The event, which drew more than 1,000 participants according to organizers, was co-founded by former Swedish national team star Lotta Schelin. According to multiple reports, the initiative aims to address the high dropout rate among teenage girls in sports.
Lotta Schelin, speaking to Göteborgs-Posten, described that the majority of those who quit sports are girls. She noted that there is no major research on the topic and that more studies are needed beyond Saturday's initiative. According to Göteborgs-Posten, Schelin said the age group and category are not often seen, and she is glad they are being seen now. She attributed girls quitting to structures, not being seen, and leadership. Schelin also highlighted that few know how girls' bodies change, a different process than boys, leading to performance dips. She emphasized that knowledge about girls' development in early teens is crucial to keep them in sports.
We see that the majority of those who quit are girls. It is a common denominator that is always mentioned, that we must be able to keep our girls in sports.
Handball legend Isabelle Gulldén was present to lecture on sports psychology and mental health. According to Göteborgs-Posten, Gulldén described that motivation can come and go, based on her work at a gymnasium. She also said that mental strength is a big part of why she succeeded, more important than previously thought.
The inspiration day took place three days after Högsbo Basket announced a pause on its women's elite investment. Högsbo Basket's women's team played in the SM final one year ago and a quarterfinal the previous season. According to Göteborgs-Posten, Lotta Schelin described the Högsbo news as tragic and highlighted why the initiative is needed. She said too many elite women's programs are being shut down, affecting women. Högsbo Basket cited a generational shift as the reason for pausing the elite investment. Sanna Ström, 24, a former Luleå Basket player, was shocked by the Högsbo decision, according to Kuriren. Ström described that the decision turned her life around 360 degrees, per Kuriren. Malbas and Högsbo are withdrawing from SBL-dam with immediate effect. Ström is a former junior national team player who trained in Norrbotten and played for Luleå, according to Kuriren.
But this is not unimportant, it is an age group and a category that is not seen very often. So I am extremely happy that they are being seen now.
It's about structures, not being seen, and leadership. Not many know how the body changes for girls, it's a completely different process than for boys. They shoot up and become almost doped, while girls gain weight and maybe have a performance dip.
If you don't know that, it's easy for demands to become a bit harsher and then it's not fun. So I think you have to highlight those parts, so that both leaders and the girls themselves understand why it might be going a bit slowly.
I think two things: It becomes so tragic in the context and so clear why we are doing this, to try to avoid it.
I wish we could just talk about 'Sluta Sluta' as usual and what that initiative can do for the girls. But then we need role models who show the way and invest for real, there are far too many who shut down their elite operations and it's the women who are affected.
It became a 360. My whole life was suddenly turned upside down.