Canadian Women & Sport release latest report addressing gender gap in youth sports

The GIST: On Monday, nonprofit Canadian Women & Sport released the 2024 edition of its annual Rally Report, a groundbreaking study that highlights the continued gender gap in access between Canadian boys and girls in sports. The organization surveyed over 5K Canadians aged six to 65, with a specific focus on including over 2K girls aged six to 18.

The access: Similar to study findings from the U.S., the UK, and Australia, Canadian girls have less access to sports and tend to drop out of sports at higher rates than boys. Girls also slightly trail boys in organized sport participation, but these numbers have gone up since 2016.

The interest: Despite these disparities, Canadian girls are looking to get into the game: Four in 10 reported being more interested than ever in playing sports. The report found factors such as familial support, diverse coaching, and positive role models influence how and for how long girls stay in sports.

• Plus, the experiences girls have when playing sports stretch far beyond the field: Nearly half are open to careers in sports, while seven in 10 Canadian women and girls are interested in engaging with sports as fans.

The opportunity: This study shows a clear interest in sports engagement among Canadian girls and women, one that brands can activate around by working to close the gender gap in youth sports and coaching.

• Canadian companies like Tim Hortons and Canadian Tire are no strangers to sponsoring youth sports, but there are still opportunities to directly address these gaps à la Nike. These initiatives are important in shaping the next generation of athletes and creating loyal customers.

• A previous Canadian Women & Sport report showed that six in 10 fans want brands to bolster women’s sports in the country, with four in 10 saying they’re more likely to buy brands that support women’s sports — a number that jumps to five in 10 for Gen Z and young millennials. There’s no time like the present.