This decline is concerning, considering the wide-ranging benefits of sports: increased psychological well-being, increased likelihood of staying in school longer, and a sense of enjoyment.

What’s the reason for the 45%¹ drop? Research commissioned by Dove and Nike reveals low body confidence is the main driver. To stem the tide, both companies have teamed up to launch an online coaching program: Body Confident Sport.

The online coaching toolset - developed over two years with the help of experts - prioritizes¹ self-esteem over performance and aims to build body confidence in 11-17-year-old girls.

So, how can we, as parents, help prevent our daughters from dropping out?

In this article, we examine Body Confident Sport’s research to discover what you can do to help your daughter build body confidence and embrace the sheer fun of playing youth sports.

When asked why adolescent girls had quit sports, a staggering 52%² cited receiving negative comments about their appearances, and 46%³ said they were told their bodies weren’t suitable for sports.

These comments, often dismissed as harmless, can have a devastating and long-lasting emotional impact, leading girls to abandon a healthy and enjoyable activity.

Puberty can be a help or a hindrance. When it hits boys, they grow taller and more masculine, boosting their sporting performance. But for girls, reaching puberty means bodily changes that can make them feel self-conscious, less body-confident, and more vulnerable to comparison. Girls can feel judged by their appearance when playing; some may receive unwanted attention.

The fact that appearance plays a significant role in teenage girls’ lives shouldn’t be a surprise. Research shows this realization starts before girls reach their teens, with a shocking 35%⁴ of seven to ten-year-old girls agreeing that women are rated more on appearance than abilities.

While low body confidence is a significant factor in the drop, the Women’s Sports Federation has identified several more reasons girls stop playing sports.

Here are a few noteworthy ones.

Lack of access - US teen girls have an incredible 1.3 million fewer opportunities to play high school sports than boys.

Safety issues - Sports facilities in unsafe neighborhoods without reliable transport can deter girls.

Cost - The slashing of school sports budgets means private sports are sometimes the only option for girls. With the high cost of living, families can’t afford extra fees on top of rising bills.

Lack of positive role models - Women’s sports receive less media exposure than men’s: forty⁵ percent of athletes are women, and only 4%⁵ of women in sports receive coverage.

While much remains to be resolved to keep teen girls in the game, Body Confident Sport has big ambitions.

It’s an online set of coaching tools created by Dove and Nike in partnership with experts.

Both companies have a longstanding commitment to supporting girls. The program aims to reduce self-objectification and increase girls’ body esteem. It will be delivered globally to coaches through a network of organizations in schools and clubs.

Venus Williams is one of the high-profile athletes on board. She commented¹: “In sports, girls often face a tremendous amount of pressure – not just around performance and abilities, but also because of unrealistic expectations around their appearances. I am excited to be working with Dove on this initiative to help nurture girls’ self-belief and confidence, foster a positive environment, and shift the conversation from appearance to capability. Our shared goal is to make sports a more inclusive, welcoming space for girls everywhere.”

Nurturing girls’ self-belief and confidence is crucial to keeping them in sports. So, if parents believe their daughters suffer from low body confidence, what can they do to help instill a healthy body image?

1. Avoid body talk.
Explain what her body can do to help her focus on her abilities and strengths instead of her shape.

2. Teach her not to judge others by appearance.
Teach her not to judge herself and others by their looks. Start by modeling a healthy attitude toward your appearance. Do so by cutting out remarks criticizing your body shape or others. Enjoy food without fretting about calories. The Child Mind Institute advocates⁶ praising your daughter for her abilities rather than her appearance.

3. Check what she’s watching on mainstream and social media.
Inspire her to follow sports stars, covering a range of body shapes. If her favorite show espouses unhealthy beauty standards or harmful stereotyping, start an ongoing discussion and help her analyze what she sees.

4. Encourage your daughter to move her body at every opportunity by making sports fun.
Go to matches, get Dad involved, be a role model, and discover more ideas to encourage your daughter to keep playing sports.

5. Step up to be a coach.
Since 75%⁷ of coaches are male, we need more female coaches to address this gender imbalance.

6. Help her deal with unwanted attention during sports.
Tell her it’s never her fault and explain how she can address it with her coach.

Finally, consider soccer if your daughter isn’t playing youth sports but wants to try a team sport. A study by the University of Birmingham, UK, indicated that 80%⁸ of teen girls displayed more confident behavior when playing with a soccer team, compared to 74%⁸ of those playing other sports.

Low body confidence is one of the main reasons girls drop out of sports, so we can only celebrate Body Confident Sport, an online tool aimed at coaches who want to help teen girls play sports. We how you can use this information to help your daughter become more body confident and enjoy the benefits of sports for life.