A bid to tackle inequality in sport and stop teenage girls from giving up the game Credit: AjuntamentdePedreguer
A small town in Spain has brought together female basketball players and sports organisations from five European countries in a bid to tackle inequality in sport and stop teenage girls from giving up the game.
Pedreguer hosted an international meeting from September 28 to 30, bringing together representatives from Spain, Croatia, Cyprus, Portugal and Turkey.
The gathering focused on finding ways to ensure girls have equal opportunities to play, train and take on leadership roles in basketball, as part of a European initiative coordinated by Pedreguer Town Hall.
Tackling the age when girls quit sport
The meeting centred on the EQUAL project, known as Equal Play: Breaking the Basketball Glass Ceiling, which aims to challenge gender inequality and encourage more girls to remain involved in sport as they grow older.
A key part of the initiative is addressing the drop-off in female participation during adolescence, when some girls stop playing sports altogether.
During a seminar at Pedreguer’s Casa de Cultura, participants presented a training programme developed through workshops involving girls aged 14 to 16, coaches and sports organisations across the five partner countries.
The aim is to provide practical methods that clubs and trainers can use to make basketball more inclusive and encourage young female players to continue developing their skills.
The project is funded through the European Union’s Erasmus+ Sport programme.
Pedreguer shares its basketball experience
As the coordinating town, Pedreguer used the event to showcase its own approach to developing women’s basketball.
Municipal sports officer Jordi Pons outlined the history of basketball in the town and how the participation of women and girls has evolved over the years.
Anabel Ahuir, coordinator of the Municipal Basketball School, also explained how the programme operates, including its organisation, training groups and coaching methods.
The presentations allowed visiting delegations to exchange experiences and explore how successful approaches could be adapted in their own communities.
The event was held alongside the iCARE project and coincided with European Week of Sport, the annual campaign promoting physical activity across the continent.
International players take to the court
The three-day programme combined discussions and training with opportunities for participants to experience local culture.
Delegates were welcomed at Plaça dels Pòrxens with traditional dancing and local refreshments before taking part in a guided tour of Pedreguer and watching a demonstration of pilota valenciana, a traditional ball game played in the Valencian Community.
The focus then returned to basketball at the municipal sports pavilion, where players received a motivational talk before joining local basketball school students on court.
Players from Croatia, Portugal and Turkey had the opportunity to play alongside their Spanish counterparts, putting the project’s message of inclusion and international cooperation into practice.
The meeting marked the latest stage of a European partnership involving sports and community organisations from all five countries.
By sharing coaching methods, experiences and opportunities to play together, the project aims to help create a future in which girls can continue playing basketball and progress in sport without gender-based barriers.
For Pedreguer, the gathering also highlighted how a local basketball programme can contribute to a wider European effort to promote equality through sport.