FA survey finds only 1 in 5 dads want their girls to play football
Friday 19 June 2015 11:59, UK
Only one in five dads would encourage their daughters to play football, a survey has found.
Football came only seventh in a list of sports that fathers wanted their seven to 11-year-old girls to play in research carried out by the Football Association following the launch of its “We Can Play”.
Swimming, athletics and gymnastics were the top three choices and even martial arts was more popular than football.
The survey also found a quarter of dads believed other sports were “better suited” for their daughters and just over 20% said football is a “man’s game”.
Research also found that almost half of girls aged between seven and 11 didn’t believe football is for them while one in four stopped played because of peer pressure.
England’s most capped player Rachel Yankey – who made 129 appearances for her country, four more than the men's record-holder Peter Shilton - says more needs to be done to change attitudes.
“It is disappointing to think that there might be dads that are not taking their girls to go and play football because they don’t see it as maybe a more feminine sport or something that girls should do,” Yankey told Sky Sports News HQ.
“I think we should encourage children to play sport. I’ve definitely learnt loads of life lessons through football. It’s built my confidence, given me new friends, enjoyment and something to talk about.
“There are definitely lots that sport and football can bring you.”
The ladies game is currently enjoying more exposure than ever before thanks to the current World Cup in Canada and the FA’s women’s Super League. However research also found that fathers are three times more likely to encourage their sons to play football than their daughters.
Kelly Simmons, The FA’s director of women’s football, said: "With so much positivity about the women’s game at the moment, perceptions are changing but clearly barriers still exist.
"By highlighting them, we can challenge them. 'We Can Play' does exactly that – it's about getting people talking about the issues that girls face – changing attitudes, building confidence and getting more girls playing."
Sports that dads want daughters to play:
Swimming 59%
Athletics 44%
Gymnastics 41%
Tennis 34%
Netball 25%
Martial Arts 24%
Football 19%
