Girls prefer more graceful sports, a study says

BBC News Online visited Croydon High School in south London to talk to a group of sixth formers and their teachers about what sport girls play and what motivates them to exercise.

"Sport is very important to the school" Headmistress Lorna Ogilvie "It is not all about competing" Sue Dassie, head of physical education "Girls may feel embarrassed about doing sport" Lizzie Butler, 17 "I don't think it is right to say girls just like more graceful activities" Laura Mullarkey, 17

"For some girls I can understand why they get put off" Hannah Kaye, 17 "I gave up a lot of sport when I started in the sixth form " Clara Barnett, 17 "I used to play sport for the social aspect" Sophie Woodman, 16 "It can be hard if you don't make the team" Kate Gillett, 17

We are not equal and life is sometimes about selection Lorna Ogilvie

Sport is very important to the school. It teaches students how to win and lose and how to handle it with dignity.

It teaches leadership skills and teamwork. All this is important in growing up.

I know some people have said competition is not good at school age but I believe it is. We are not equal and life is sometimes about selection.

At the same time, we are aware not all girls can get into the teams and we need to provide for them and that is why we have started introducing things like salsa and body combat over the last four or five years and have after school clubs for all.

The girls who are in the teams are easy to keep interested in sport. They like playing and like competing.

But it is more difficult to keep the ones who are not in the teams and not as good in to sport. We have a number of sports clubs - basketball, lacrosse, dance, football - that we do not put teams forward into competition for.

It is not all about competing, we also know we must reach out to all the girls and that can be done by offering a variety of sport and not just concentrating on the traditional ones.

We try to stress all the positives sport can bring, socially as well as physically.

It can also help them deal with the pressures they are under from each other, from the school, from parents.

Lizzie believes girls still like competing

A lot of the emphasis is on team sports and I do know of people who cannot be bothered with sport.

You do need determination. If you are a shrinking violet it can be tricky joining in sport. You have to assert yourself and that is not always easy if there are a lot of people there who are good at sport.

I am captain of the netball team and play hockey and get a lot out of them, the teamwork and competing. But I don't think its true that girls don't want to compete, it's just not everyone that wants to.

But I do suppose girls may feel embarrassed about doing sport, especially if boys are around. Some could end up thinking 'are we doing this right?', feeling more self-conscious about how they look in front of the boys.

I enjoy sport because it is a great way of meeting people, I have met friends outside of my year through sport.

These days you are also conscious about the need to keep fit and be healthy and we are lucky because the school really encourages us to do sport.

But I can see how people are put off. I considered doing women's rugby but never really got going with it.

If a team is already established it can be daunting getting started. Everyone knows what they are doing and know each other.

There is also outside pressures which can effect participation in sport. When you start A-levels there is quite a lot of work and you know if you do too much your school work can be affected. So you have to get a balance.

But I don't think it is right to say girls just like dancing and more graceful activities. I have done disco, jazz and salsa dancing but play netball and do swimming and athletics.

Workload can get in the way of exercising, says Hannah

I think it is hard if you started late. By GCSE if you are not playing it can be hard to get into a team.

For some girls I can understand why they get put off.

Workload can also be a problem. When you do A-levels you can't always do as much as you used to.

I used to go to the gym a lot. In the sixth form I was going during my free periods but that is not always possible as the year progresses.

But girls still want to play sport, it's just it may not be the traditional ones and it doesn't have to be graceful. I have done body combat, you get really sweaty and work really hard, you are certainly not worried about how you look.

Clara gave up a lot of sport when she started A-levels

I gave up a lot of sport when I started in the sixth form - hockey, cross country, rounders - because of the workload.

I never really liked cross country, it was hard and took so long. I still take part in athletics, I am captain of the athletics team, but I do find people don't always have a lot of time for that.

It is done in the summer term when people have exams and it can be hard to get people to take part in the events.

I used to play sport for the social aspect, the coach trips away, the team spirit. It teaches you a lot.

But, in the sixth form, you don't have to do it as you do during the earlier years. So when people stop doing it, it becomes less fun.

I play hockey but I also do salsa dancing and rounders. I do sport to keep fit now.

I like playing in teams but it can be hard if you don't make the team.

However, there are other things you can do. There are a lot of sports that you can play that are not just based around competing and they are a good way of keeping fit.

And once you get into sport it can be really fun.