Encouraging Girls'Participation in Sports - 2

Building on the results of the previous EGPiS project, EGPiS2 has aimed at supporting a wider and better participation of young girls to the sport practice, thus promoting gender equality and equal opportunities, social inclusion as well as a stronger awareness of the importance of the sport practice. EGPiS2 has aimed at deepening some of the aspects of the previous EGPiS project, in order to define tools and strategies able to support girls participating sports, for them not quitting sport practice in the delicate age of adolescence (11/16). Run by 9 organizations from 9 EU Countries (Italy, United Kingdom, Turkey, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Portugal, Sweden, Bulgaria and Latvia), the project started in Jan 2018 and ended in December 2019. Thanks to a wide and consistent research phase in the 9 Countries, involving 700 teachers and coaches, 1000 parents and 2000 girls, run via desk research, interviews and questionnaires, partners have investigated the main social and cultural reasons that bring teenagers to quit sports practice. Main results of the research have served as a basis for designing the “Sport is absolutely for girls!” guide, conceived as a simple, effective, clear and handy tool for coaches, parents and teachers, with clear tips and suggestions on how to provide supports to girls participating sports, with a specific focus on the main themes tackled by the project (environment, offer, leadership and tutoring…).The second part of the project has been dedicated to the design, testing and assessing of a training course for teachers, coaches, sports managers and parents. Tested in the 9 participating Countries with 90 coaches, 40 teachers, 20 sports managers, 50 parents and 200 girls, the training course has been assessed in its final version as a combined tool comprehensive of an introductive common part (core workshop), 4 different pathways for the different target groups, a guide for reflective workshop for feedback collection, 4 programmes of studies, plus tutors notes and guidelines to support the tutors in delivering the course itself. Besides these 2 tools, the project has produced a Video Tutorial aimed at creating an emotional, effective communication tool addressed to main project targets (teachers and coaches, parents, girls). The video has been designed according to the main project findings: need of support of coaches and parents, accent on non-girly sport as basketball is, sport as a powerful mean to increase soft skills and self-confidence. The video has been highly promoted by the consortium on the social networks (32.000 persons reached) and during dissemination events.All the deliverables of the project have been widely shared with local, national and international stakeholders through an ongoing and relevant dissemination activity run in the 9 Countries. 9 multiplier events have been run at the end of the project, together with more than 15 dissemination events foreseen by partners during the project running; about 900 stakeholders have been directly addressed by the projects and more than 17.000 persons in dissemination activities, thus ensuring a wide and sound impact of the project results. Given the interest of the theme tackled in the project, and its relevance in the Countries involved, a commitment letter has been signed in the 9 Countries by 39 policy makers at local, regional and national level (public bodies, umbrella organizations…), willing to include project themes and results in their decisional processes. The main project deliverable are now available for free download on the project website: https://www.egpis2.com/