Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity- CAAWS

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June 16, 1999

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Self-Esteem, Sport and Physical Activity

"Self-esteem isn't everything; it's just there's nothing without it." ... Gloria Steinem in Revolution from Within: A Book of Self-Esteem

Self-esteem--a young woman's perception of self-worth--develops gradually as she matures and interacts with others. If parents, teachers, coaches and others communicate approval, liking and respect, a child develops positive feelings of self-confidence and self-worth. Conversely, if significant others belittle a girl and communicate that she is not worthwhile in her own right, she will tend to view herself as unworthy. While self-esteem is most strongly developed at a young age, individuals and society continue to affect and influence self-esteem.

Low levels of self-esteem in young women may be the result of discrimination, sexism, inequities in all aspects of life, harassment, abuse, dysfunctional family life, a lack of female role models, poor parenting or the portrayal of women in the media.

Adolescent women with low self-esteem are more likely to suffer mental health problems (such as depression and eating disorders); to engage in high-risk behaviours; to have problems in school and in their relationships; to have negative body images and obsessions with weight, body size and shape; and to drop out of physical activity. Young women with high levels of self-esteem are likely to be happy and confident, to perform well in school, to be popular and to participate in physical activity.

While every young woman is unique, recent Canadian studies paint a negative composite picture of self-esteem and young women in Canada today.

Although a majority of young women say they feel good about themselves, young men consistently score higher on all measures of self-esteem.

Young women lose self-esteem during the high-school years; the gap between young men and young women increases throughout adolescence.

Young women's self-esteem is more dependent on relationships (especially on families) than young men's.

Young women are more likely to do nothing when bullied and to avoid confrontation at all costs.

In 1988, a National Task Force on Young Females and Physical Activity defined the problem of self-esteem and physical activity this way:

Females, beginning at an early age, under-value and underestimate their capacity (and potential) for competency in physical activity. This view is shared by others in society, including male peers. As a result, a girl's competency in physical activity constantly falls further behind her male peers. She may select only activities that are traditionally female, or worse, be turned off physical activity altogether.

There is good evidence to suggest that sport, active living and physical education can have a positive effect on self-esteem in adolescent women. Indeed, we have a moral responsibility to offer programs with ethical leadership that foster feelings of self-worth.

How Can Individuals Enhance Self-Esteem?

Coaches, physical education teachers and active living leaders can positively influence self-esteem in adolescent women as program designers and as members of larger systems that promote sport and active living. Here is a checklist for ways that individuals can reinforce positive self-esteem.

Personal Interactions

Practice mutual respect and learn all participants' names.

Provide sincere, positive encouragement and recognize effort.

Listen to your athletes and participants. Acknowledge the feelings behind what a young woman is saying.

Show unconditional regard: when a young women misbehaves, dislike the behaviour, not the person.

Avoid sex-stereotyped activities and comments, such as "don't act like a girl".

Avoid comments about body size and shape.

Praise girls for their skills and successes, instead of praising them for their appearance. Tell them "you did a great job today," not "you look great today".

Encourage young men to talk about feelings and to solve problems in nonviolent ways.

Encourage young women to declare boundaries and to say no.

Interact in intentionally inclusive ways: reject all discrimination or stereotyping based on gender, race, age, ethnicity, body size, ability or sexual orientation.

Present yourself as a positive role model.

Introduce your athletes and participants to dynamic women leaders who convey strength and independence. All to often women are seen as chaufeurs or watergirls; they need to be seen as officials, coaches, and leaders.

Programming

Ensure early successes based on realistic, gradual progression.

Make activities relevant to young women: focus on cooperation, relationships, fun and skill development.

Decrease competitive situations during learning.

Involve young women in making decisions.

Ensure that every participant experiences some form of success.

Meet with parents to discuss values and attitudes toward physical activity and how you can work together to foster physical success and positive self-esteem.

Give young women and young men equal attention and equal air time.

Forbid racist and sexist remarks, harassment, bullying and verbal and physical abuse. If a situation occurs, act immediately to correct it.

If you suspect that a young woman has (or is developing) an eating disorder, help her get counselling immediately.

Provide young women with physical challenges. Ensure safety without overprotecting girls and young women (e.g., ensure safe routes to and from program sites, travel in groups, try coed teams and teaching, and provide safe, high-quality equipment).

Give young women responsibilities and leadership opportunities.

Get involved. Find ways to influence your organization's support of young women.

How Can Organizations and Institutions Enhance Self-Esteem?

If sport, school and active living systems are serious about bolstering young women's self-esteem, they must confront gender inequities that are imbedded in the policies and practices of the system. Here is a checklist of ways that institutions can make physical activity more inclusive, accessible and empowering for young women.

Promotion and Communication

Portray sport, active living and physical education as cooperative, inclusive activities that encourage young women to develop a positive, active self-image.

Use multicultural visuals of both sexes in all promotional material and cover both men's and women's events. Show a variety of shapes and sizes and depict young women succeeding in nontraditional activities.

Use nonsexist language in all communications. (See Words to Watch: A Few Suggestions for Treating Men and Women Athletes Equally in Sport Reporting and Commentary.)

Policy

Examine the policies and practices of your organization. Does your organization promote gender equity and positive self-esteem? Does it forbid harassment, abuse and negative practices, such as public weigh-ins? Does it provide in-service training on the needs of young women? Does it promote healthy body images and realistic goals for athletes?

Enact policies that prohibit harassment based on gender, age, ability, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity or marital status.

Form an equity committee to spearhead policy and program changes.

Enable women with children to stay involved. Offer flexible work hours to staff, and manageable tasks and reimbursement for childcare to volunteers.

Provide affirmative action programs and professional development opportunities that encourage women to take on leadership and coaching roles.

Programming

Promote a healthy body image and healthy behaviours in all aspects of the program. Examine injury statistics, trends and the long-term safety.

Implications of advancing technology.

Provide training sessions on gender-specific needs and influencing self-esteem to coaches and leaders.

Provide accessible skill development opportunities, sports clubs and learning sessions for young women who are disadvantaged or physically challenged.

This article by Peggy Edwards is based on a paper commissioned by the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS). Single copies of the referenced paper are available on request