Participating in sport can help support a healthy lifestyle and being active for life. Girls and female participation in sport is lower than their male counterparts.

A contributing factor to drop out rates of girls in sport can be related to confidence and self-esteem and body image.

Ringette BC has some resources to share with coaches, athletes and parents to support a positive body image.

ATHLETES

  • The Female Athlete Triade
    The female athlete Triade refers to three health problems that are commonly linked to female athletes. 
  • Positive body image for Athletes

COACH
Coaches are key influencers for children and youth and can have a profound impact on the athletes they work with. Coaches are part of the circle of adults and peers that can positively influence children and youth. Parents, peers and teachers are key people that athletes lean on for support.

  • Coaches looking for tools and resources check out the BodySense Tool page.

Please follow this link to the BodySense webpage for a wide range of resources to assist athletes to proactively prevent disordered eating and muscle development problems by reinforcing the importance of positive body image. This is a very user friendly website with a wide range of materials for male and female athletes.

There are times where we might be worried about the mental health of an athlete who has a poor body image. In particular, girls in sport might be at higher risk for developing a mental health issue called an eating disorder. To learn more about the free resources available to support you and the young person, you can view the following links:

  • The Government of British Columbia has a resource page on Body Image and Eating Disorders, which cover a wide range of services from treatment to education. 
  • The National Eating Disorder Information Centre operates a national English-speaking toll-free helpline and online chat service, which you can access at www.nedic.ca.

If you are concerned about an athlete or a friend please visit the Government of BC’s webpage on body image and eating disorders or call the toll -free helpline at 1-866-NEDIC-20 and 416-340-4156.