Play sports! A P.E. teacher's message for girls

By Rebecca O'Brien

Something amazing happened last summer. The football-mad country I grew up in shifted its passionate attention to a team of women who went on to win the European Championship ― England's first major football title since the men's team won the World Cup in 1966. Over 87,000 people were there at London's Wembley Stadium to cheer on England's Lionesses, the highest number ever for a men's or women's European Championship game, with many millions more watching on screens nationwide.

I found this scene particularly encouraging because I used to play football as a student in England. What held me back was the lack of youth preparation and infrastructure that boys benefited from. Now the situation has generally improved globally and star midfielder Ji So-yun, the first South Korean to play in England's Women's Super League, has suggested Korean clubs should follow the English example of promoting men's and women's teams jointly.

It was great to see Ji herself introduced at a men's game in Korea when she signed for Suwon FC Women earlier this year. With some exceptions for particularly successful individuals, however, female athletes do not get enough attention. Data cited by UNESCO show that women's sports receive only about 4 percent of sports media coverage, even though 40 percent of sports participants are women. And this lack of coverage means we do not have enough famous role models, particularly those who play team sports like Ji, to inspire girls.

As a physical education teacher now entering my fourth year in Korea, and eighth year in Asia, I regret to say that I have seen too many examples of female students being steered away from sports, even by well-meaning friends and family. They are discouraged for various reasons, from social expectations and notions that sports are too competitive to high-profile reports of bullying and sexual harassment.

I have even heard it said that girls should avoid sports so that they do not become too muscular. More worrying still, I hear from far too many people that underweight girls may feel pressured to lose even more weight. Look around and we are bombarded with images encouraging girls and women to meet a certain standard of beauty, from ads for cosmetics to plastic surgery ― Korea is estimated to have among the highest rates of cosmetic surgery per capita globally.

I would instead stress the numerous benefits of sports, including good health outcomes from an active lifestyle, becoming a team player, learning how to lead and building resilience by experiencing winning and losing.

In my own case, I enjoy competitive mountain biking. When I turn up to compete in events in Korea, men (whom I often beat) tell me it is too dangerous for me to take part because I am a woman. Not only are these notions outdated, but they are preventing girls and women from fulfilling their potential and taking part in sports that they have just as much of a right to participate in.

Given that I am a female P.E. teacher, I know I have an important role to play as there are too few women doing what I do and in sports leadership positions generally. I can personally set an example for my students and share with them that Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Anti-racism (IDEA) and gender equity are not only examples of vital global citizenship competencies underpinning our core values, but they are also important parts of the Sustainable Development Goals set out by the United Nations.

At Dulwich College Seoul, we encourage girls to wear shorts or trousers instead of skirts as uniforms to enable more freedom of movement and encourage activity. Even seemingly small changes like this make a difference, as they help students see each other as fellow sports mates that go beyond gender lines.

It is heartening to see hopeful signs of change. For example, the reality TV show "Kick a Ball," featuring female celebrities playing football, has perhaps played a role in increased interest in sports by women. The social sports platform, Plab Football, which helps people sign up for games, reported a 45.2 percent jump in female users just a month after "Kick a Ball" was launched last year.

JN Sports, the local futsal (a kind of five-a-side football) academy, has seen its number of female trainees leap from 40 in 2018 to 1,500 as of April this year. The Korea Football Association also launched the Women's University Football Club League for college clubs this year, with 16 teams taking part. With a series of other reality shows featuring women playing sports, I am hoping the impact will filter down to children as a positive example of the influence exerted by celebrities and social media.

Another positive impact of those reality shows is they show you can have fun playing sports without necessarily training for an Olympic medal. While it's great to aspire to be the next Kim Yuna, Serena Williams or Megan Rapinoe, it's also important for girls and women to have the option of making sports a part of their daily lives. In addition to those physical, psychological and social benefits I referred to before, girls and boys should be encouraged to take part in sports for the sheer joy of it. That is what first drove me to get out and play football with my dad, and that is also what motivates me every day when I go to work and see the change on my students' faces.

Rebecca O'Brien is a P.E. teacher at Dulwich College Seoul.