The spring sun streams through the windows of Calgary’s Repsol Sport Centre as twenty young girls lace up basketball shoes, their excited chatter filling the gymnasium. This isn’t just any Saturday morning practice – it’s part of Hoops for Her, one of several flourishing women-only sports initiatives reshaping Canada’s athletic landscape.
“When I started coaching five years ago, we had maybe eight girls show up,” explains Jasmine Torres, former collegiate player turned youth coach. “Today, we have waiting lists and parents calling months in advance.” Torres gently corrects a young player’s shooting form, her patience evident as small hands adjust their grip on the basketball.
This scene is repeating across the country as women-only sports programs experience unprecedented growth. From Vancouver’s She Kicks soccer academies to Halifax’s Women on Water rowing clubs, these initiatives are creating spaces where female athletes can develop skills without the historical barriers that have limited participation.
The numbers tell a compelling story. According to Canadian Women & Sport’s 2023 participation report, girls’ involvement in organized sports has increased 28% over the past five years in communities with dedicated women-only programs, compared to just 6% growth nationally. The report found these gender-specific initiatives particularly effective at retaining teenage girls, historically the demographic most likely to abandon sports.
“What we’re seeing isn’t just about creating star athletes,” explains Dr. Amrita Gill, sports sociologist at the University of Calgary. “These programs build confidence, leadership skills, and community. The girls who come through these programs are more likely to become coaches and administrators themselves, creating a virtuous cycle.”
In Edmonton, Olympic bronze medalist Christine Sinclair recently visited the Northern Alberta Female Hockey Academy, signing autographs and speaking with wide-eyed players. “When I was growing up, I had to play on boys’ teams until I was fourteen,” Sinclair told the gathered athletes. “What you have here – this space that’s yours – that’s something special.”
The academy, which began with 30 players in 2017, now serves over 200 female hockey players ranging from ages 8 to 18. Its executive director, Melissa LaPointe, believes the program’s success comes from addressing both physical and social barriers.
“We don’t just teach hockey,” LaPointe explains while watching a practice session. “We created sliding-scale fees, equipment lending programs, and transportation assistance. Then we built a curriculum that emphasizes both competitive excellence and supportive community. Girls stay because they feel they belong.”
Federal funding has played a crucial role in these initiatives’ expansion. The Liberal government’s 2018 commitment to achieve gender equity in sports by 2035 directed $30 million specifically toward programs increasing female participation. Provincial governments have followed suit, with British Columbia’s Active Girls grant program distributing $5.3 million to women-only sports initiatives since 2020.
Yet challenges persist. A recent survey by Sport Canada found that only 38% of sporting facilities offer equal access to prime practice times for female teams. Equipment costs remain prohibitive for many families, especially in specialized sports like hockey and alpine skiing.
In Regina, wheelchair basketball coach Dani Probert navigates these challenges daily. Her program, Wheels Forward, serves women and girls with physical disabilities. “We’re fighting multiple barriers at once,” Probert explains. “Gender, disability, and often economic factors too. But when a player tells me this is the first place she’s felt like an athlete rather than someone’s inspiration story – that’s when I know we’re making progress.”
The impact extends beyond participation. TSN’s viewership for women’s sports has increased 41% since 2019, while corporate sponsorship has more than doubled. When the Canadian women’s soccer team won Olympic gold in Tokyo, more than 4.4 million Canadians tuned in – numbers that would have seemed impossible a decade ago.
Back in Calgary, fourteen-year-old Aisha Mehta dribbles skillfully down the court. Three years ago, she was too shy to join a co-ed basketball program. Now, she’s considering trying out for her high school team.
“Before coming here, I thought sports weren’t really for me,” Aisha says during a water break, still slightly out of breath. “But Coach Jasmine talks about how sports teach you to be brave in other parts of your life too. I believe that now.”
As practice ends, Torres gathers her players for a final huddle. They place hands together, counting down: “Three, two, one – BELIEVE!” Their voices echo through the gym, carrying the sound of something powerful taking shape across Canadian sports – a generation of female athletes who see no limit to what they can achieve.
For parents like Winnipeg’s Sarah Greenberg, whose daughters participate in Riveters Rugby, these programs represent something profound. “My girls are learning they deserve space in the world,” Greenberg says, watching from the sidelines of a muddy practice field. “That lesson goes far beyond sports.”
