Girls Active Programme - Sligo Sport and Recreation Partnership

Appendices
A: Implementation of Girls Active
Programme 2003/4 & 2004/5
Phase One (2003/4):
• Eleven schools participated (6 Donegal, 4
Sligo, 1 Leitrim).
• Two hundred and thirty-nine girls participated.
• Co-ordinating Teachers attended in-service
training early in the year, and review session
later in the year.
• Visits to schools by representatives of support
agencies.
• Twenty-four girls attended residential
‘Leadership Training’ (2 days).
• ‘Girls Active’ programme name and logo
established, the logo created by the girls
themselves during leadership training.
• Girls Active video produced.
• Eight new participating schools recruited for
2004/2005 - 4 in Donegal, 2 in Leitrim, and 2
in Sligo.
The attendance records revealed a very high
participation rate in most schools. The most
popular physical activities chosen by the girls were
yoga, dance, kickboxing and kick aerobics, tai chi
and self-defence. Two schools chose swimming as
an option. These are individual, non-competitive,
recreational-type activities that can be practised as
part of a group or individually.
Questionnaires together with individual and group
discussion were used to gather feedback from
participating girls and co-ordinating teachers
by programme staff. The girls highlighted the
following as benefits of Girls Active for them – their
involvement in selecting and organising activities,
better fitness and self-image, social aspect, and
more confidence.
Discussion with co-ordinators focused on:
• Co-ordinators’ opinions on teenage girls
participating in physical activity - the influence
of peer pressure, the lack of confidence and
competence, fear of failure, need for enjoyment
and immediate benefit, lack of opportunity and
choice regarding sport and recreation.
• Benefits of Girls Active - ownership by the
girls, non-competitive physical activities valued,
higher subsequent levels of participation in PE,
increased confidence.
• Advice from the co-ordinators regarding the
future management and implementation of
the programme – development of a database
(types of activities available, instructor contact
information, advice on appropriate fees);
provision of information for instructors and
parents on the rationale and principles of
the programme; funding for the provision of
transport home from after-school activities;
extension of support for co-ordinator within
the school; and encouragement for the girls
to continue with the activities themselves in
following years.
Phase Two (2004/5):
• Nineteen schools participated, 20 Girls Active
groups (10 Donegal, 6 Sligo, 3 Leitrim).
• Approximately 330 girls participated.
• Co-ordinating Teachers attended in-service
training early in the year, and review session
later in the year.
• Visits to schools by representatives of support
agencies.
• Development of two databases of information
on suitable instructors (one for Sligo/Leitrim,
one for Donegal).
• One-day Activity Fests held in Sligo and
Letterkenny.
All school stakeholders – girls, co-ordinators,
principals - were asked to review Girls Active at the
end of the 2004/5 year. Again, everyone was very
positive about the programme. The participating
girls identified the following benefits of the
programme for them - becoming more physically
active after completing the programme and being
more confident generally. They particularly enjoyed
doing dance, self-defence, gym, yoga, basketball
and kickboxing. They enjoyed the fact that these
activities were non-competitive, had variety, were
not pressurised, and had a feeling of fun.
Evaluation of the Girls Active Programme - 2003 – 2005 Report 33