May-June IAPESGW Update

Report from Prof (PhD) Rosa López de D’Amico (President IAPESGW)
The Ministry of Youth and Sport in Venezuela organized an online course on Sport Management. It is addressed to coaches and professionals in the general area of sport. It has had a good number of participants registered (1050) with participants from different countries (for example from Chile, Mexico, Columbia, Peru, Argentina, Spain). National and international speakers were invited to participate. Rosa López de D’Amico participated on May 11th. This course has been very successful and it is the first time that this initiative has been created in the middle of a pandemic in order to support the training of sport professionals.

Rosa also had the chance to meet with the Minister of Youth and Sport Mr. Pedro Infante and Viceminister for Mass Sport Mr. Arnaldo Sanchez to speak about the work that IAPESGW had done in the area of women and sport as well as other academic international organizations. This ministry is developing a ‘Get active at home’ daily program for national TV based on guided physical activity / exercise.

Announcements

Statement From The IOC President Thomas Bach—the IOC thanks the Swiss Federal Council for the offer to support the International Sports Federations jointly with the IOC. We are fully committed to successfully delivering this International Sports Federation support programme in cooperation with the Swiss authorities. (International Olympic Committee)

Global Design Challenge for Sport and Physical Activity
Here is an opportunity to find the best ideas and solutions from around the world to challenges faced in sport and physical activity in the wake of COVID-19.

What is the Global Design Challenge?
The Global Design Challenge is set in the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, following the policy framework enshrined in the Kazan Action Plan (KAP, 2017):
1. Developing a comprehensive vision of inclusive access for all to sport, physical education and physical activity.
2. Maximising the contributions of sport to sustainable development and peace.
3. Protecting the integrity of sport.
You can find out more about the Kazan Action Plan here

“How might we sustainably redesign sport and physical activity for children and families, the young and the not-so-young, for participants, spectators, fans and community groups, so that it is inclusive, accessible, attainable – and fun! –  during the pandemic and afterwards?”  Dr.  Fiona Chambers,of University College Cork.

The Details
Teams have until June 29th 2020 to develop and submit their idea and each team will be invited to indicate how their projects are relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals and the associated Kazan Action Plan. 

💫 The top 50 entries will be refined by an international panel of judges.

💫 The best 15 entries will be invited to pitch their ideas to a group of experts and investors who will assess how to turn their ideas into reality.

💫 Successful teams will be provided an opportunity to incubate and develop their idea.

💫 All entries will also be visible to the organisers who may initiate further interaction with any team to further explore the possibility of developing their idea.

🌐 Follow the link to find out more and to register to receive important updates, find teammates and submit your entry.

Free Online Support
All registered teams will receive FREE online support including:
⭐️  Preliminary one-hour online workshop on Design Thinking led by international expert, Dr. Fiona Chambers.
⭐️  Learning resources to help you and your team design your pitch from Judie Russell at the Vidacademy.

WADA launches webinar series for athletes—first webinar on COVID-19 and Clean Sport to be held on 3 July. Today, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is pleased to announce the launch of a series of athlete-led webinars to be held over the coming months. This series, which is an initiative of WADA’s Athlete Committee, is intended to provide a platform for interactive engagement by the Agency with athletes worldwide on anti-doping matters. (World Anti-Doping Agency)

The Women in Sport and Exercise Academic Network (WiSEAN) Conference 2020 – Getting back on their feet … The Virtual Conference
7- 8 September 2020
The Women in Sport and Exercise Academic Network (WiSEAN) conference 2020 is a global virtual event, to discuss the impact of situations like COVID-19 on the exercising female. The event will help to grow, strengthen and promote research on women in sport and exercise, especially at times like this, when restrictions impose changes to how we work, exercise, and to how we view and compete in sport.

Women tend to be overlooked when it comes to research within sport and exercise. WiSEAN, therefore, wish to virtually connect individuals from a range of disciplines to ensure that sport and exercise research has a focus on women, especially during COVID-19 and beyond. WiSEAN want women to ‘get back on their feet’ to ensure that existing gender inequalities within sport and exercise fail to be heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. With a variety of keynote speakers and themed workshops, the aim is to increase awareness about how to optimise women’s athletic success and their participation.

This online conference has been produced so you are able to attend from the comfort of your own home. This conference will be a platform of networking opportunities to connect 
with others in sport and exercise to boost confidence, training and motivation through knowledge gained via others’ research and experience.

FREE Event
Click here for more details

International VisioMoov Training Starting

Mooven is a resource center combining expertise, innovation, and research on APA. We offer digital services and human accompaniment through VisioMoov© allowing everyone benefit from a personalized online and live program of sport and physical activity adapted to their living context, health, in the scope of evidence based non medicated interventions. In order to reach as many persons as possible, we need to increase the number of qualified VivioMoov© trainers all over the world.  

Mooven proposes a teacher training for professionals and teachers in APA to join our network of VisoMoov© teachers who train APA coaches and practicionners to become VisioMoov© coaches.  The international teacher training session will be in English first, and can also be provided in French (different sessions later). This VisoMoov© teachers training is supported by the international federation on APA (IFAPA) and the UNESCO Chair “Transforming the lives of people with disabilities through PE, Sport, Fitness and Recreation”.  

See the leaflet above presenting the first VisoMoov© teacher training starting the first week of June and fell free to contact us if you have any question or if you wish to join at the following email address: teachervisiomoov@mooven.fr

Claire Boursier, Phd . Lead Development Officer ; http://www.mooven.fr

Inquiry into the human rights of women and girls in the Pacific

On Tuesday, 3 December 2019, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women, Senator the Hon Marise Payne, asked the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade – Human Rights Sub-Committee to inquire into the human rights of women and girls in the Pacific.

The Committee invites submissions addressing any or all of the terms of reference for the inquiry by Friday, 17 July 2020

Committee Secretariat Contact:
Committee Secretary
Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade
PO Box 6021
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Phone: +61 2 6277 2313
Fax: +61 2 6277 2221
jscfadt@aph.gov.au

Additional  information on the inquiry and details of the Terms of Reference click here.
The deadline for submissions is Friday, July 17^th.

COVID-19 Gender Update

For the latest updates on COVID-19 and gender equality, visit UN Women’s dedicated In Focus pages:   Global | Africa | Americas & the Caribbean | Arab States | Asia & the Pacific | Europe & Central Asia  Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)  Countries start lifting restrictions on exercise and sport under COVID-19 lockdowns: how do they compare? — on Saturday 2 May, adult residents in Spain stepped outside to exercise in parks and public spaces for the first time in seven weeks. This is one of the most publicised milestones in a week that saw governments around Europe and other parts of the world lifting restrictions on exercise and sport under the Covid-19 lockdowns. ISCA puts the spotlight on the status of physical activity and sport across Europe and beyond in this exclusive mapping by country. (International Sport and Culture Association) Covid-19: Volunteer staff leave behind a big hole in Pacific sport—when competitive sport ground to a halt in the Pacific Islands, in an effort to combat the threat of Covid-19, it wasn’t just the rugby fields, tennis courts and swimming pools that suddenly found themselves empty. (RNZ.co.nz) Coronavirus and sport – science and practice [open source] [Germany]—a growing database of international scientific literature covering the topic of sport and COVID-19. Accompanying sports illustrations provided by children 3 to 11 years. (SPONET, Institut für Angewandte Trainingswissenschaft) Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on sports events around the world—major sports events around the world that are in the process of re-starting or have been rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Reuters, WKZO) The potential legal risks of recommencing professional sport in a pandemic ravaged world—an email from the English Premier League Doctors Group has shed light on the potential legal issues associated with lifting restrictions over professional and communal sport. (Daniel Marquet, Corrs Chambers Westgrath)  Toolkit launched to help guide return of community sport (FED)—the Morrison Government has welcomed the launch of a toolkit aimed at ensuring community sporting clubs and associations have a clear path to competition as COVID-19 restrictions are eased. (24 May 2020) (Editor: The above tool kit is an excellent resource for all sports and community groups returning to competition after a period of lockdown.) Covid-19 has rocked women’s sport but its future remains bright — hope and determination abound despite the profound challenges brought by coronavirus (Sean Ingle, The Guardian) The chronic stress of coronavirus is affecting your mental health. Here’s how exercise can help — just six weeks of chronic stress can lead to depressive symptoms, even in people without a prior diagnosis. We are past that six-week point in this pandemic and you may be experiencing a depressed mood unlike anything you’ve experienced before. (Jennifer J. Heisz, Associate Professor in Kinesiology and Maryam Marashi, Master’s Student, Kinesiology, McMaster University, The Conversation) WADA publishes updated Question and Answer document for athletes related to COVID-19 — the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is pleased to publish a Question and Answer (Q&A) document related to anti-doping and COVID-19, which is an update to the document that the Agency published on 23 March 2020. Once again, it was developed in consultation with WADA’s Athlete Committee. (World Anti Doping Authority) Active Transport  Australian health and transport industry experts call for safer walking and cycling spaces — Australian health and transport experts, led by Dr Ben Beck, from the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Monash University, have today called on decision makers to enact urgent measures to support safe walking and cycling and social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Australasian Leisure Management)  Administration, Strategy and  Governance     Female membership of IOC Commissions rises to 47.7 per cent — female membership of the 30 International Olympic Committee (IOC) Commissions has risen to 47.7 per cent. IOC President Thomas Bach and the Executive Board established the composition of the Commissions for 2020. The number of positions held by women has risen from 45.5 per cent in 2019 to 47.7 per cent. (Nancy Gillen, Inside the Games) Sector Needs “More Courage” Over Boardroom Diversity – CEO [UK]—this week, in timely fashion following the Black Lives Matter protests, ACEVO (Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations) published its report ‘Home Truths: Undoing racism and delivering real diversity in the charity sector’. (Connect Sport) Routledge Handbook of Sport Governance [book]—the Routledge Handbook of Sport Governance is now available. It is a comprehensive survey of the wide range of issues shaping sport governance, examining the professionalisation of sport and implications for sport governance. (D. Shilbury & L. Ferkins (Eds.), Routledge)

Athlete Wellbeing 

Sport psychology services to high performance athletes during COVID-19 — these are trying times for us all. COVID-19 has altered our lives as citizens. The changes associated with the current pandemic have presented sport and exercise psychologists with many challenges and opportunities related to sport performance, physical activity and health. Here, we focus on what was, and is presently, being encountered by mental performance consultants in relation to the aspiring Olympic athletes they are supporting. (Robert Schinke, Athanasios Papaioannou, Kristoffer Henriksen, Gangyan Si, Liwei Zhang & Peter Haberl, International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology)

The Alarm Bells Are Ringing: A Call to Action From a Newly Retired Professional Athlete — this Viewpoint is about athletes who sometimes under-report or ignore their injuries and whose concerns are not taken seriously. I want to start a discussion: how do we in the elite sports community ensure load is manageable across the athlete’s career? (Gro Hammerseng-Edin, Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy)

Mental Health—Game Plan’s Managing Uncertainty During COVID-19 workbook was developed for Canada’s high performance athletes but is great for anyone wanting to hone their skills and build resilience. (SIRC/Game Plan)

Staying Mentally Healthy: The Biggest Challenge Faced During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Athletes’ Survey Shows — a survey conducted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in May revealed that managing mental health and sports careers, as well as nutrition and diet, were the biggest challenges faced by athletes during the unprecedented time of the COVID-19 pandemic. (International Olympic Committee)

Athletics 

Five pieces of advice all new runners need to know—recent research has confirmed that more than a third of the world’s population are more active now than they were before the Covid-19 pandemic began. (Dick Telford, World Athletics)

(Editor: Some good advice here for novice joggers/beginners)

Australian Sport and PA Participation Data

On April 30 Sport Australia released the latest data and new insights from its national sport and physical activity participation survey, AusPlay. This release includes updated results from data collected in the 2019 calendar year and new data visualisations. These visualisations are made possible by utilising AusPlay’s 85,000+ cumulative sample since the survey commenced in October 2015.

Autism

Autism Inclusion in Sport, Recreation and Physical Education – Webinar #1—join Special Olympics Australia for a free live webinar series and learn practical strategies to include people with autism in your sport, physical education or recreation programs. Tuesday 2 June 2020, 11-12:30pm AEST. (Special Olympics Australia)

Columbia

An on-line Forum about ‘Women in Sport Management’ was organized by Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira – Columbia , April 7th, 2020 

The speakers were: Maritere Rivera (Puerto Rico), Isela Ramos (Mexico), Jessica Brito (Mexico), Angela Gomez (Columbia) and Rosa Lopez de D’Amico (Venezuela)

It was a great experience to participate in this event that lasted one hour and a half with students from the university; but it was also an open forum with participants from different places in Colombia and some other countries such as: Mexico, Spain, Puerto Rico, Venezuela.

Thanks to Angela Gomez, President of the Latin American Association for Sport Management and to Maria Camila Londoño who was the moderator.

Community Sport 

Sport’s biggest challenge: Community competitions without the community—as professional sport is pushing ahead with plans to restart the big money competitions, grassroots sport is facing a huge challenge in getting local players back on the field. (Andrew Tate, New Daily)

Community sport can survive coronavirus challenges through volunteer spirit—volunteers are the backbone of grassroots sport in Australia and the work they carry out has never been more important, as local and junior leagues look to get back on their feet. (Richard Hinds, op-ed, ABC)

Community sports clubs worried refunds and higher operating costs will finish them post COVID-19—community sports clubs are working on plans to restart seasons after a coronavirus-induced pause, but for some clubs the starting whistle may never ring out again. (Nicole Hegarty, ABC Wide Bay)

Concussion & Head Trauma 

New brain-injury study points the finger at heading—if headers were eliminated, would soccer still be the “Beautiful Game”? Several studies have drawn links between long-time players and neurological disorders, including a recent 22-month investigation by Scotland’s Glasgow Brain Injury Research Group that concluded former professionals were 3.5 times more likely to die from dementia or other neurological afflictions. (Murray Greig, China Daily)

England News, with thanks to Jenny Warner

The FA (14 May 2020)
We start a review of our Gameplan For Growth Strategy by looking at participation
Launched in March 2017, our Gameplan For Growth strategy for women’s and girls’ football pledged to tackle ambitious targets to double participation and fanbase and create a high-performance system and world-class talent pipeline for England teams. After four seasons the strategy is now concluding, and we start with a look at the journey to double participation. Our head of women’s football development, Louise Gear, explains more:

Attention now turns to the future, and we’ll be increasing our influence in schools, colleges and universities with national partners, Youth Sport Trust, Association of Colleges and BUCS. More details will be in the newly formed women’s football strategy, which will be launched at the start of the season.
View the full news item 


The Gameplan For Growth – The Journey to double participation. Football Association, May 2020 
Over the next six weeks, The FA will review the impact of The Gameplan for Growth strategy on the women’s and girls’ game. Launched in March 2017, the strategy pledged to tackle 
ambitious targets to double participation [by doubling the number of affiliated teams], double the game’s fanbase and create a high-performance system and world-class talent pipeline for England teams to achieve consistent success on the world stage. After four seasons the strategy is now concluding, and The FA will outline its continued support for the sport with the launch of the women and girls’ strategy in the coming months.
View the document

 European Non-Government Sports Organisation’s second issue of their Newsletter in 2020
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May 28 was Menstrual Health Day, a day to demand local, national, regional and global action on menstrual health, and every day…

• SRHR for all! 
• Affordable and accessible products! 
• Safe water and toilets! 
• An end to stigma and shame! 
• Universal Human Rights!
• Whatever the context, whatever the emergency or crisis, Menstruation cycles do not stop!

Join the #MHDAY2020 Pacific movement!

#pacificperiods #mhday2020 #itstimeforaction #MenstruationMatters

Climate & Environment  The UCI joins the movement for climate action initiated by the UN — the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is delighted to announce that it has signed the United Nations (UN) Sports for Climate Action Framework as part of its ongoing efforts to promote cycling as one of the world’s most environmentally friendly sports. (Around the Rings) Inclusive Sport FIFA and World Athletics among latest sporting bodies to reiterate anti-racism message — FIFA and World Athletics are among the latest sporting organisations to issue statements as ongoing protests continue in the United States following the death of George Floyd. (Michael Pavitt, Inside the Games) Injury Prevention  Top 5 Knee Injury Prevention Exercises — whether you have taken up an alternative form of exercise or are trying to maintain your current capacity while sporting restrictions are in place, maintaining the health of your knees is important. (NSW Institute of Sport)  International Sport Systems Government’s £2bn investment in active travel a ‘once in a generation opportunity’— the government’s pledge to invest £2bn in improving the UK’s cycling and walking infrastructure has been described as a “once in a generation opportunity” to create a sustainable active travel network. (Tom Walker, Sports Management UK) Updated Guidance On Community Sport At Alert Level 2 — following yesterday’s announcement on the transition to Alert Level 2, Sport NZ can confirm that the 10 person gathering limit does apply to all community sport. (Sport New Zealand) Safe Sport Training — creating a culture where everyone can thrive is a shared responsibility. The Safe Sport Training module developed by the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) will help anyone involved in sport identify and prevent situations of maltreatment. (Safe Sport Training) Media IOC young reporters: spreading the word for gender equality — approximately 80 per cent of accredited journalists and photographers at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 were male, underlining the gender imbalance that currently exists in the sports media. (Olympic.org)   Nutrition  Recipes for Success — Tennis Australia Performance Dietician Jo Shinewell is helping professional players maximise their rare break from the tour through a range of nutrition-related initiatives. (Tennis Australia) How Beetroot Juice Can Enhance Your Workouts — Beetroots aren’t just healthy and nutritious – they can also provide a serious boost to your workouts. According to evidence from the Australian Institute of Sport, the nitrate in beetroot juice significantly enhances athletic performance; particularly at the pro level. (Chris Jager, msn.com) WAIS at Home – Nutrition Tips in isolation — the following nutrition points are extra important during this time when life looks a little different. Our bodies need fuel every day in order to function, to grow, to learn and to keep us moving. (WA Institute of Sport) Males and females exhibit similar muscle glycogen recovery with varied recovery food sources — research has elucidated the impact of post-exercise carbohydrate nutrition and environmental conditions on muscle glycogen re-synthesis. However, research has minimally considered the implications of glycogen recovery in females and has mostly focused on commercial sport nutrition products. (Flynn, S., Rosales, A., Hailes, W. et al., European Journal of Applied Physiology 120, 1131–1142 (2020). Physical Activity  Tips from a PE teacher dad to keep active during the pandemic — like so many parents in Ontario, on March 16, I found myself at home with my four-year-old instead of going to work every day. As an elementary school PE teacher, I know how important it is for kids to get lots of active play, every day. My four-year-old went from four physical education classes and twenty recesses per week at school to being isolated at home. Here’s how I’m keeping her active during this unprecedented time. (David Benay, Active for Life) 57 awesome family dance party jams—little kids love to dance—especially when Mom, Dad, Grandpa, or Grandma joins in the fun! If you’re in the mood to boogie, try streaming our Epic Family Dance Party Playlist. (Active for Life) Physical activity makes heart attack patients feel better—heart attack patients who take part in a lifestyle improvement program feel better – especially when they do additional physical activity. (James Ives, News Medical Life Sciences) A new world record is set – the largest on-line PE lesson—on Wednesday, April 22nd, the whole world united for an on-line PE lesson delivered by a Polish PE teacher. The event was streamed via Facebook and has reached over 50 thousand users. (Active Health Kids Global Alliance) Staying strong at home – Olympic style!—looking for inspiration when you’re stuck at home? Olympic.org presents some activities that will keep your Olympic spirit going strong. (Olympics.org) ‘This Mum Moves’ Aims To Keep Mothers Active [UK]—ukactive and Sport England have launched a series of work-out sessions called ‘This Mum Moves’ to support pregnant women and new mums after 53% reported they have been less active since the Coronavirus lockdown began. (Connect Sport) Original Physical Activity Counselling Toolkit updated and 10 new resources added[Canada]—the toolkit includes handouts for practitioners to use when counselling clients on starting and maintaining a physically active lifestyle. (Centre 4 Active Living) 2020 Physical Activity Forum proceedings [Canada] — videos available from this year’s Physical Activity Forum focussed on the science and best practices around being physically active when living with one of the following chronic conditions: cancer, chronic heart failure, or stroke. Each of the three presenters provided a 30-minute presentation followed by a brief question period. (Centre 4 Active Living) Take time to strengthen yourself and be healthy — see our infographic series for more ideas on how you can be physically active and be safe during times of self-isolation or quarantine. (Centre for Active Living) Working out at home works for women – so well they might not go back to gyms — digital fitness is enjoying a COVID-19 boom. Online fitness technology provider Virtuagym reports a 400% increase in engagement and a 300% increase in the use of online workouts.(Kim Toffoletti, Associate Professor of Sociology, Deakin University, et.al., The Conversation) New booklet to help older adults keep active—a new Active at Home booklet from Public Health England (PHE) aims to help older adults keep up their activity levels while isolating due to coronavirus (Covid-19). (Sport England) The Role of the Family in the Physical Activity, Sedentary and Sleep Behaviours of Children and Youth [Canada]—we are proud to announce the launch of the ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth, which alongside our Adult Report Card, forms the most comprehensive assessment of physical activity in Canada. (ParticipACTION) New study explores the world’s love of running—amidst the isolation of lockdown, the world has fallen in love with running – that is, according to the findings of a new, ongoing research study by ASICS. More importantly, the research shows nearly three quarters of runners around the world plan to stick with their new exercise routine. The study, which ASICS is conducting to better understand and support the changing needs of runners, spoke to 14,000 regular exercisers across 12 countries. (International Paralympic Committee) Active at Home Resources [Canada]—the internet is full of information and videos that can help people of all ages be more active while practicing physical distancing during this global pandemic. Our goal has always been to ensure that older adults perform exercises that are safe, effective and that meet their unique needs. (Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging)  Physical Education 4 ways PE could become a key part of family life—PE may never return to normal – but it could evolve into a more family-orientated endeavour, says Steve Williams. (Steve Williams, TES)   Physical Literacy  Research proves that Shuttle Time improves schoolchildren’s Fundamental Movement Skills — remember the study by Shinji Takahashi at Tohoku Gakuin University which proved how useful badminton was to boost ‘executive function’? The benefits of badminton continue to be researched, with a team from Coventry University (in England), who have recently proven the significance of BWF Shuttle Time and improving schoolchildren’s Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) – a key indicator of their overall fitness. (Badminton Oceania) New study reveals vast differences in how physical literacy is defined across the world—the task of defining and establishing physical literacy as a world-renowned concept has stimulated a growing body of research over the past 20 years, as well as projects such as ISCA’s EU-supported Physical Literacy for Life (PL4L). But rather than arriving at a common understanding of the concept, researchers in English-speaking countries have published vastly different definitions and interpretations. (International Sport and Culture Association)  Physical Therapy Effect of sports massage on performance and recovery: a systematic review and meta-analysis—researchers analysed 29 eligible studies recruiting 1012 participants, representing the largest examination of the effects of massage. (Holly Louisa Davis, et.al, BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine)  Preventive Health Exercising Cuts Risk of Invasive Cancers for Older Women—a study of 6,000 women aged 63 and over shows the more active they are, the lower their risk for 13 cancers such as breast cancer. (Padma Nagappan, San Diego State University) Moderate physical activity reduces frequent hospital admissions in middle and older age—men and women aged 40-79 are at significantly lower (25-27%) risk of long or frequent hospital admissions if they do some form of physical activity, a new study suggests. (Reviewed by Emily Henderson, News Medical Life Sciences)  Resource Role Models and Sport A role model is a person whose behaviour, example, or success is or can be emulated by others, especially by younger people. (Dictionary.com) A common phrase, used in many spheres, is ‘you can’t be what you can’t see’. The value of role models and role model programs is generally seen as their ability to demonstrate diversity, inclusion and to encourage preferred behaviours. Read more on the Clearinghouse for Sport. Sex Discrimination (USA) New data analysis shows discrimination against women in collegiate sports is systemic and is getting worse. On the eve of Title IX’s 48th anniversary, Champion Women (CW) and the California Women’s Law Center (CWLC) released a report showing that discrimination against women in collegiate sports remains persistent throughout the country in all competitive levels—and is getting worse. In 1972, Congress passed Title IX which promised equal educational opportunities for women and men in schools that receive any federal funding. Sport equality was set to be achieved by 1978, yet for decades we have known that women lagged behind men by all measurable criteria, including opportunities to play, scholarship dollars, and treatment. What we did not know was the enormous size of the gaps, the alarming trends apart from equality over time, and what this systemic discrimination costs women and our economy. Champion Women and the California Women’s Law Center performed an in-depth analysis of data available from the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act. Because athletics is sex-segregated, discrimination and gaps are easy to measure. The data shows discrimination throughout intercollegiate sports and that the inequality is growing at an unrestrained rate. Key findings include: 90% of universities and colleges discriminate against women in sports. Our analysis shows that most intercollegiate athletic departments are not meeting any of the standards Title IX sets for schools to demonstrate equality in sports opportunities. Women miss out on $1 billion in athletics scholarships annually. NCAA schools alone allocate $3.5 billion to college scholarships, yet female student athletes are routinely denied hundreds of millions of dollars. NCAA institutions would need to provide women an additional 148,030 sports opportunities to match the same ratio of opportunities that are offered to men. Women cannot move to another competitive tier or geographic region to escape the sex discrimination. Data for the entire NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA, and USCAA paints a clear picture that intentional discrimination against women is not isolated to specific conferences, competitive levels, or geographic regions. For the full data report and legal memo, visit: titleixschools.com   Sexuality & Gender Perspectives  Game to Play: Exploring the experiences and attitudes towards sport, exercise and physical activity amongst same sex attracted and gender diverse young people—the specific aims of the research were to: (i) increase SSAGD young people’s inclusion in sport; (ii) to gain a better understanding of how SSAGD young people can be supported to increase their involvement in sport and physical activity; (iii) to promote greater involvement in physical activity of SSAGD young people, which has been shown to be beneficial for the overall health of young people; and (iv) inform policy and practice in sporting organisations to promote inclusion of SSAGD young people. (Ryan Storr, et.al., Sexualities and Gender Research (SaGR), Western Sydney University) Same-sex and gender diverse young people turned away from sport: report [audio; 4:15mins]—a Western Sydney University study found that young LGBTIQ+ people have had largely negative experiences in sport – but that they still want to be included. (Matt Connellan, SBS Radio)  Sport Integrity  Doping cover-ups and more than $10 million missing – Aján condemned in weightlifting corruption inquiry—more than $10 million (£7.9 million/€8.84 million) is unaccounted for, 40 doping positives have been covered up, and vote-buying was rampant at the past two electoral congresses of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF). (Brian Oliver, Inside the Games) Editor: You have to ask how did this corruption and doping in international weightlifting go on for over 40 years with Thomas Ajan as President? Sport for Development Bringing diverse professional minds together—the Sports for Life curriculum is bringing together multidisciplinary experts to deliver grassroots sports to girls in India. (Sport & Dev) Sport for development: A new platform—”Covid-19 has brought many challenges, however it may have helped increase the pace of our move to a different way of enjoying sport and physical activity using the platform of technology and social media.” (Sport & Dev) Sport for development: A driving community force through Covid-19 and beyond—”The future should be bright for those in sport for development who have risen to the occasion and the offered a pathway and leadership for others to follow to really show the true worth of sport to the community.” (Sport & Dev) Sport in Education   Putting the E in Online Physical Education: Thinking Beyond Push-Ups and Jumping Jacks—making sure that we don’t lose the “E” part of PE is difficult online – and in an emergency teaching environment like this, supporting students to continue to do daily physical activity (PA) is critically important. But is this helping our students to learn? (Ross Campbell, PHE Canada) She Belongs: Building Social Connection for Lasting Participation in Sport [Canada]—when a girl chooses to play sports, what she will gain goes far beyond kicking a ball, learning a new stroke, or crossing a finish line. Through positive sport experiences, girls are more likely to reap the bene fits of sport participation and grow into confident and motivated leaders. (Canadian Women & Sport)  Sport Injuries and Medical Conditions  Making football safer for women: a systematic review and meta-analysis of injury prevention programmes in 11 773 female football (soccer) players—to evaluate the effects of injury prevention programmes on injury incidence in any women’s football code; explore relationships between training components and injury risk; and report injury incidence for women’s football. (Kay M Crossley, et.al., British Journal of Sports Medicine) Sport Medicine Return to play after COVID-19: a sport cardiologist’s view—in athletes clinically recovered from a proved infection (even those with mild disease, without cardiac symptoms or hospital admission), a subclinical myocardial injury may be present. (Helder Dores, Nuno Cardim, op-ed, British Journal of Sports Medicine) Fertility and Elite Female Athletes Part One: Barriers to Fertility—Geva Mentor wants to have children, but, single and in the prime of her netball career, has been facing odds that are increasingly stacked against her. She recently went through an egg retrieval procedure in the hope of future proofing her dreams. (Jenny Sinclair, Netball Scoop) Strength & Conditioning  Yes, Endurance Athletes Can Build Muscle—a new study of female athletes sees big strength gains from twice-a-week lifting. (Alex Hutchinson, Outside)  Women in Sport Football World Cup-winning US women’s team loses court bid for equal pay—legal action lodged by the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) over gender pay discrepancy has been thrown out by a federal judge, a blow which has surprised the defending World Cup football champions. (ABC News) Women in Sport Reports, Research & Expertise—the latest release of global research & industry reports and insights focused on women in sport – a service provided by Victoria University. (Victoria University)   International Working Group for Women in Sport (IWG) IWG held its Annual General Assembly this month, (as an on-line meeting due to the COVID 19), attended by our President Rosa. Preparations for the IWG Congress in New Zealand 2022 are in progress and various activities have been developed by the LOC. Learn More

Longitudinal Trends in Sport Participation and Retention of Women and Girls — this study identified patterns of club sport participation, retention and drop-out of women and girls over a 7 year period in a popular team sport in Australia. (Rochelle Eime, et.al., Frontiers in Sports and Active Living)

The WNBA Breaks New Ground With First Virtual Draft — the WNBA became the first major league to run a fully virtual draft on Friday. (Tom Taylor, Sport Techie)

Global Players Union ‘Worried’ About Women’s Sport Future — the leading athletes union, Global Players Union, has admitted his organisation is concerned about the future of women’s sport after the COVID-19 pandemic. (Lucas Radbourne, The Women’s Game)

Women’s role in sport must be addressed in post-coronavirus recovery — representation matters with an entire generation of new fans and players at risk of being lost. (Samantha Lewis, The Guardian)

Women’s United Nations Report Network (WUNRN)

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FEMINIST ORGANIZING TOOLKIT: PLANNING VIRTUAL MEETINGS

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In this toolkit, you’ll find resources and teachings on: 1) Planning meetings: accessibility & methodology; 2) Logistics: nuts & bolts of software; 3) Digital safety. 

Youth Sport 

Toward Understanding Youth Athletes’ Fun Priorities: An Investigation of Sex, Age, and Levels of Play — a commonly held perception within today’s culture is what is fun for competitive travel players (e.g., winning games) is categorically different from recreational players (e.g., being with their friends). (Amanda J. Visek, Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal)