Toronto, ON – September 22, 2025

Half of Canadian girls aren’t participating in sport by the age of 17*, missing out on the health, confidence, and mental wellness benefits that sport provides. Today, Canadian Women & Sport is launching Get Girl Coached - a bold national campaign that puts the whistle in girls’ hands and keeps them in the game. 

At the heart of the campaign is KeepGirlsPlaying.ca - a new national resource hub designed for coaches, policy makers, sport leaders, and corporate decision-makers. The site offers free tools and resources developed through research with girls, showing what can be done in every role to make sport a place where girls feel they belong and thrive. 

“Sport hasn’t been built with girls’ needs in mind,” said Allison Sandmeyer-Graves, CEO of Canadian Women & Sport. “Yet 7 in 10 girls who play experience real mental health benefits. Imagine the impact if we designed sport for them, instead of asking girls to adapt. Our challenge to coaches, leaders, and decision-makers is simple: Get Girl Coached. Listen to girls, learn from them, and take action to build a space that’s made for them.”

Timed with the back-to-school, back-to-sport season, these Girl Coaches have something to say before their coaches take the whistle. The campaign launches with a powerful video: a confident young girl blows her whistle and calls adults - coaches, administrators, and sponsors - into a huddle. She lays out a clear game plan: better court times, more resources, and spaces where girls feel heard. The message is clear: for everyone to win, girls need to be in the game - and that starts with following their lead.