Help girls listen to their bodies
Real talk
By listening to and learning from their bodies, girls are more likely to accept and appreciate what they can do and experience—keeping in tune with what their bodies need when playing sport. Let's help them stay in the game.
For girls, the joy of sport should stem from their experience, not their appearance. It's common for girls to be preoccupied with and worry about their appearance. This can manifest in ways such as: comparing themselves to others, talking negatively, positively or too much about their appearance, or avoiding certain activities for fear of being judged. By encouraging girls to appreciate, respect and listen to their bodies—their capabilities, limitations and unique traits—we can all promote body confidence and enhance their sporting experience.
There are a number of reasons why girls may not listen to their bodies. For example, they may ignore feelings of hunger and skip a meal because they're worried about their weight, or they may push through an injury because they're worried about missing a game. Teammates, coaches and parents can also unknowingly encourage girls to ignore what their bodies need. After all, how many girls have been told they're being dramatic? We have to normalise and prioritise girls listening to their bodies and participating in sport in a way that's right for them.
To help with this, we're going to introduce you to the Three-Step Sense Check. This is a useful tool for coaches and parents to use with girls and can be used anywhere, at any time. It's a simple system to help athletes check in with what their bodies need. Take her through the following steps and see how she comes to connect with, and trust, her body.
Step 1: Slow down
Ask her to pause and take three deep breaths in through her nose and out through her mouth.
If she feels comfortable, ask her to close her eyes.Step 2: Check in
Ask her to scan her body from top to bottom. Tell her to pay attention to what her body is feeling and where.
What is she noticing? For example, is she cold? Is she hungry?
Does her body need something? For example, does she have tension in her shoulders? Does she need some food?Step 3: Move forwards
Now that she has checked in with her body, she has to act in a way that meets her body's needs. For example, stretch parts of her body that feel tense or get a quick snack. Perhaps she doesn't need anything, and she can carry on her way.
She can use this exercise any time, anywhere. For example, before she starts training, or while she's travelling to a game.
This is a brief act of self-care that helps her to connect with her body. So give it a try whenever it's needed.
By embracing these checks, we show girls that we prioritise how they're feeling and trust that they know best. Let's create a generation of athletes who are connected with, care for and respect their bodies.
Body Confident Sport is a programme developed by Nike and Dove to help girls build body confidence and make sport a place where girls feel like they belong. The content has been designed in partnership with the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport and the Centre for Appearance Research.
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