We don’t have a motivation crisis with teenage girls.
We have a system that wasn’t built for them.
By mid-teens, girls drop out of sport at significantly higher rates than boys.
It’s not because they lack talent.
It’s not because they’re lazy.
It’s because the system often ignores what happens during adolescence.
Puberty hits.
Bodies change.
Confidence fluctuates.
Uniforms feel different.
Comments increase.
Performance varies.
And instead of adapting environments to support those changes, we double down on pressure.
Research consistently shows girls leave sport due to:
Body image concerns.
Fear of judgement.
Male-dominated coaching environments.
Overemphasis on performance.
Lack of female role models.
When girls quit, they don’t just lose fitness.
They lose confidence.
Belonging.
Resilience.
Leadership opportunities.
A lifelong relationship with movement.
And often, they never return.
If you coach or work with female athletes, this isn’t optional awareness.
It’s responsibility.
We can:
Prioritise belonging over winning.
Normalise puberty conversations.
Provide strong female role models.
Stop commenting on bodies.
Praise effort.
Encourage strength training as confidence-building.
The solution is possible.
But it requires intention.