Inner West Council receive sports honour

By EVA BAXTER

The Inner West Council was named 2020 Local Council of the Year in the Community Sports Awards by the NSW Office of Sport.

The council was given the award for its collaboration with local sports clubs to boost participation in sport across the local government area, particularly among women and girls.

In 2018 a Recreation Needs Study (RNS) conducted by the council identified that women and girls have reduced opportunities for participation in sport and active recreation.

Liza Schaeper, Director on the Board of the Canterbury District Soccer Football Association (CDSFA), plays soccer in a women’s team, coaches a girls’ team and is involved in admin at the club level. She said girls and women’s participation has increased over the last ten years.

“The CDSFA has created a competition for women over 30 years of age so mums can play, and a Women’s Intermediate League for girls 17-21,” she said.

“This competition helps girls who want to stay in the sport during the HSC years and the period of transitioning through university to work.”

According to the RNS, 65 percent of 15-year-old girls participate in team sports, yet only 17 percent of 25-34-year-old women continue to do so. Women participate less in organised sport and physical activity than men, particularly between the ages of 25 and 44.

Women were much less likely to participate in sport for fun and enjoyment, 81% of women over 15 participate in physical activities for health and fitness reasons, including to lose or maintain weight, and for psychological reasons.

One initiative created by the Inner West Council to drive women’s participation in sports was  ‘Girls Get Active’ Day in 2020. The program was run in partnership with Sport NSW and 120+ girls from local schools attended, with a panel of female athletes and opportunities to try a variety of sports.

Changing the culture

Alyssa Graf has been playing soccer in the Inner West area for 15 years. She noticed that the number of girls playing soccer around her began to drop off at age 16, and then again around 20. She said sport isn’t a big part of female culture.

“I know a lot of men who are a part of teams because that’s where they see their friends and that’s what they bond with their friends over,” said Alyssa.

“A lot of my friends, I don’t bond with over sport.”

Liza said quality bathrooms, change facilities and more fields are needed for more women and girls to get involved.

“The clubs and competitions work hard to recruit and support girls and women, Council and other levels of government work hard to provide fields and facilities. For more women and girls to be involved, we need more fields and more modern facilities,” she said.

She said that team sport can propel girls into the board room by teaching them to stand up to an opposing force with the intention to win.

“Girls learn it’s ok to want to win, to strive and try hard and celebrate wins.”