Game On: Girls and Leadership – Canadian Women & Sport (CWS)

Group of young women celebrating

Overview

CWS (formerly known as the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS)) worked with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) LaunchPad to develop and implement an innovative experiential learning program designed to develop leadership competencies in a girl-centred, quality sport program to enhance girls’ motivation to stay in sport. The program focused on themes such as supporting teammates, setting and achieving goals, being strong and confident, and having a coach who is a positive role model. The program was held at MLSE Launchpad’s facility in Toronto, in the neighborhood of Moss Park. The target population was girls between the ages of 14 and 18 who currently participate in sport but who face barriers to sport participation and are at risk of leaving sport; 45 girls participated in this project.

Outcomes

The findings indicated positive and noteworthy impacts for the participants:

Quotes

“Game On made me appreciate what sports can do for me and it made me want to do it more.”

Game on participant

Figure A. Game On Results

Description of figure A. Game on Results

When evaluating Game On to determine its effectiveness, researchers found that 88% of participants stated that their participation in the program increased their desire and ability to be a leader in sport. This statistic indicates that the program is successful, as its objective was to engage girls who were likely to drop out of sport, and to prevent that from occurring.

Additional Information

More information about the Game On program is available on the CWS website.

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