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This weekend, women and girls are being encouraged to try out a variety of new sports through the Her Sports Fest in North York.
The three-day event started on Friday evening at the Hangar Sport and Events Centre and features multiple sports, from skateboarding to sailing to boxing, to encourage women to learn and love sports.
Professional women’s sports are expanding and gaining popularity in society, but young women and girls need to be encouraged to take on different sports to maintain that growth, said festival co-founder Sherry Lamb.
She said Toronto is a great place for women’s sports right now with three professional teams, such as the Toronto Tempo, and rising local stars in tennis and golf.
“It’s really about participation and finding the sport that’s right for them,” she said. “It’s not necessarily about being elite, Olympic level athletes. It’s really the benefits we get from sports overall.”
The festival will have demonstrations, special athlete appearances, as well as instructors and equipment to try out each sport.
Each sport provides girls with different opportunities, said Lamb. But even if women don’t proceed to the professional level, she said participation in sports provides them with mental and community support to thrive in various aspects of life.
Women’s boxing, skateboarding are growing: coaches
Women are the fastest growing demographic in skateboarding with many breakout stars rising over the ramps in the past few years, said Adam Higgins, interim executive director of Skateboard Canada.
He said women and girls will have the opportunity to try out skateboarding with the help of some instructors and get a feel for the sport this weekend.
“It’s a growing sport and such a fun thing for anyone to get into,” said Higgins.
He said the sport has been developing professionally “with a new pathway” and that many athletes are currently preparing for the third ever Olympic qualifying period.
While athletes are scored for tricks and flips at the professional level, he said regular skateboarders can “win” by just “rolling down the street” or trying out a new skill.
Another sport that’s seen an uptick in female participation is boxing, said Samantha Chan, founder and head coach of Soul Good Boxing. But she said the field is largely male dominated as it’s perceived to be an aggressive sport.
She said women should try out boxing for the “tremendous benefits” they can get, including a full body workout, empowerment and creating bonds with other fighters.
Girls attending the festival this weekend can learn the basics from coaches or even try to punch a punching bag, said Chan.
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