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May 30, 2024
USRowing is proud to join the Body Confident Sport program with Laureus, Dove and Nike to help girls build body confidence and make sports a place where girls feel like they belong. This program was developed in partnership with the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport and the Centre for Appearance Research. The Body Confident Sport program was created to help girls and young people of all gender identities feel more comfortable being active and participating in sport. The aim is to empower coaches and athletes around the world to celebrate the truly awesome things active bodies can do. Through the Laureus Foundation, USRowing has received a $40,000 2-year grant to educate our community.
"Developing high quality, evidence-based tools like Body Confident Sport is just the first step. Distributing and implementing them across a complex, siloed youth sports landscape is an entirely different challenge," said Peter Feldman, Director of Programs for Laureus Sport for Good USA. "To that end, we are proud to be working with partners like US Rowing to address a critical barrier facing girls in sport. We know the impact and lessons learned from this collaboration will help keep more girls in the game."
The Body Confidence Sport program is focused on educating coaches and young women on positive body image. By coupling coach education with easy-to-use program curriculum and guides, coaches will be equipped with the knowledge, tools and inspiration to build confident athletes. USRowing's goal for the next two years is to have over 2,200 athletes and coaches go through the program. All girls and women in the USRowing Pathways Programs – from Youth Development through Selection Camp – will experience the program. USRowing will partner with other leading organizations in the sport to launch the program in boathouses across the country.
"All athletes know that participation in sports, especially at the competitive level, changes bodies. This can affect body image, athletic participation, and mental health," said Jennie Trayes, USRowing Chief Community Engagement Officer. "At USRowing, we strive to create a place for girls and women to feel proud of what their bodies can accomplish and are confident in themselves. We are eager to equip athletes and coaches with the knowledge, skills, and language to do so. Thank you to Laureus USA, Dove, and Nike for making this possible."
Coaches are able to take the Body Confidence Coach training on The Launch, USRowing's education platform. The learning module will educate coaches on how to administer the course to their athletes.
Coaches, take the next step:
Visit www.bodyconfidentsport.com to learn more.
