What's Putting Off the Next Generation of Female Sports Stars?

Maiden research: 2,000 women surveyed

• A third (36%) of women put off playing sport because of sportswear while two fifths (38%) say there isn’t equal investment into boys and girls sports
• Nearly half (43%) of respondents said their daughters didn’t play their best because of the sportswear used
• Maiden - a new cricket apparel range designed specifically for girls to look, feel and play their best on the cricket pitch has launched

Ill-Fitting Clothing and Boys’ Hand-Me-Downs to Blame

New research from recently launched cricket apparel range Maiden has found that many girls are put off taking part in sports because of the nature of the clothes they have to wear.

That’s despite 70%[1] of girls saying they enjoy sport.

The survey of 2,000 women found that a third (36%)[2] of mothers said that they or their daughters had been put off taking part in sports because of their sportswear in the past.

Feeling self-conscious

When it comes to girls today, a quarter (25%) are unhappy with their sportswear, saying that it made them feel self-conscious,[3] while nearly half of women (44%) said they wouldn’t wear sportswear if it was uncomfortable[4], and would not play if it was not fit for purpose during their time of the month  (35%) or if sweat marks show easily (27%).

Nearly half (43%) of respondents said their daughters felt they didn’t play their best at a sport because of the sportswear used.[5]

Equipment and clothing designed for women?

Wearing unsuitable and ill-fitting sportswear can affect girls’ ability to play sports at top level or can make them more prone to injury. In fact, a recent BBC survey in March 2024[6] of 143 elite British sportswomen found that the majority of equipment they used was not specifically designed for a woman with just under a quarter saying they thought its quality could cause them harm.

In the Maiden research, half of women who could be put off by sportswear (50%)[7] said that wearing more suitable sportswear would improve their self-confidence, while two fifths (40%) said they felt it would improve their performance in the sport they are playing.

The fact that so little attention has historically been given to girls’ sportswear is a huge issue that is today being tackled by schoolgirls, Honor (16) and Cat (14) Black. Fed up with having to wear uncomfortable and ill-fitting cricket clothes made solely for boys, they came up with Maiden, a clothing range that empowers, inspires and redefines the game for young female cricketers. The designs are meticulously crafted to girls’ unique needs – both in terms of function and fashion, encouraging them to feel, look and play their best.

While the introduction of Maiden is a great step to grow the talent from entry level which will bring more equality onto the cricket pitch for the future, there is still a long way to go.

Investment into girls' sports

When it comes to investment in sport, two fifths (38%)[8] of women believe that schools, clubs and the government fall well short on investing equal amounts of time, money and effort into girls’ sports as they do for boys.

The main arguments for investing more were to drive more female participation in sport (55%)[9], improving positive mental health amongst girls (48%) and driving a greater sense of diversity in sports (45%). There was a call for a greater range of sizes (58%)[10], more choice in fabrics and brands (51%) and sports kits more suited for the challenges specific for females (e.g. having periods – 48%).

Girls should be focused on playing sports

There is also the issue around the sexualisation of sportswear. Nearly half (41%)[11] of women say that female sportswear has been sexualised.

Maiden Founder, Honor Black (16) says: “The fact that so many girls feel self-conscious wearing sportswear, when they really should be focusing on playing their best, is terrible. We created Maiden to encourage more girls into sport and experience the huge benefits that it brings – creating camaraderie, teaching you resilience, and improving your mental health which is so important for young people today.

“We want to champion girls’ cricket and build a community where girls feel empowered. We have had an overwhelming response since we launched six weeks ago, with so many parents and girls contacting us saying they have been put off sport because of kit which is extremely sad, both for the individual who could have reaped all the benefits of a sport they love, and the future of female sports as a nation. We want to educate and work with organisations to ensure girls sports are seen equal to boys in schools, which is where it all begins, and also clubs and cricket associations nationwide. We need to all work together to encourage the next generation of sporting heroes.”

 

NOTES

[1] Q2 – how much does your daughter enjoy sport?

[2] Q8 – have you or your daughters ever been put off taking part in a sport?

[3] Q4 – does you daughter ever let you know that their sportswear makes them feel any of the following?

[4] Q11 – would any of the below put you off from wearing sportwear yourself?

[5] Q3 – when it comes to your daughter’s sportswear, do or did they ever feel they couldn’t play their best because of the following?

[6] BBC Elite British Sportswomen's Study 2024: The challenge of finding kit for women - BBC Sport

[7] Q12 – do you think wearing sportwear you like can lead to any of the following?

[8] Q9 – do you believe that schools, clubs and the government invest equal amount of time, money and effort into girls’ sport as it does to boys?

[9] Q10 – what benefits do you think could happen if schools, clubs and the government were to invest more money and effort into women’s sport?

[10] Q16 – which if any changes do you think could be made in the sportswear industry to make them more available and satisfactory for users?

[11] Q18 – do you believe sportswear has become sexualised at all?