Active Women Consortium Training Conference 2011
MULTI SPORT WORKSHOP
Caron Walpole
Research and Evaluation,StreetGames
AIM OF THE WORKSHOP
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To give an overview of the multi sport work being planned and delivered in the
UsGirls projects
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To identify what works well
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To identify some of the challenges
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To share learning between ourselves
TRADITIONAL VIEW OF MULTI SPORT
WORK
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Typically for 8-14 year olds, mixed sessions
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Turn up and play
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Offering a wide range of sports, either several choices at the same time or one
sport after another
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Format often used for holiday sports schemes
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Not generally linked to exit routes
MULTI SPORT WORK IN UsGIRLS
PROJECTS
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Nine projects interviewed by phone
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Different stages of planning and delivery
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Common trends and challenges identified
THE AIM OF MULTI SPORT WORK IN UsGIRLS
PROJECTS
‘To give young women an experience of different sports that they
might not have played before or for a long time.’
‘sometimes you don’t know what you like’.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE SPORTS
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A range of different approaches:–
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Young women don’t always know what they like as they have never played
it or they played it a long time ago.
Use one-off multi sport events to let young women try different sports and
then ask them what they would like to do.
We will decide which sports to offer at the beginning but will then give the
young women their own voice as they get more involved/ experienced.
Run sports where projects have had a good experience of a sport in the
past, good links e.g. coaches, feeder clubs.
One project consulted over 250 young women in the last few weeks – young
mums at primary schools and local colleges and is now starting to run sessions
they want.
RANGE OF SPORTS AT MULTI SPORT
EVENTS/ SESSIONS
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Zumba/ Salsa
Aerobics/ Keep fit
Gym
Boxercise/ Kickboxing
Badminton
Basketball
Volleyball
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Dodgeball
Rounders
Nordic walking/ jogging
Netball
Martial arts
Football
Trampolining
MOST POPULAR SPORTS AND WHY
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Zumba – ‘everyone’s asking for it’, like the dance aspect, can
tailor to all levels of ability and fitness
Dodgeball – fun, fast moving, easy to play, involves all
Badminton – easy to play for fun, popular with young Asian
women, good links with BE and local clubs
Basketball – some love it – playing together as a team,
learning skills, BUT/ in some projects they do not like it!
BUT/ Football – some young women want to play but not
enough to run a session/ play a game.
BUT/ Netball – seems to be popular with ‘older’ young women
SIX DIFFERENT KINDS OF MULTI
SPORT WORK IN UsGIRLS PROJECTS
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One off multi sport events specifically for UsGirls
Taking part in other partners’ events/ festivals etc.
Multi sport session – one sport after the other
Multi sport session – choice of sports at any one time
Multi sport courses with one sport for a block of 4/6 weeks
Multi sport taster courses with a different set sport each week
UsGIRLS ‘ONE OFF’ MULTI SPORT
EVENT
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Typical characteristics: ½ day or 1 day, once a year, have a go at lots of different
sports, paid and voluntary coaches, information, consultation and ‘sign up’.
ADVANTAGES
ISSUES TO CONSIDER
High profile for project
Time, costs for staffing, venue,
publicity etc.
Control over format etc.
Attracting ‘non-sporty’ to sporty
event
Feedback on lots of sports
How to encourage attendees to
go to new session
TAKING PART AT OTHER PARTNERS’
EVENTS/ FESTIVALS
Typical characteristics: ½ or one day events, organised by others, often non-sporty
focus, offer range of sports activities to try, information and consultation leaflets.
ADVANTAGES
ISSUES TO CONSIDER
Cheaper and less time to organise, fewer
staff needed
Little control over venue and space for taster sports
More likely to involve non-sporty young
women
May not have discrete space for trying some sports
May have to invest in portable equpt etc
How to encourage attendees to go to new session
MULTI SPORT SESSION (ONE SPORT
AFTER ANOTHER)
Typical characteristics: 1 or 2 hour session once a week, uses same hall, offers a
range of different sports each week, probably 15-20 mins per sport.
ADVANTAGES
ISSUES TO CONSIDER
Variety, flexible, stops boredom,
Not very long for each sport
Good for non-sporty and non-fit
How to encourage attendees to go to exit route
Builds a rapport with the coach
Can keep repeating sports they like
MULTI SPORT SESSION (MORE THAN
ONE SPORT AT A TIME)
Typical characteristics: 1 or 2 hour session once a week, offers a range of different
sports at the same time, often uses a large space or several spaces, uses different
coaches for the different sports.
ADVANTAGES
ISSUES TO CONSIDER
Variety, stops boredom, try new sports
Potential for high coach/ venue costs
Can keep repeating sports they like
How to encourage attendees to try different sports
Builds a rapport with the coach
How to encourage attendees to go to exit routes
Package, can come with friends/ family
MULTI SPORT TASTER COURSE
(BLOCK OF 1 SPORT, THEN ANOTHER)
Typical characteristics: 1 or 2 hour session once a week, offers one sport for a set
no. of weeks, then another sport for a set no. of weeks, often uses specialist
instructors/ coaches.
ADVANTAGES
ISSUES TO CONSIDER
Can try a new sport, build up skills and
knowledge and decide if want to continue
Potential to lose women if they don’t like a sport
–will they come back?
Builds a rapport with the coach for that
sport
Difficult to be flexible if women want to play a
different sport
Foundation for signposting to exit route
How to encourage attendees to go to exit route
MULTI SPORT TASTER COURSE (A
DIFFERENT SET SPORT EACH WEEK)
Typical characteristics: 1 or 2 hour session once a week, offers one set sport each
week, then another sport, often uses different specialist instructors/ coaches.
ADVANTAGES
ISSUES TO CONSIDER
Can try a range of new sports
Potential to lose women if they don’t like a sport –will
they come back next week?
Offers an introduction to skills,
playing the game etc.
Difficult to be flexible if women want to play a different
sport or continue playing one of the sports
How to encourage attendees to go to exit route
Difficult to bond with coach if they keep changing
WHO COMES TO THE SESSIONS?
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They do attract ‘non-sporty’ young women living in their target
areas.
Varying levels of fitness – some very unfit and others okay!
The projects working with existing groups attract the 16-24 yr
old age group.
‘Open’ projects tend to attract ‘open’ age groups – some 1624 yr olds and older women. Seen as positive – coming with a
friend/ mum, older woman might tell younger woman about
the session, don’t want to turn anyone away.
‘At least 1/3 haven’t done any sport in the last year, quite a few are overweight…instructors
tailor it to include everyone.’
WHICH MODEL WORKS BEST?
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Depends on your project and local circumstances
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Some models have more issues to consider than others
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Not enough delivery yet…
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The key to success will be how well a multi sport project supports young women
to take part in sport at an exit route
SUCCESS AT RETAINING YOUNG
WOMEN
Only 1 project has been delivering multi sport sessions for several months and they
have retained the majority of their young women:•
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‘Trelya’ based in Penzance, working with very socially excluded ‘non-sporty’ young women
Running multi sport sessions (one sport after the other) at their own venue twice per week
Integrated multi sport sessions into their other work with these young women e.g. making DVDs,
cooking, nails in order to take away the emphasis on ‘playing sport’ and make it informal and fun.
Runs sessions in the evenings and weekends so it will be part of their lifestyle when they get jobs.
Sessions run by their own staff – already have rapport/ trust with young women.
Young women entered into Race4Life – Extra spin-offs - used multi sport sessions to ‘help them
get fit’, great motivator, became fitter and better at playing the different sports, getting used to
being with other ‘unknown’ young women, more confidence, first step to joining a club.
Exit routes will be local clubs/ leisure centres. Staff will go with young women when they are ready
to exit route clubs for several weeks, will provide kit/ equipment, pay membership etc. Will take to
leisure centre, get them used to paying at reception, changing rooms and playing sport in a public
facility.
Will do another running event with a local running/ athletics club as part of the transition to joining
an informal/ friendly regular training session organised by the running club.
SUCCESS AT RETAINING YOUNG
WOMEN
1 project has been delivering multi sport sessions for several weeks and has made
a good start:•
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Hounslow, London - multi sport session run at a local school on Friday evenings (women only)
Run by project co-ordinator, meets and greets, explains how it works, encourages them to try
new activities, cost= £2 for the session. Volunteers being recruited to assist.
Timing of session – to cater for women on way home from work or for those who have to wait for
someone to come home and look after children. Can come at any time during the session.
Badminton throughout the session incl. bespoke coaching for 1 hour
Zumba, 5:15-6:10 Kick boxing, Keep fit 5.30 – 6.20 and then repeated again at 6.25 -7.15
Often come with friend/ family, do one activity together
They HAVE been trying new sports. (AND want to try more e.g. football)
Badminton very popular, exit route with local club, supported by Badminton England
Zumba very popular with younger ones, often attracts them to the session
Kickboxing – same instructor runs open kickboxing club at the school, perfect exit route.
BUT/ expensive to run – school facilities and instructors, focus on making it sustainable.
THE CHALLENGE FOR MULTI SPORT
WORK:TRANSITION TO EXIT ROUTES
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Proposed exit routes include sessions at leisure centres, local sports clubs, sport specific
courses
Range of methods to help young women to go to exit route:– Project workers to go with them several times, pay for membership, kit etc
– Take them to the exit route once to familiarise them with it
– Use the same instructor for the session as the exit route e.g. zumba teacher for
session and at leisure centre
– Signposting - tell them about the exit route and encourage them to go
– Provide a list of local sessions/ clubs
A few projects are starting to track young women at events/ multi sport sessions and whether
they attend local exit routes – matching their own registers to the ‘exit route’ registers.
THE FUTURE
There are lots of advantages to doing multi sport work but a lot of
issues to consider when setting it up!
All the projects agreed that they would continue to do multi sport
work, they felt it was an important approach and some were
planning to increase their multi sport work in the future.
‘Multi sport is absolutely right with our target group, perfect for reluctant
young women coming from families without a sporting background.’