and I felt isolated and excluded”

Respondent to The Boar Sport survey

When asked in our survey, “Do you think the process of joining a sports society at Warwick is accessible?”, respondents commented on the fact that the cost was very high and off-putting, but also called out a “lack of diversity in the sports societies”. Two people commented on the competitive side of sports clubs saying “I think competitive team selections put people off as freshers” and that “the sports fair was very accessible, although when it comes to the more professional side of sport (e.g. in terms of BUCS level of competition) it is significantly less accessible”.

One female respondent also spoke of her experience in a male dominant sports society she said: “I was one of about 6 female runners (compared to about 60 male runners) and I felt isolated and excluded from a lot of the social aspects of a running club (which I had always enjoyed for my home club). I have since decided to do my own training”.

Although, lots of respondents believed otherwise. One said that “everyone is very accepting of newcomers” in sports societies and that on campus clubs are “welcoming communities” with a “lot of different options to suit everyone”. Another comment highlighted how there is “good female representation” in Executive roles of the societies.

Warwick Sport, Warwick Students’ Union and Team Warwick Sport have been contacted for comment regarding the measures put into place to increase female student participation in university sport. At the time of print, no comments have been received.

This investigation has shown that barriers to participation have impacted many women at Warwick, before and during university. While options are available for beginners and there are women’s only and mixed societies, Warwick students evidently want more provision for girls in sport as accessibility still proves to be an issue.