South Australia is stepping up its game to tackle the gender gap in sport, launching the 'Gender Play Gap Guidelines', designed to help clubs bring girls and young women back into organised sport and keep them in it.
Developed by Flinders University researchers and supported by the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing (ORSR), the guidelines offer practical, evidence-based strategies for sporting organisations to create more inclusive and empowering environments.
The research highlights a concerning trend: girls are significantly more likely than boys to drop out of sport during adolescence, often due to feeling undervalued, excluded, or disconnected from their sporting communities.
Flinders University's PhD student and lead author James Kay says the guidelines are designed to help clubs respond to the lived experiences of young women.
"Our research shows that girls often leave sport because they don't feel supported in the organised sport environment," says Mr Kay from the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work.
"These guidelines offer a way forward by helping clubs and sport organisations create spaces where girls feel welcome, respected, and inspired to return."
The recommendations focus on four key areas: targeted communication, fostering social connection, promoting equity and inclusion, and futureproofing clubs and organisations for future success.
Actions include exploring more flexible participation options, creating women-oriented spaces, and supporting the development of female coaches and officials through discounted accreditation and mentoring.
One club already embracing these principles is South Adelaide Basketball Club, where the 'Hoops & Her' initiative is creating new opportunities for girls aged 13 to 18.
Funded by ORSR, the 10-month program is designed to build confidence, leadership, and community among young female athletes.
It includes skill-building clinics, introductory coaching and refereeing pathways, mentoring sessions with South Adelaide's NBL1 Women's team, and wellbeing workshops delivered in partnership with local health professionals.
Club General Manager Simon Crowden says the program was developed to help keep girls engaged in sport during their teenage years.
"We see a dramatic drop off in the number of girls aged 13 -16 years playing basketball and we want to try and address this in an engaging and empowering way," he says.
"It's not just about improving basketball skills-it's about fostering a sense of belonging and opening doors to future opportunities in coaching, officiating, and personal development."
James Kay says initiatives like 'Hoops & Her' are exactly what the guidelines aim to inspire.
"This program shows what's possible when clubs listen and respond to the experiences of young women," he says.
The Gender Play Gap Guidelines complement broader State Government measures such as The Power of Her - Infrastructure and Participation Program, which is investing more than $9 million in 2025-26 into infrastructure and programs that support female participation in sport.
Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing, Emily Bourke MLC, says the program is having a real impact.
"We've seen clubs able to turn their ideas into reality from previous funding rounds, helping to deliver new facilities and initiatives that encourage young female athletes to stay active," Minister Bourke says.
"Our Government has also re-established the Women in Sport Taskforce to tackle the issue of girls' participation and raise the profile of women's sport - and these guidelines will strengthen those efforts."
Assistant Minister for Junior Sport Participation, Rhiannon Pearce MP, adds: "Hearing from young women and girls on their place in sport is crucial, which is why we created a targeted Youth Panel on the Taskforce."
"When we support girls in sport today, we're not just building future athletes - we're building stronger, more confident women for tomorrow."
ORSR is encouraging all sporting organisations-from grassroots clubs to state bodies-to adopt the guidelines and embed them into their operations. The goal is to create a more inclusive, equitable sporting culture that supports lifelong participation for girls and young women.
The full Gender Play Gap Guidelines are available at Gender-Play-Gap-Guidelines_ORSR.pdf
