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In the UK, 1.3 million teenage girls have dropped out of sport despite having previously considering themselves “sporty.” Judy Murray – mother of tennis legend Andy Murray – wants to change this. Through her newly launched ‘Learn to Lead’ initiative, she hopes to give girls the playbook and opportunity to write their own sports journey.
Designed to combat the crisis of girls’ drop-out rates in sport as they enter adolescence, Learn to Lead builds on Murray’s long-standing advocacy for gender equity in sport and applies it to the leadership space. The former Great Britain Federation Cup captain’s will arm girls aged 10 to 12 with rackets and tennis balls, as well as confidence and a sense of purpose.
Research from Women in Sport shows that the majority of girls who identify as sporty in primary school lose interest or confidence by the time they hit high school. Causes include body image anxiety, social pressures, a lack of relatable role models and sport environments that often feel male-dominated or unwelcoming. “The Women in Sport data is horrific and when I saw it, I thought we really need to look at solutions instead of just keep talking,” said Murray.
The initiative will initially kick off in 20 schools in Scotland with a simple premise: training older primary pupils to mentor younger girls through playing tennis. Primary school girls in years six and seven will run lunchtime or after-school tennis sessions for their younger peers in years one to four, planning activities, leading games and becoming role models in the process. Teachers will supervise but ultimately the girls will lead.
The initiative has already shown strong early results in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire during its pilot phase. Girls who had never played a sport before picked up rackets for the first time and older pupils emerged with newfound confidence and communication skills. Many went on to join local tennis clubs, which shows what’s possible through the program.
“I do think we can get to full equality eventually but it’s about having more women in leadership positions in sport,” said Murray. “It’s about creating opportunity and if this program can start to plant seeds, bear fruit at a young age and show girls how they can be the boss by giving them a little bit of responsibility then great.”
This isn’t Murray’s first shot at increasing girls’ participation in sports. Her ‘Miss Hits’ program, launched in 2014, introduced thousands of girls across the UK to tennis in fun, friendly environments. But Learn to Lead shifts the focus from participation to power.
She also sees a bigger opportunity – creating a pipeline of women leaders in sport that starts not at university or job level, but in the playground. “Whether girls go on to become competitive players, coaches or just develop a love for sport at any level, this is about growing participation and getting young girls active,” she said.
With Learn to Lead, Murray’s betting that the best way to keep girls in sport is to give them the reins.
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