When you Get Her in the Game, you change the course of her life. Getting girls involved in sports can have long-term physical and mental impacts, keeping them strong, confident, and capable. Park and recreation professionals are a critical part of the movement to transform girls' participation in sports across the country and you can help bridge the gap.

To better understand the hurdles and opportunities for increasing the number of girls involved in youth sports through parks and recreation, the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) partnered with Nike to conduct extensive research, pilot new strategies and develop key actions park and recreation professionals can take. 

The research revealed a significant gap. Girls are not playing sports or staying involved in sports at the same rate as boys. Additionally, this research identified common obstacles that keep girls from sports, including:

  • Fewer opportunities than boys
  • A lack of women in coaching and volunteer roles
  • Coach experience and training in coaching girls
  • Navigating adolescence
  • A lack of access to equipment and space
  • Competing responsibilities

Read the Report

 

Luckily, we have the power to bridge these gaps. We know that when girls engage in sports, they gain greater confidence and build skills that carry them through life. To ensure all girls can experience the benefits of sport, we're empowering park and recreation professionals to take action to Get Her in the Game.

 

Help Amplify Our Message

To support your efforts in helping us Get Her in the Game, NRPA created an Activation Kit with all the resources you need to make a huge impact in expanding youth sports. Here's how you can help Get Her in the Game:

  • Share ready-to-use social media assets to expand the reach of the campaign. If you create your own assets or make edits, consider the following tips:
    • Use the Get Her in the Game logo
    • Retain key message points and priorities listed in the original copy
    • Keep in mind platform character limits and post requirements
    • Link to your own youth sports resource page and use the #GetHerInTheGame hashtag
  • Utilize our Canva templates! Remember to:
    • ALWAYS make a copy before making any changes
    • Make changes on the copied versions of the templates
    • You can "lock" and "unlock" elements of the templates so that they can be moved or edited — this is particularly helpful with icons, symbols, and logos
    • Please do not remove, distort, or re-color the NRPA or Get Her in the Game logo in any way
    • Have fun! Canva has a large range of capabilities, so make these designs your own and share the message of NRPA's Get Her in the Game campaign
  • Print our stickers and temporary tattoos
  • Print out and hang up these posters
  • Share your story!
  • Consider becoming a coach

Download the Activation Kit

 

NRPA’s new Get Her In The Game: A Playbook for Parks and Recreation outlines strategies park and recreation agencies can use to expand access to youth sports. Aligned with NRPA’s Youth Sports Framework, the guide highlights five pathways where agencies and their partners can implement promising practices to address gaps to boost participation. Each pathway offers practical, adaptable ideas to meet your community’s unique needs. Progress doesn’t require sweeping changes; even small, right-sized steps can make a meaningful difference.

Explore the Playbook

 

Additional Resources

You can learn more and share the following resources with people looking for more information:

 

News Stories