Why are girls dropping out of sport and what can be done about it?

2022 has been an amazing year for women's sport - from the Lionesses winning the Euros this summer to the Red Roses making it through to the Rugby World Cup final.

However, recent figures from the Youth Sport Trust, the charity that helps children get access to sport, have shown that despite this, more than a third of girls in England and Wales drop out of playing sport by the time they reach secondary school.

They also reveal that the total number of girls who stopped playing sport entirely went up from last year.

So why is this happening and what can be done about it?

What else do we know?

In July the Lionesses beat Germany 2-1 to become European Champions

Figures from England and Wales show that one in four girls feel unconfident to play sport in primary school, and this figure rises to one in three by the time they get to secondary school.

We spoke to a group of girls at one school in the north-west of England to find out why this is happening.

One of the main reasons they said they stopped playing sport is that they they don't feel welcome in a male environment.

Elsa said: "I tried to join a football team but it was all boys and me and when we actually played, no one passed to me."

Some girls also don't feel confident enough to play sport and as girls grow older and their bodies change they don't feel confident in the clothes they have to wear.

Elsa added: "In netball you have to wear really tight short dresses. Most of the girls wore black t-shirts and black leggings under it so that we felt better for playing it because it was really revealing"

Mia agreed: "I just wouldn't want to even try it because it's really overwhelming."

Research suggests that one in three girls feel unconfident to play sport in secondary school

Other girls also don't have the option to play in girls teams.

Tilly told us: "I'd love to be in a girl's rugby or cricket team but there's not that option at school."

It's something that professional female players want to see changed.

We spoke to England and Barcelona midfield Keira Walsh.

She said: "I think it's always been boys who are encouraged [to play sport] and we want girls to feel the same. We want girls to have those opportunities.

"It's bigger than football. It's about women in society in general. It's about us feeling equal across all aspects and for us we feel that starts with sport and girls having the opportunity in school," Keira added.

More girls stopped playing sport in 2022 compared to previous years

It's hoped that by seeing women play professional sport can inspire young girls to continue with it and that's why there are many clubs trying to encourage girls to get involved.

We went to meet some young players at a new all-girls football team in Manchester to get their thoughts.

One girl told us: "I feel really lucky to play in a sports team because a lot of girls don't have that."

While another added: "Here they just accept you for who you are."

There are still many hurdles to overcome to get girls participating in sport to the same level that boys do, but it's hoped that with specialised girls teams then they will feel more supported and confident to reach their dreams.