Canadian rugby great Jen Kish joins us to talk about Alberta’s Bill 29 and what it means for girls’ and women’s sport, youth participation, and inclusion. Kish is known for her ongoing LGBTQ2S+ advocacy and for never shying away from the heat when it comes to making sure everyone has a place in sport. She’s joined by Leah, a parent of teen daughters and a nonbinary kid who wants to play. Together we dig into the new eligibility rules for girls 12+, the ripple effects for kids, parents, coaches, and teachers, and the risks of ‘eligibility policing’ that can unfairly target tomboys, gender-nonconforming athletes, and even girls who are simply taller, stronger, or don’t fit narrow expectations of what a girl should look like. We also explore the government’s fairness and safety arguments, how consent and notification policies in schools intersect with sport, and what this all means for team culture.

Disclaimer We’re not experts, but we’re trying to process this too.

References:

One in three girls drop out by late adolescence

Women and Sport and several allied reports (e.g. Alberta Women’s Health Foundation’s Practice More Parity) report that about 1 in 3 girls quit sports during adolescence.

REF: Alberta Women's Health Foundation (https://www.albertawomenshealthfoundation.org/our-impact/practice-more-parity)

Girls leave at twice the rate of boys

The drop-out rate for teenage girls (ages roughly 16–18) is around 33%, versus only about 10% for boys in the same age range.

REF: Alberta Women's Health Foundation (https://www.albertawomenshealthfoundation.org/our-impact/practice-more-parity)

Participation falls sharply after age 16

According to the 2024 Rally Report from Canadian Women & Sport, nearly four in ten girls are missing out on organized sport overall, and this rises to five in ten (50%) by age 16.

REF: Beyond Sport (https://beyondsport.org/2024/11/22/canadian-women-sport-release-report-to-ensure-all-girls-benefit-from-sports/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

It also notes dropout rates increase at age 16 and accelerate through the late teenage years.

REF: Beyond Sport (https://beyondsport.org/2024/11/22/canadian-women-sport-release-report-to-ensure-all-girls-benefit-from-sports/)