Building confidence in the girls' game with the Nike Sports Bra Playbook

All kids are made to play, yet not every kid gets the same opportunities to access and benefit from sport.

Have you ever thought about the barriers that can prevent girls and women from playing football and enjoying it?

Girls face complex cultural, social and economic barriers to participating in play and sport.

As a result, they drop out of sport at twice the rate of boys – and have fewer sport opportunities overall.

As a coach, have you ever considered the importance of body confidence? Ever wondered how you can help girls overcome the obstacles?

Made to Play is Nike’s global commitment to getting kids moving, removing barriers and expanding girls’ access to the many benefits of physical activity – including being healthier, more confident and more successful in school and in life.

A key barrier to address is providing girls with the right apparel and equipment they need to play with confidence. After all, a girl should never have to stop playing because she doesn’t have the product she needs to play.

To help coaches and other caring adults create an informative and fun experience for girls receiving sports bras, Nike have developed a dedicated playbook, in partnership with leading experts in body image from the Centre for Appearance Research at UWE Bristol in the United Kingdom.

Whether you’ve had bras donated, purchased for a team, or you’re helping girls find the right fit, this playbook will set you up for success.

If we do this right, it will help girls stay connected and engaged in sport. We want girls to develop the skills to choose the right sports bra for their bodies so they feel comfortable and supported.

And as part of this effort, girls can start to discover how body image and comfort affects their experience with sport and play.

You can find out more in our latest #InTheBox podcast, which joins Nike’s sports bra roadshow at Liverpool FC and Harborough Town FC. You can download the Made to Play Sports Bra Playbook here.
 
In this month’s women’s game-focused podcast, we hear inspiring stories from female players, get fascinating insights from the experts and discover how innovations in sports bra science are giving girls the confidence to play, perform, and enjoy football more than ever.

As you can see pictured above, England Women's legend Kelly Smith joined the roadshow to help promote the initiative.