Imagine a sporting environment where young people of all shapes and sizes feel confident and comfortable in their bodies. Where the focus is on enthusiasm, teamwork and performance, not appearance. Picture a changing room filled with laughter and support, where young people can choose what uniform best suits their body and comfort level. Imagine a coach who celebrates diversity among their players, highlighting the unique strengths of each person. Visualise a club where bodies aren’t a topic of conversation, and body shaming and negative talk about food — as well as commentary on food choices — are simply not tolerated. Where the walls are filled with images of people with diverse body shapes and sizes, from varied backgrounds, and with different identities, skills and abilities. Envision a space where young people are encouraged to listen to their bodies, fuelling for performance rather than appearance. A place where everyone feels like they belong, regardless of their body shape or size.
This is all possible with the Activate by Embrace Kids resources for community sports clubs.
With the Paris Olympics in full swing, many young people are feeling inspired to pursue — or continue — playing community sports. But too often, young people drop out of sport and exercise because they feel self-conscious. In fact, 61% of girls report ‘feeling judged’ as a significant barrier to engaging in sport and physical activity. In addition to this, 56.9% of boys and 33.1% of girls report being called names in relation to their size and weight from same-sex peers, and 12.4% of boys and 36.2% of girls report teasing from opposite-sex peers in sport. These numbers can feel overwhelming and scary, but there’s something that you can do to help young people stay in sport. And the best part? It’s all free…
The Activate by Embrace Kids resources cover everything you need to know about building better body image in your community sports club or organisation. They specifically aim to support parents, coaches and administrators to create a welcoming, inclusive club culture to prevent young people dropping out of sports and other physical activities because they feel judgement, shame and embarrassment about their bodies.
The Activate Playbook is a practical guide based on research in the areas of body image, sport and physical activity, drawn together by Dr Angela Hinz, Lecturer at the University of the Sunshine Coast, and Dr Zali Yager, Adjunct Associate Professor at the Institute for Health and Sport at Victoria University.
The Activate Masterclass is a 15-minute video hosted by former Olympic swimmer Libby Trickett, that features sports lovers from around Australia. It brings together practical, evidence-based advice and real-world examples to show clubs how they can make simple changes to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all bodies.
The Playbook and Masterclass complement each other and cover the following 4 key areas:
- Offering flexibility in sport uniforms
- Celebrating diversity and representing all bodies
- Banning body talk and body shaming
- Focusing on food as fuel
If you’re ready to improve player wellbeing, foster a supportive club culture and keep young people in sport for longer, sign up to access the free Activate Playbook and Masterclass here. Just tick ‘Community Sports’ when signing up, and we’ll send them straight to your inbox.
If you are concerned that your young person is struggling with their body image, don’t hesitate to seek out the support and guidance of a professional. Their GP or the Butterfly Foundation National Helpline (1800 334 673) is a great place to start.
