Ms. McGregor says there is no simple explanation, but she thinks the problem has its roots in the ways the two sexes are raised. Boys are tutored in the basic skills of sport from a very early age, and are expected to excel. They are cautioned to be careful, and they don't receive the same skills instruction as their brothers. In their teens, girls also become more conscious of their body image, and many turn away from sport to cigarettes and dieting as their preferred means of weight control. And while all of these desires can be satisfied through sport, an alarming number of young Canadian women are developing eating disorders or be coming addicted to cigarettes instead.
Time is another factor that prevents many girls from participating in sports.
As they juggle school, part-time work and a social life, there is little room for exercise. Boys are busy too, Ms. McGregor says, but girls are more of ten asked by parents to help out at home. It would be unheard of to keep a boy from playing hockey so he could baby-sit the kids. It's not even in our consciousness. But the reverse is.