Sport Aberdeen marked Scottish Women & Girls in Sport Week with a programme of activities offering girls of all ages from across the city the chance to try new sports and build their confidence.
Scottish Women & Girls in Sport week, which ran from November 2nd, is coordinated by the Scottish Government and led by Active Scotland. The campaign aims to increase female visibility, participation and leadership across all levels of sport and physical activity.
Now in its 10th year, the campaign continues to champion the positive impact sport and physical activity can have on women’s and girls’ physical, mental and social health and wellbeing.
To celebrate the week, Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools organised a varied schedule of activities at primary and secondary schools throughout Aberdeen. Girls had the chance to try a range of sports including football, netball, volleyball, tennis, swimming, cheerleading and athletics. The inclusive programme also offered opportunities to get involved in rugby, self-defence, Boccia and Hyrox.
Sport Aberdeen’s Community Sport team also played a key role in the celebrations, partnering with Transition Extreme to deliver an exclusive Girls Only BMX event. The dedicated session proved a hit, giving girls the opportunity to experience BMX in a welcoming, female-only environment.
Eight-year-old twins Chiazam and Kamsi took part in the session, with their mum, Uju, explaining why opportunities like this are so important, “We love that this is a session for girls. They were both really excited to come along when they heard it was girls only, as they are definitely more confident doing sport when they know they will be with other girls.”
Twelve-year-old Polly and her friend Orla also enjoyed the experience, saying, “It’s better with girls as it’s more fun and more relaxed. I really like going round the tracks, it’s really fun.”
Polly's mum, Anna, added: “It’s great for them to try something new, and BMX is a great activity to try before we potentially invest in bikes. A girls only session helps to build their confidence and show them that trying new activities can be really fun and not intimidating.
“We would love to see more girls-only activity sessions like this available.”
The activities throughout the week highlighted the importance of creating inclusive and welcoming sporting opportunities, helping girls to discover new interests, develop confidence and enjoy being active.
For more information about Sport Aberdeen's Active Schools programme, visit www.sportaberdeen.co.uk/activities/active-schools
For more information about Community Sport, visit www.sportaberdeen.co.uk/community-sport.