The second instalment of the WestCycle-led Daughters and Dads Active and Empowered Cycling Program once again delivered crucial life confidence to girls and their dads via the beautiful medium of bikes!
Daughters and their dads or father figures praised the 7-week course that built bike skills and confidence research shows can benefit the large numbers of young Australian girls suffering from low self-esteem.
Not only that, the Daughters & Dads program has been proven to build stronger and healthier relationships between young girls and their father figures.
“We’ve had really good fun,” said one dad. “My daughter has learnt a lot about cycling – her technical cycling has improved a heap, she’s participated in tons of the activities and really enjoyed it. She’s a little bit upset that it has finished. It’s been great hanging out and learning about bikes and improving our cycling.”
Building sporting ability …and life confidence
“Daughters & Dads is all about creating environments where young girls can participate in sports, get active, develop critical thinking, have fun and gain the self-esteem and independence benefits that flow from that,” said WestCycle Schools Manager, Josh Curulli.
Daughters and Dads Active and Empowered emerged in 2015 out of research at the University of Newcastle showing the immense benefits of positive father involvement on children’s self-esteem, physical activity and overall health behaviours.
“It’s drawing on the positive roles fathers can play to inspire and motivate and nurture their daughters,” Curulli said. “At a time when cycling participation rates are falling among all children – including girls – these kinds of well-structured, research-backed programs have the potential to really change behaviours and attitudes among young girls – and build their confidence and resilience.”
“Programs like these mean more girls are more likely to engage in rough and tumble play and building confidence in their own sporting ability that can feed life-long sporting skill development – and, perhaps most importantly, genuine self confidence in life.”
Daughters & Dads Cycling is delivered by WestCycle in partnership with the The University of Newcastle, Australia and Healthway.
For more information about Daughters & Dads Cycling please contact Sarah Nisbet at [email protected]
Film by Patrick Boere Photography
