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| Volume 9 Number 1 | Summer 1998 |
GIRLS AND WOMEN IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SPORT
What's inside this issue...
A Diverse Situation
| When diversity is mentioned, what comes
to mind? For most people these days, diversity is synonymous with
multiculturalism or diverse ethnic backgrounds.
But diversity goes beyond ethnic background. Diversity by definition means variety or unlikeness and therefore includes not only ethnic and cultural differences, but it also includes variety in body shapes and sizes, likes and dislikes, ability, age, and skill level. Why do we need to talk about diversity? In sport and recreation, diversity is becoming more and more of an issue. Too often, a narrow segment of the population is being served by sport and recreation opportunities. And too often, we don't try to reach out beyond those individuals because we often assume that others are not interested. This argument is erroneous and if some changes are made to how we offer programs or how we structure them, we could attract more diverse participants. Many of the issues that deal with diversity are similar to those of creating more opportunities and choices for girls and women. Although gender equity in sport and physical activity is receiving more attention and resulting in increased opportunities for girls and women at all levels, we generally assume that girls and women are a homogeneous group with similar interests, motivations and barriers. We have to remember that there is as much diversity within groups as between groups. Treating everyone equally seems like a good solution to the issues
of equity and diversity, but it has one key flaw. This principle
fails to take into account |
A simplistic example may illustrate this
point. Imagine offering a recreation program to a group of young women
from diverse cultural backgrounds, with levels of athletic ability
ranging from no experience to competitive sport experience, and one
of the women is in a wheelchair. Now, if we were to apply the principle
of equal treatment and offer them a basketball program of mid range
skill level, only the ones with previous experience would be able
to participate. Most of the participants would need instruction on
how to include the woman in the wheelchair, the women with no previous
experience would need basic instruction, the ones with competitive
experience would require more advanced instruction and playing experience.
The end result being that treating everyone the same will not meet
anyone's needs however, treating everyone differently, but fairly,
will meet everyone's needs.
Increasing awareness of diversity issues will encourage sport and recreation providers to examine the way they offer these opportunities and hopefully take measures to attract a more diverse group of participants. The first thing to be looked at should be the use of graphics and the use of language. If only one segment of the population is represented in graphics, chances are those are the only participants that will be attracted to the program. Portraying a variety of ethnic backgrounds, body sizes, and ages, as well as both genders in promotional materials will attract a variety of participants. Use of language is also very important in attracting new clients. It is important to emphasize that programs and leagues are open to everyone, to emphasize the skill level necessary in order to participate (if any) and to ensure that those who will be instructing or leading the program are well aware of diversity issues and treat everyone with respect and fairness. Diversity in sport and recreation will create an environment of equity, understanding and acceptance of differences between people which, in the end, benefits everyone. |
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Promotion Plus Update
WISRAN Update
The final WISRAN meeting until September was held on May 27th, 1998. Thank you to Carol Dale and Gail Konantz for their inspirational talk about their experience with Abreast in a Boat, the breast cancer survivors dragon boat team.
The next series of meeting are currently being planned and volunteers are needed to help organize! If you would like to help, have any suggestions or would like to give a presentation, please call (604) 737-3075. See you in September!
Farewell
Carrie Linegar's last day of employment with Promotion Plus was May 28th,
1998. Carrie has left Promotion Plus to continue her education in Therapeutic
Recreation. Carrie was an important part of the Promotion Plus team and
will be missed. The Board and staff of Promotion Plus wish Carrie all
the best in her future endeavours.
citing page with tons of information and great links to other sites! If
you have a favourite website you would like to share, please email us
the address at promotion.plus@telus.net
Board of Directors
Promotion Plus would like to thank the following retiring board members:
Michelle Andreychuk, Wendy Frisby, Kimberly Gilhooly, and Carly McFetridge.
Thank you for helping Promotion Plus work towards its vision of equity and accessibility for all.
Welcome
Promotion Plus would like to welcome Linda Moore, Holly Rogers, and Joanne Stygall to our Board of Directors - we are looking forward to working with you. With your help and new ideas Promotion Plus will continue to move forward into the new millennium.
Promotion Plus is always looking for diverse and enthusiastic women to join our team. For more information please call (604) 737-3075.
Internet Update
The internet is always an excellent resource for new and up to date information. We have just updated our webpage so be sure to visit us at www.virtualplanet.com/promo_plus
The Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity has a new email address and website. You can email CAAWS at caaws@caaws.ca or visit them at www.caaws.ca
Another great site to visit is ausport.gov.au/women. This is an exciting page with tons of information and great links to other sites. If you have a favourite web site you would like to share, please email the address at promotion.plus@telus.net
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Spotlight on Sport
Cycling has been around for centuries but women's interest in the sport has just recently begun to take off. Biking camps and organizations for women are sprouting up all over BC and Canada. Choices range from one day mountain bike clinics with Spokeswomen to an eight week course on bike handling techniques for road racing with Women on Wheels. Following are a few examples of women and cycling initiatives.
Spokeswomen Mountain Bike Camps are designed by women to inspire and empower women mountain bikers of all levels. The Spokewomen Instructors are comprised of professional racers, coaches and regional mountain biking legends and heroes, committed to encouraging women riders to gain confidence and achieve their goals. For more information call 1-888-5-SPOKES.
The demand for women cycling clinics and clubs was highlighted by the
tremendous success of the Women on Wheels eight week road racing
course. The event, which took place in Victoria, BC, was sponsored by
the YWCA and organizers expected and planned for approximately twenty
participants. They never imagined that the course would be full weeks
before it was scheduled to begin. Rather than turn away women eager to
start peddling, they hired more instructors and cycled away with over
40 women enrolled!
Another course is being planned for September, call Steve Lund at (250)
744-1385 to find out how you can start peddling!
And women will keep on cycling with the formation of The RacerGirl Foundation. This foundation, established by Melanie McQuaid of Victoria, BC, a 25-year-old member of Canada's national cycling team, has been created to promote mountain biking in Canada and around the world. The RacerGirl Foundation, however, transcends the sport and aims to promote physical activity as an effective vehicle in building self-esteem and positive life values for girls and women in all walks of life. For more information call Melanie McQuaid at (250) 384-6802.
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Question
How can we allocate ice time to girls hockey teams, when there are often waiting lists and pre-dawn schedules for boys hockey?
& Answer
The challenge for sport administrators at a time of tight budgets and limited space is reallocating existing ice times and resources without pitting the sexes against each other. Girls and women are not asking to be given all the ice time or even half, they are simply asking for some time to be allocated to play hockey. And there is no reason why they shouldn't be provided with ice time simply because their participation rate is not yet as high as the boys and men. What women and girls deserve is an "equitable share" of quality ice times based on their current needs. And a commitment that their share of ice time and other resources will grow to an equitable level as their interest and opportunities increase.
It is important to remember that by providing the ice time and therefore an opportunity for women and girls to participate in ice hockey the sport be able to keep growing.
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Did you know .......
physical activity is consistently related to improvements in self-esteem,
self-concept, depressive symptoms, and anxiety/stress (Calfas & Taylor,1996)
children and youth who are physically active report lower levels of smoking and alcohol consumption than their less active counterparts (Campbell, 1998)
female athletes between the ages of 15-19 years, were less likely to have unwanted pregnancies (Sabo, D., Miller, K., Farrell, M., Barnes, G., & Melnick, M.)
both male and female athletes are more likely to use birth control (Sabo, D.,Miller, K., Farrell, M., Barnes, G., & Melnick, M.)
females who exercise four or more hours a week can reduce the risk of breast cancer by almost 50% (Berstein et al.)
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Research Review
| Sport and Teen Pregnancy published by The Women's Sports Foundation, 1998 The Women's Sport Foundation pooled funds with the Packard Foundation, the RGK Foundation, the Sara Lee Foundation, and the Turner Foundation in order to develop a comprehensive research design that tested whether athletic participation is tied to a reduced risk of teen pregnancy. The findings and conclusions in this report were derived from the analyses of two different sources of data: (1) the Youth Risk Behaviour Survey of the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, a nationally representative sample of 11,000 students in grades 9 through 12; and (2) the Family and Adolscent Study, a New York State Research Institute on Addiction study funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, which includes a representative household sample of adolescents from 699 families from Western New York. Some specific findings documented by this study include: female athletes were less likely to have unwanted pregnancies, female athletes were more likely to be virgins, female athletes had their first intercourse later in adolescence and are more likely to use contraceptives. |
Indo-Canadian Girls' Sport and
Physical Activity Experiences in Private and Public Schools. published by Indy Batth, BPE, University of British Columbia, 1998 The purpose of this study was to explore and understand how Indo-Canadian girls interpret their experiences of physical education in separate and public school systems. Research questions included: What are their sport and physical activity experiences in grade 10 and 11? What are their perceptions of gender and race in their varied experiences? Do the various school settings make a difference? This study illuminated the importance of voice, silence, representation, gender, race and physical activity. The major contributions of this study include: the importance of understanding the nuances and interpretations of silence; the problems of a sport setting which continues to be biased and exclusionary; the importance of debunking the cultural deficit model and generalizing stereotypes about Indo-Canadian girls, families and cultures, and; how gender and race are integrated and interlocking so that they cannot be analyzed as separate variables. The study included three schools in the Lower Mainland, a private Sikh Punjabi school and two public schools. Following observations and focus groups with grade 10 girls at the private school, 4 girls were subsequently selected for further in-depth interviews and observation in grade 11 at the public schools. |
| Copies of these research articles can be purchased from Promotion Plus. For more information please call (604) 737-3075. | |
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Employment Opportunity
Promotion Plus is looking for an enthusiastic, analytical and self-motivated individual to assume a senior contract position on a part time basis. This visionary individual will assist Promotion Plus in implementing gender equity in the sport and recreation system in BC while creating strategic alliances and generating revenue. Experience working with senior level staff and understanding of gender equity issues is essential. Interested candidates should call the office for a copy of the official posting. Application deadline is August 14.
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Women in Action
Congratulations to the following women who received the 1998 YWCA Women of Distinction Award
Leora Kuttner - Health & Wellness
Ann Willcocks - Recreation, Sport & Active Living.
Former Sport BC board member, Cathy Lund, is the first woman Chair of the Vancouver Rowing Club.
Janis Cookson, Organizational Development Coordinator for the Sport and Community Development Branch, has been appointed Chair of the Women's National Team Committee for Softball Canada.
On June 4, 1998, 64 Canadian Women who played for the All American Girls Professional Baseball League were inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. This is the first time any members of this league have been honoured along with other baseball professionals.
Penny Ballem, Principal Investigator at the BC Centre of Excellence
for Women's Health and Vice-President of Children's and Women's Hospitals
received the prestigious Marion Powell Award for demonstrating strong
leadership, commitment and dedication to the advocacy of women's health.
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For Your Information
Association Management Consultants' Salary and Benefits Survey
In 1997, there continued to be quite a difference in the salaries paid to male and female Chief Staff Officers (CSO's) in the non-profit community. The 1997 study by Changing Winds found that the average salary for all CSO's in BC was $63,932. However when the data was broken down and analyzed, it showed that the average salary for male CSO's was $76,349; the average salary for female CSO's was $53,018. This has been a repeated observation over the years that needs to change.
Langara College
Recruiting for the September 1998 term of the Recreation Facilities Management
Program is now underway. This is a two year program
Would you like to place an ad in "Network News"? Call
Promotion Plus at 737-3075 for more information.
Women's View
Women's View, an independent 'zine dedicated to promoting feminism(s) and improving the status of all women, is looking for submissions of short essays or articles. The purpose of Women's View is to give a voice to the perspectives of differently situated women, recognizing the intersection of ability, class, ethnicity, race and sexuality with gender. The style will reflect a straightforward and honest approach. For more information please contact Laura Thomas (604) 943-7914 or email her at lauram@unixg.ubc.ca
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Highlighting Opportunities for Girls & Women in Physical Activity, Sport & Recreation
Outdoor Adventures for Women by Gaia Adventures
Nature hiking, mountain biking, introduction to outdoor rock climbing, backpacking & cross country skiing for women adventurers. Upcoming events:
July 1998
- July 3,4,5 - Backpack Carmanah
- July 18 - Bike Alice Lake
- July 25 - Hike Mount Seymour
August 1998
- August 14,15,16 - Backpack Garibaldi
- August 22 - Hike Brandywine Meadows
- August 29 - Hike Singing Pass
For more information and costs call GAIA Adventures at (606) 875-0066.
Centre Ice Female Hockey School
A female owned and operated hockey school - CIFHS' philosophy is to provide the best possible instruction while maintaining a fun and challenging learning environment. CIFHS offers high performance programs, adult programs, fitness acceleration and goalie programs as well as opportunities for personal development through off-ice activities such as mental training and fitness training. Room and board available.
Burnaby Ice Sports Centre (8 rinks) - Lower Mainland, August 10 - 14
Lake Cowichan Sports Arena
- Vancouver Island, August 23 - 28
Call 1-800-665-2669 or (604) 574-9843 for information, cost, and registration or email: info@centre-ice.com
SpokesWomen Mountain Bike Camps
Receive instruction covering the entire spectrum of mountain bike activities from riding to training, nutrition, stretching and general bike maintenance. Upcoming camps:
Three-Day Camps
July 17-19 - Whistler, BC
July 31-August 2 - Seattle, WA
Sept 11-13 - Toronto, Ont.
One-Day Camps
August 15 - Whistler, BC
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Calendar of Events
Slam 3 on 3 By the Sea Basketball Tournament -August 19th - 23th. call the slam line at (604) 922-1233 for more information
Women's Transition House 4/8k Walk & Run - August 30th, 1998, Victoria. For more information call Marg Melvin at (250) 383-3693
NIKE Women's 8K Walk/Run- Sept. 20, 1998 . For more information call (604) 681-7701.
Health Work & Wellness Conference '98 - September 27th - 30th, call June Baker at (604) 875-5699 for more information
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Women and Sport Resources
On The Move: A Handbook - designed to encourage non-active teenage girls and women to participate in fun-filled, supportive, recreational physical activities. Handbooks are $10.
Promotion Plus Resource Kits
Kits of information on a variety of issues affecting girls and women in physical activity and sport.
- Self-Esteem, Sport and Physical Activity
- Women & Sport Resources
- Body Image & Eating Disorders
- Gender Equity in Physical Education
- Facts & Stats
- Harassment in Sport & Physical Activity Women & Coaching
- Women & Leadership
- Women & the Media
Cost is $3 each.
Poster of Lynn Hill, World-Class Climber. Cost is $3.
Too Many Men on the Ice: Women's Hockey in North America by Joanna Avery & Julie Stevens- a new book which uncovers the rich history and relates it to the remarkable resurgence of women's hockey in Canada & the US. Order your copy for $21.35 (incl. gst).
Applicable mailing fee will be added to all orders:
$3 for 1 - 5 items
$5 for 6 or more items.
Promotion Plus has a large and diverse resource library containing material that can be purchased or borrowed. For a complete list of items please call us at (604) 737-3075.
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