Latest news with #WomeninSport
Glasgow Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Women in Sport charity founder says she and Anne discussed how sport has changed
Dr Anita White, founder of the Women in Sport charity, the International Working Group on Women and Sport, and the Anita White Foundation, was among those honoured at Windsor Castle on Tuesday. In the hallway of the royal residence she reconnected with the ParalympicsGB chef de mission, who two decades ago was selected for a leadership development course that Dr White was arranging. Dr Anita White after being made a CBE (Andrew Matthews/PA) Penny Briscoe had also just been made a CBE and Dr White said they had not seen each other since the course. Describing her discussion with Anne, Dr White told the PA news agency: 'We spoke about how sport had changed, how it used to be a lot of old grey men running sport and how gradually it is changing.' The Princess Royal asked what sports the former captain of the England field hockey team had played. Dr White, who was left wing, told PA: 'I was captain of the England team and we won the World Cup in 1975 and we didn't get much recognition at the time – that made me aware of the kind of gender divide that there was, and I've been campaigning for women in sports ever since.' The 'huge change' she has witnessed in her career has been 'at the top level'. This can be seen in the attention garnered by the Lionesses squad, as well as the number of female sports presenters and women in leadership roles, she said. Dr Anita White is made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by the Princess Royal at Windsor Castle (Aaron Chown/PA) Dr White added: 'Inevitably there's still a certain amount of inequality in the way that girls are socialised. 'So they are terribly concerned with their appearance on social media, and not getting out there, maybe missing out on the pleasure and fun and good things that there are in sport.' 'There might be some regression of people thinking, well, because we see women in the media, we've cracked it – women in sport has been done and dusted – but of course that isn't the case,' she added. Ms Briscoe is the director of sport at the British Paralympic Association and has been selected as chef de mission for Los Angeles 2028. Dr White said people like Ms Briscoe 'ending up in a very senior position' is 'exactly one of the things that I continue to work for'. She added that, during their conversation at Windsor Castle, Ms Briscoe offered to help 'in any way she can with future work'. Dr White said she is particularly working on getting women into high-performance coaching. Anne said 'not you again' as Ms Briscoe collected her medal, the chef de mission told PA. Penny Briscoe is made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by the Princess Royal at Windsor Castle (Aaron Chown/PA) ParalympicsGB last year finished second in the medal table for the third consecutive summer Games after winning 124 medals – 49 gold, 44 silver and 31 bronze – across 18 sports in Paris. LA 2028 will be Briscoe's 12th Paralympics and sixth as chef de mission – a role she first fulfilled at the 2014 winter Games in Sochi. Paralympic sport 'stepped out of the shadows' at the 2012 London Olympics, she said after collecting her honour for services to Paralympic sport. 'I definitely feel like I've been part of two eras of para sport, the pre-London era, where we had great athletes, we delivered great performances, but the media hadn't embraced para sport. 'It wasn't until our home Games, where every stadium was full – venues, the sport presentation, and the media, every kind of media, embraced para sport.' She added: 'I think the growth of the ParalympicsGB hasn't just been on the field of play, it's been what it's enabled off the field of play. Penny Briscoe after being made a CBE at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, Berkshire (Andrew Matthews/PA) 'So the platform that the Games provides for our athletes to have that voice, to demand changes in society.' Before joining ParalympicsGB in 2001, she was an athlete and then a coach in canoeing, which took her to the Olympics in 1996 and 2000.
Western Telegraph
a day ago
- Sport
- Western Telegraph
Women in Sport charity founder says she and Anne discussed how sport has changed
Dr Anita White, founder of the Women in Sport charity, the International Working Group on Women and Sport, and the Anita White Foundation, was among those honoured at Windsor Castle on Tuesday. In the hallway of the royal residence she reconnected with the ParalympicsGB chef de mission, who two decades ago was selected for a leadership development course that Dr White was arranging. Dr Anita White after being made a CBE (Andrew Matthews/PA) Penny Briscoe had also just been made a CBE and Dr White said they had not seen each other since the course. Describing her discussion with Anne, Dr White told the PA news agency: 'We spoke about how sport had changed, how it used to be a lot of old grey men running sport and how gradually it is changing.' The Princess Royal asked what sports the former captain of the England field hockey team had played. Dr White, who was left wing, told PA: 'I was captain of the England team and we won the World Cup in 1975 and we didn't get much recognition at the time – that made me aware of the kind of gender divide that there was, and I've been campaigning for women in sports ever since.' The 'huge change' she has witnessed in her career has been 'at the top level'. This can be seen in the attention garnered by the Lionesses squad, as well as the number of female sports presenters and women in leadership roles, she said. Dr Anita White is made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by the Princess Royal at Windsor Castle (Aaron Chown/PA) Dr White added: 'Inevitably there's still a certain amount of inequality in the way that girls are socialised. 'So they are terribly concerned with their appearance on social media, and not getting out there, maybe missing out on the pleasure and fun and good things that there are in sport.' 'There might be some regression of people thinking, well, because we see women in the media, we've cracked it – women in sport has been done and dusted – but of course that isn't the case,' she added. Ms Briscoe is the director of sport at the British Paralympic Association and has been selected as chef de mission for Los Angeles 2028. Dr White said people like Ms Briscoe 'ending up in a very senior position' is 'exactly one of the things that I continue to work for'. She added that, during their conversation at Windsor Castle, Ms Briscoe offered to help 'in any way she can with future work'. Dr White said she is particularly working on getting women into high-performance coaching. Anne said 'not you again' as Ms Briscoe collected her medal, the chef de mission told PA. Penny Briscoe is made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by the Princess Royal at Windsor Castle (Aaron Chown/PA) ParalympicsGB last year finished second in the medal table for the third consecutive summer Games after winning 124 medals – 49 gold, 44 silver and 31 bronze – across 18 sports in Paris. LA 2028 will be Briscoe's 12th Paralympics and sixth as chef de mission – a role she first fulfilled at the 2014 winter Games in Sochi. Paralympic sport 'stepped out of the shadows' at the 2012 London Olympics, she said after collecting her honour for services to Paralympic sport. 'I definitely feel like I've been part of two eras of para sport, the pre-London era, where we had great athletes, we delivered great performances, but the media hadn't embraced para sport. 'It wasn't until our home Games, where every stadium was full – venues, the sport presentation, and the media, every kind of media, embraced para sport.' She added: 'I think the growth of the ParalympicsGB hasn't just been on the field of play, it's been what it's enabled off the field of play. Penny Briscoe after being made a CBE at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, Berkshire (Andrew Matthews/PA) 'So the platform that the Games provides for our athletes to have that voice, to demand changes in society.' Before joining ParalympicsGB in 2001, she was an athlete and then a coach in canoeing, which took her to the Olympics in 1996 and 2000.
Daily Mirror
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Naomi Osaka's next tennis ambition might be her biggest yet after Wimbledon loss
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka shared a candid Instagram post saying that the expectations of others have prevented her from enjoying her tennis journey despite "doubling my wildest dreams" Following an emotional post-game press conference, tennis champ Naomi Osaka took to social media to share some candid thoughts. In a message to her followers, 27-year old Osaka says that she is determined to enjoy her tennis journey 'no matter how long or short it may be'. On July 7, 2025, the four-time Grand Slam winner shared a lengthy post on her Instagram grid, entitled 'Expectations' saying in the caption she had 'some thoughts in my head I had to get out'. In the post, she details a conversation with her dad that stuck with her. 'Recently I had a talk with my dad…something he said really stuck with me,' the post begins. She goes on to say that at 59 her dad related feeling closer to the end of his life than the beginning and thinks her tennis career is similar. 'I didn't understand what he was trying to say to me and truthfully the topic made me panic,' Osaka admits, though she says eventually she was struck with realisation. 'I've been playing tennis since I was 3, playing professionally since I was 14 and I'm 27 now. I've lived almost my entire life playing this sport and I guess it's true, I am closer to the end than the beginning. 'When I was younger my dream was to hold the US Open trophy, winning it seemed like a fairy tale.' She goes on to say that she has 'doubled my wildest dreams' having won the US Open twice - once in 2018 and once in 2020 - but she still feels pressure to perform. 'Somehow I let my expectations of myself and the expectations of others prevent me from enjoying the rest of my journey no matter how long or short it may be.' Osaka concludes with a promise to 'enjoy the times' and also see her daughter 'reap the fruits of my labour'. For more stories like this subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Weekly Gulp, for a curated roundup of trending stories, poignant interviews, and viral lifestyle picks from The Mirror's Audience U35 team delivered straight to your inbox. Speaking on the pressure Osaka faces, Stephanie Hilborne OBE, CEO of Women in Sport, told The Mirror that the pressure to perform is often heightened for female elite athletes. "Naomi has four major titles, seven WTA tour-level singles, and has used her platform to campaign for racial justice, but still may feel the need to blaze the trail for mothers, prove the doubters wrong, continue to challenge the stereotypes that tell girls and women they don't belong in sport." Hilborne says female elite players have to develop "exceptional resilience" and "Naomi is no exception". She adds that the the "never-ending barrage of online abuse" is also a factor that the public should be aware of and that "there is an additional horrific layer of misogyny when it comes to women, and especially Black women". Osaka's Instagram post was shared a few days after her loss to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova where she failed to progress beyond the third round at the All England Club. The former World No. 1 was visibly and understandably disheartened in her post-game conference, which was widely circulated on social media. Osaka expressed her frustration at the media for the increased attention and scrutiny she receives after losses, especially when she is visibly upset. She called out media groups like ESPN in particular, writing on Threads: 'Bro why is it every time I do a press conference after a loss the ESPNs and blog gotta clip it and put it up.' She continued: 'Wtf, why don't they clip my press conferences after I win? Like why push the narrative that I'm always sad? 'Sure I was disappointed a couple hours ago, now I'm motivated to do better. That's human emotions. The way they clip me I feel like I should be fake happy all the time." Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We'd love to hear from you!
The Herald Scotland
06-06-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Judy Murray on females as leaders, and the Andy/Novak partnership
Murray has launched 'Learn to Lead', which aims to equip and empower young girls to become Scotland's next generation of sporting leaders and it follows on from her 'Miss Hits' programme, which, for over a decade, has been working to increase the number of women and girls involved in tennis. Murray has long been a believer that the best way to change things is to target kids in an attempt to form habits and foster enthusiasm at a young age. 'Learn to Lead' is in this mould and by aiming the programme at primary school girls, Murray is hopeful of making a meaningful difference in terms of the number of girls who become, and remain, involved in all areas of tennis. 'This programme is very simple, but it's done well - it'll develop leadership skills in girls aged between 10 and 12 and teach them how to deliver to younger girls,' Murray explains. 'Initially, 20 schools will be involved but the schools have to be in close proximity to a tennis club or tennis courts because we have to have an exit strategy for the girls and somewhere they can go to progress. 'We're not necessarily looking for them all to become top-level coaches, we're just wanting to keep them involved in tennis.' Judy Murray launched 'Learn to Lead' in Edinburgh yesterday (Image: Connor Mollison) Murray was prompted to develop this initiative off the back of the figures released by Women in Sport which found that 1.3 million teenage girls who had previously considered themselves 'sporty' drop out of exercise and activity when they leave primary school. It is, says Murray, a shocking statistic and it's a trend that, she believes, cannot be allowed to continue. 'The Women in Sport data is horrific and when I saw it I thought we really need to look at solutions instead of just keeping talking,' she says. 'A lot of the drop-out is to do with girls growing up so quickly these days - there's a loss of confidence and they become more aware of their body image around 11, 12 years old now so by developing something that empowers girls through the primary years and helping them go into high school with more confidence and a greater enjoyment of sport can only be a good thing. 'And the leadership angle in this programme is driven by my own experience of being a female in a very male-dominated world.' Murray is keen to emphasise to young girls that becoming a professional tennis player is not the only way to become and remain involved in the sport. And while so many roles within sport as a whole are currently occupied by men, Murray remains optimistic that, with the right support and strategies, this can change. 'We need to plant the seed earlier in girls that whether you play sport to a good level or not, there are plenty of jobs for you,' she says. 'There has to be a better understanding of how important it is to have women in the sporting workforce in all areas and by that I mean physios, trainers, event management and everything in-between. 'With this programme, it's about starting small but dreaming big because we have to aim towards full equality in coaching and leadership. 'I do think we can get to full equality eventually but it's about having more women in leadership positions in sport because men see the world with a male lens and that doesn't help us. 'It's about creating opportunity and if this programme can start to plant seeds, bear fruit at a young age and show girls how they can be the boss by giving them a little bit of responsibility then great.' Murray was, unsurprisingly, an interested observer in Andy Murray's coaching partnership with Novak Djokovic, which began last November and ended abruptly last month after just six months together. Andy's foray into the coaching ranks wasn't particularly unexpected but few had anticipated his first coaching job to be with the greatest player of all time. Andy Murray coached Novak Djokovic for six months before splitting last month (Image: Getty Images) Results-wise, the partnership was perhaps not as fruitful as either would have liked but few doubt that Andy has the skills and knowledge it takes to be a top-level coach. Judy is in complete agreement that Andy has the tools to be an excellent coach and while she's reluctant to make any predictions as to her son's next move, she seems fairly certain that he isn't champing at the bit to return to the coaching world in the near future. 'Andy had just retired and wasn't looking to go into coaching but he stepped in because Novak asked him. When they joined-up, I was certainly interested to see how he got on being on the other side of things and realising how stressful it can be,' she says. 'I don't think he's ready to jump straight back into coaching, though, because the tennis circuit is relentless. 'I can see him doing a consultant type role with young players and he's already done a lot of mentoring with the British players on the men's side who are coming through but I can't see him being a full-time tennis coach. 'There's more to life than jumping straight back into the tennis rat race after nearly 20 years as a player. I don't think he'll necessarily want to jump back onto that merry-go-round - not when you're someone who's got four kids to taxi around and you want to get your golf handicap to scratch. 'Whether he does it in the future, I don't know - that's for him to answer and I actually don't think he knows the answer either but my guess is not right now.'
The National
06-06-2025
- Sport
- The National
Judy Murray on females as leaders, and the Andy/Novak partnership
And it's her personal experience as being one of only a select few females coaching at the highest level which has prompted her to set up her new initiative. Murray has launched 'Learn to Lead', which aims to equip and empower young girls to become Scotland's next generation of sporting leaders and it follows on from her 'Miss Hits' programme, which, for over a decade, has been working to increase the number of women and girls involved in tennis. Murray has long been a believer that the best way to change things is to target kids in an attempt to form habits and foster enthusiasm at a young age. 'Learn to Lead' is in this mould and by aiming the programme at primary school girls, Murray is hopeful of making a meaningful difference in terms of the number of girls who become, and remain, involved in all areas of tennis. 'This programme is very simple, but it's done well - it'll develop leadership skills in girls aged between 10 and 12 and teach them how to deliver to younger girls,' Murray explains. 'Initially, 20 schools will be involved but the schools have to be in close proximity to a tennis club or tennis courts because we have to have an exit strategy for the girls and somewhere they can go to progress. 'We're not necessarily looking for them all to become top-level coaches, we're just wanting to keep them involved in tennis.' Judy Murray launched 'Learn to Lead' in Edinburgh yesterday (Image: Connor Mollison) Murray was prompted to develop this initiative off the back of the figures released by Women in Sport which found that 1.3 million teenage girls who had previously considered themselves 'sporty' drop out of exercise and activity when they leave primary school. It is, says Murray, a shocking statistic and it's a trend that, she believes, cannot be allowed to continue. 'The Women in Sport data is horrific and when I saw it I thought we really need to look at solutions instead of just keeping talking,' she says. 'A lot of the drop-out is to do with girls growing up so quickly these days - there's a loss of confidence and they become more aware of their body image around 11, 12 years old now so by developing something that empowers girls through the primary years and helping them go into high school with more confidence and a greater enjoyment of sport can only be a good thing. 'And the leadership angle in this programme is driven by my own experience of being a female in a very male-dominated world.' Murray is keen to emphasise to young girls that becoming a professional tennis player is not the only way to become and remain involved in the sport. And while so many roles within sport as a whole are currently occupied by men, Murray remains optimistic that, with the right support and strategies, this can change. 'We need to plant the seed earlier in girls that whether you play sport to a good level or not, there are plenty of jobs for you,' she says. 'There has to be a better understanding of how important it is to have women in the sporting workforce in all areas and by that I mean physios, trainers, event management and everything in-between. 'With this programme, it's about starting small but dreaming big because we have to aim towards full equality in coaching and leadership. 'I do think we can get to full equality eventually but it's about having more women in leadership positions in sport because men see the world with a male lens and that doesn't help us. 'It's about creating opportunity and if this programme can start to plant seeds, bear fruit at a young age and show girls how they can be the boss by giving them a little bit of responsibility then great.' Murray was, unsurprisingly, an interested observer in Andy Murray's coaching partnership with Novak Djokovic, which began last November and ended abruptly last month after just six months together. Andy's foray into the coaching ranks wasn't particularly unexpected but few had anticipated his first coaching job to be with the greatest player of all time. Andy Murray coached Novak Djokovic for six months before splitting last month (Image: Getty Images) Results-wise, the partnership was perhaps not as fruitful as either would have liked but few doubt that Andy has the skills and knowledge it takes to be a top-level coach. Judy is in complete agreement that Andy has the tools to be an excellent coach and while she's reluctant to make any predictions as to her son's next move, she seems fairly certain that he isn't champing at the bit to return to the coaching world in the near future. 'Andy had just retired and wasn't looking to go into coaching but he stepped in because Novak asked him. When they joined-up, I was certainly interested to see how he got on being on the other side of things and realising how stressful it can be,' she says. 'I don't think he's ready to jump straight back into coaching, though, because the tennis circuit is relentless. 'I can see him doing a consultant type role with young players and he's already done a lot of mentoring with the British players on the men's side who are coming through but I can't see him being a full-time tennis coach. 'There's more to life than jumping straight back into the tennis rat race after nearly 20 years as a player. I don't think he'll necessarily want to jump back onto that merry-go-round - not when you're someone who's got four kids to taxi around and you want to get your golf handicap to scratch. 'Whether he does it in the future, I don't know - that's for him to answer and I actually don't think he knows the answer either but my guess is not right now.'
