2degrees launches SupportHER Club to boost girls in sport

2degrees has announced the launch of the SupportHER Club, an initiative designed to celebrate women in sport and support young girls in New Zealand to maintain their engagement with sporting activities.

The SupportHER Club is a response to challenges faced by women in sport, including limited media coverage, funding, and resources. At younger levels, statistics show that young women are dropping out of sports at significantly higher rates compared to young men. A study by Sport New Zealand indicates that by age 17, girls are typically 28% less physically active than their male counterparts, attributed to factors such as puberty, body image concerns, lack of confidence, judgement, time constraints, motivation, and reduced enjoyment.

Despite these challenges, participation in sports offers numerous benefits for young girls, such as physical health improvements, increased self-esteem, resilience, enhanced social skills, development of leadership abilities, and improved mental wellbeing.

The SupportHER Club seeks to equip parents, coaches, and supporters with vital information and resources to help encourage girls to remain involved in sports. This effort is an extension of 2degrees' ongoing sponsorship of women's sports teams and programmes.

Anna Gorman, who is the driving force behind the 2degrees SupportHER initiative, highlighted the role of New Zealand's major corporations in providing necessary support to keep Kiwi girls active. "At 2degrees we are passionate about supporting Kiwi girls and women in sport at every level, which aligns with our commitment to Fight for Fair," she said.

Gorman further stated, "We are proud partners of the 2degrees Tall Ferns, Aupiki clubs The Blues, Chiefs Manawa, Hurricanes Poua, and Matatū, Basketball New Zealand's Girls Got Game programme, the Tall Ferns, and the Tania Dalton Foundation. The SupportHER Club is the latest component of this work - providing vital resources which can be used across New Zealand to help keep girls interested and engaged in sport."

She emphasized the long-term commitment of 2degrees, stating, "We are in this for the long haul – Fighting For Fair in women's sport at all levels, and we will continue to sponsor key teams, provide grass roots support, and much more to come."

Meaghan Wilby, Basketball New Zealand's Participation and Wellbeing lead, expressed her support for the initiative. "We've seen first-hand the massive advantages in ensuring that girls stay active through their schooling years," Wilby stated. "Not only is it great for their physical health, but it helps to build fundamental social skills that will stay with them for life. Sport is about hard work, camaraderie and achieving little wins along the way. It's an incredibly rewarding way for our rangatahi to spend their free time."

The SupportHER project also features input from Dom Vettise, a respected clinical and performance psychologist, who presents a series of tips to help guide young women in maintaining their participation in sports. Vettise has previously served as the lead psychologist for the New Zealand Olympic Committee during the Paris Olympics and has worked with various sports teams, including the Black Ferns 7s and Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic Netball.

His advice includes tips such as encouraging social connections within sports, promoting resilience by reframing setbacks, and fostering confidence by praising strength and skills. "Find her tribe—sport is more fun with friends: Girls are more likely than boys to stay in sport because of friendships and social belonging," Vettise advises. He also suggests teaching girls to view mistakes as learning experiences, encouraging them to ask themselves what they learned each day rather than focusing on what they could have done better, and highlighting that "strong is powerful" to build confidence around puberty.