The female-friendliness of New Zealand's tennis clubs

Abstract

Across an array of contexts, a ‘female-friendly environment’ is increasingly thought to positively impact participation levels for women and girls. The aim of this study is to provide insights on the female-friendliness of New Zealand’s tennis clubs. Both numeric and text data were collected as part of the 2021 National Sport Club Survey. Tennis club representatives agreed more strongly that their club has suitable changing facilities for women/girls and that playing/training times are equally allocated than club representatives across the full sample across every sport. Within a typology of female-friendly clubs, most fit into the disengaged category in which the prevailing view is unfortunately that female-friendliness isn’t an issue and that existing inclusion efforts are good enough. It is suggested that tennis organisations at regional and national level provide information and strategies to clubs that have an aspiration to become more female-friendly.