LAGUNA GIRLS RUN CLUB

Empowering girls through running and connection

Laguna Girls RC is a weekly run club for girls aged 12-16. The aim of the club is support and encourage girls in their teens to keep moving, build confidence and resilience, make connections with other girls and to nurture a positive mindset.

We incorporate the 5 Ways to Wellbeing in our sessions (Be Active, Connect, Learn, Give, and Take Notice) but add a 6th one - Care for the planet because we believe every young person can play a part in looking after their own future. As well as having fun with the running, we also create an awareness around emotional wellbeing.

'Laguna' is Spanish for Lagoon - a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water. Young teens are learning to navigate the world on their own, and the Laguna gives them a safe space in which to come and talk, move and connect with their peers.

Meeting Place: Lagoon Watersports Centre Cafe
When: Saturdays 10:30-11:30am
Dates: Term Times
Ages: 12-16
Cost: £42 for a 6 week course (plus an initial £10 for the Laguna Girls RC t-shirt)
Trial session available
Concessions available
Autumn Term Nov 5th - Dec 10th 2022
Winter Term Jan 7th - Feb 11th 2023

Contact for more info

LAGUNA GIRLS MISSION

My Pace My Space

Research shows that by the age of 14, a high percentage of girls drop out of sport for a variety of reasons (body image, lack of choice in PE, confidence etc). Being active is crucial for a positive mental and physical health, and especially now after the year we have had of the pandemic lockdown and the rise in stress and anxiety amongst our young people. Research conducted by Women in Sport found that nearly 60% of girls in the UK aren’t meeting the recommended exercise guidelines.

In 2011, Women in Sport and Fitness Foundation commissioned the Institute of Youth Sport at Loughborough University (with funding from the Big Lottery Fund) to conduct a large-scale piece of research aimed at understanding why girls turn away from sport and physical activity.

They outlined the 6 biggest barriers to girls taking part in sport.

At Laguna Club our mission is to challenge these barriers and empower girls through running, connection and friendship.

COMMITMENT #1: TAILORED SESSIONS THAT ARE DIFFERENT AND FUN. WE BELIEVE THAT MOVEMENT SHOULD BE ENJOYABLE BUT ALSO THE IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING HOW TO STEP OUTSIDE OUR COMFORT ZONES.

Barrier: Lack of choice

46% of the least active girls said they “don’t like the activities we get to do in PE”

Older girls in particular felt that PE lessons offered them insufficient choice of activities. Girls say they want choice in the type of activities they participate in and the people they participate with. They also say they want variety, to stop them getting bored of the same activities.

COMMITMENT #2: WE BELIEVE IN GIVING GIRLS A SAFE ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY CAN TAP INTO THEIR SUPER POWERS AND BE COMPETITIVE IF THEY WANT TO. CHEERING AND SUPPORTING EACH OTHER WILL BUILD CONNECTION & CONFIDENCE.

Barrier: Overly competitive environments

45% of girls agreed that “sport is too competitive”

We know that many girls love taking part in competitive sport as much as some boys do. Many girls said that they like the opportunity to take part in competitions and have the opportunity to demonstrate their ability, but many girls said they didn’t like the aggressive or ‘overly competitive’ behaviour that seemed to be associated with competition.

COMMITMENT #3: WE BELIEVE THAT EACH PERSON IS AN INDIVIDUAL WITH THEIR OWN USP (UNIQUE SUPER POWER). WE SUPPORT THE GIRLS IN HARNESSING THEIR SUPER POWER AND WILL HELP THEM REACH THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL GOAL, WHATEVER THIS MAY BE. A LAGUNA GIRL IS SOMEONE WHO BUILDS UP HER FELLOW LAGUNA GIRLS’ CONFIDENCE. WE BELIEVE IN SUPPORTING AND ENCOURAGING EACH OTHER.

Barrier: Confidence

Over a third of the least active girls didn’t think they had “the skills to do well in sport”
Many girls, particularly those who are least active, lack confidence in their ability in sport, which makes them more reluctant to participate. Environments where the focus is on winning rather than enjoyment, therefore, can be off-putting because they fear feeling like they’re the ‘worst’ at the activity, or letting the rest of the team down.

COMMITMENT #4: WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE TEEN YEARS ARE CHALLENGING. HOWEVER, WE ALSO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A CRUCIAL TIME TO HELP GIRLS INSTIL A MORE POSITIVE SELF BELIEF AND THAT THIS IS POSSIBLE THROUGH FEELING FITTER PHYSICALLY AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY. WE CHALLENGE THE USE OF NEGATIVE LANGUAGE AND REALLY ENCOURAGE BUILDING A POSITIVE MINDSET THROUGH EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.

Barrier: Body image

75% of girls agreed that “girls are self-conscious of their bodies”
As they get older, girls start to become more self-conscious and concerned with the way they look. Many girls dislike the thought of getting their hair messy and getting sweaty.

COMMITMENT #5: WE ARE A GIRLS CLUB BUT WE ENCOURAGE HEALTHY COMPETITIVENESS AND BELIEVE THAT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF, UNTIL YOU TRY!

Barrier: Boys

Girls can be put off participating in sport because of boys for two reasons:
36% of least active girls agreed that they felt like their body was on show in PE, and that this made them like PE less.
First of all, linked with the above barrier, girls become increasingly self- conscious participating in sport with or alongside boys as they get older. Any setting where sport is delivered in mixed groups should consider giving the option of girls-only sessions. For settings where girls do participate in single-sex groups, it’s also important to think about the girls feeling ‘on show’ in front of the boys if they are participating close by.
52% of all girls agreed that “boys enjoy competitive sport more than girls”
Boys are associated with the type of aggressive competition that many girls said they found off-putting. Some girls talked about boys being too ‘rough’.

LAGUNA GIRLS RC COMMITMENT #6: WE BELIEVE THAT MOVING OUR BODIES IS ESSENTIAL FOR BUILDING RESILIENCE, CONFIDENCE AND POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH. OUR HOPE IS THAT BY CREATING THIS SPACE FOR GIRLS, IT WILL GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO FEEL ALL THE POSITIVE BENEFITS OF BEING ACTIVE AND THEREFORE MAKE SPORT A REGULAR PART OF THEIR LIVES.

Barrier: Sport is undervalued

59% of the least active girls didn’t think it was important to be good at PE
As girls get older, they place more value on schoolwork than on PE and sport. As a result, sport gets pushed lower down the list of girls’ priorities. Many girls think that continuing to participate in sport “won’t get them anywhere” and is less valuable to their future. Furthermore, research shows that both girls and boys think that boys are given more support and encouragement to participate in sport. For boys, being ‘sporty’ is seen as a favourable trait, whereas being a ‘sporty’ girl is often more negatively perceived.