January 15, 2025 2:17 pm

Try it Girls - ASAA

The Try it Girls Pilot Program offered through Alberta Schools Athletic Association (ASAA),  included 26 High School Mentors and 52 Elementary participants. In this 6 week program participants engaged in approximately 5 different sports and several cooperative and team building games including a culturally sensitive girls only swim. Over the 6 weeks, participants engaged in 16 hours of fun and inclusive physical activity. While the High School mentors were able to increase and improve on their leadership skills assisting with this program, they also  received 3 credits to be used towards their overall school credit.

 

Try it Girls was a pilot project aimed at engaging inactive girls in after school based sport. This program included:

  • 2 high schools, 2 elementary/junior high schools in the Edmonton area
  • Female high school teachers and female high school students
  • Previously inactive female students at elementary/junior high levels
  • Canadian Olympians Katherine & Michelle Plouffe

 

Program Phases

  • Phase 1: Teachers mentored and supervised high school female students to run after school activities for girls aged 10-14, including but not limited to: indoor soccer/futsal, volleyball, basketball, pickleball for 60-90 minutes over the course of 6 to 10 weeks
  • Phase 2: A weekend culmination event involving all participating schools/students (3-4 hours)
  • Phase 3: Evaluation and meeting of teachers/high school students to produce a written template to guide others wishing to undertake this program.

 

Try It Girls has been successful in achieving its objectives of promoting physical activity among inactive girls and fostering leadership skills among high school students. The feedback from teachers, high school students, elementary/junior high students, and parents underscores the program's effectiveness in creating a supportive environment for girls to explore and enjoy sports. Moving forward, the insights gained from this pilot will be invaluable in refining and scaling similar initiatives in other communities. This project was supported by InMotion Network, Makadiff Sports and the Alberta Schools Athletic Association.