Uniforms that encourage girls to play sport and be active
Body image plays a key role for girls to participate in sport and physical activity. One major strategy to keep girls and women involved in community sport is to let them choose their uniforms.
Research purpose
This research was to identify which uniforms make girls feel comfortable and confident when playing sport.
After 3 State Sporting Associations (Swimming Victoria, Netball Victoria and Cricket Victoria) encouraged associations to change their policies, follow up research was conducted to understand the effects of these changes. The research was undertaken by Victoria University, funded through the Change Our Game Research Grants Program. The effects of sport uniform policy changes was released in March 2022.
Research methodology
A total of 312 girls in Victoria aged 12 to 18 years old completed a survey in 2020 to share their thoughts and beliefs about sport uniforms.
A follow up sample of 44 girls and women who changed their competition uniform as a result of amended uniform policy/regulations completed a survey to share their thoughts.
Please get tracksuits so that we can all feel comfortable in our body, also hoodies/sweatshirts to feel relaxed and not always tight fitted everything.
Survey participant
Key findings
Girls identified 6 key uniform needs
- Uniforms that make them feel ready for sport
- Clothing that fits them well
- Dark coloured bottoms
- Uniforms made from appropriate materials
- No unisex clothing
- Do not want to feel over-exposed in their uniforms.
Different preferences for different groups
Not all girls are the same and some groups of girls have different uniform preferences. Different options could be critical for non-active girls to feel comfortable in order to begin engaging in sport.
- Active girls (those who play sport) have higher functional and aesthetic body image satisfaction, and are happier to wear whatever is required to play compared with non-active girls.
- Girls who are non-active, from culturally diverse backgrounds, and/or identify as LGBTIQ+ want a range of sport uniform options to choose what makes them feel comfortable and confident.
- Girls who played team sports (netball, AFL, basketball) and/ or girls who engaged in lifestyle activities (jogging, gym, cycling): prefer wearing shorts and singlets, as opposed to shorts and t-shirts.
Where changes were made to sports uniforms
- 48% agreed they were encouraged to stay in the sport
- 48% agreed that the change removed barriers they had associated with enjoying the sport
- 41% more girls and women felt confident
- 30% less girls and women felt self-conscious.
Why is this important?
Body image plays a key role for girls to participate in sport and physical activity – uniforms are an important influence.
Research has identified that some girls aged 14 to 16 years old do not want to participate in physical activity because they feel embarrassed or feel they are putting their bodies on display, and they do not meet society’s beauty standards.
Another study identified girls aged 14 years have 27% less confidence than boys the same age (YPulse, 2018). Girls need sport uniforms that make them feel comfortable, confident and ready to play sport and physical activity.
It would be good if the shorts can have two layers underneath if it has like a bike short attached to the shorts on top so when we are sitting down or in an out of the ordinary position that I don’t feel like you can see my underwear.
Survey participant
Read the research summaries
Uniforms that encourage girls to play sport and be physically active
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