What does your daughter see at the Olympics?

We know the stats: many girls will stop running. They will drop out of football, rugby, camogie, hockey, swimming.

Is it the clothes? There are many reasons, but let’s just talk about this one. This debate surfaces every Olympics, usually around beach volleyball. Many sports sexualise female bodies. As some point, girls grow out of t-shirts and loose shorts and are put into bikini bottoms and crop tops. The boys will remain fully clothed. If this is “necessary to allow the freedom of movement” then why are the men not wearing them?

When I was a teen athlete, there was an ad campaign showing the research for health outcomes for girls “if we let them play” sports. I ran as a teen, but I realise now that it was helpful was my team uniform was the same as the boys. That our coach back then encouraged us – boys and girls- to be comfortable in our awkward adolescent bodies by wearing some lycra under shorts that we felt were too short or team singlets that gaped too much at the arms.

Years later, I’m a doctor, with adolescent girls among my patients. It’s never been more important for girls to put down screen, to physically move, to connect, to get strong. But I meet young women who have too often given up sport, who now lack confidence to return. We do have to applaud those who do it with reservation, such as US long-jumper who publicly worried her uniform would let everyone see her “hoo-ha”.

Parent tip: Help your child find the strength, sportsmanship, humanity, endurance and triumph. Try to avoid commenting on the bodies, particularly sexualising comments on female athletes.