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GUESS WHAT I DO LAURA FITZGERALD www.ladiesgaelic.ie | AUTUMN 2021 | 7 GAELIC4 MOTHERS &OTHERS I n September, Sports Direct were unveiled as the proud new sponsors of the LGFA's Gaelic4Mothers&Others initiative. The programme introduces mothers and other women to Ladies Gaelic Football, in a fun, non- competitive and social environment. The recreational programme is immensely popular, with over 227 clubs from all 32 counties currently involved, with the aim to grow this further throughout 2021. As part of the launch, Sports Direct and the Ladies Gaelic Football Association carried out a survey with over 1,200 Gaelic4Mothers&Others participants, which provided some really compelling insights into women's motivations for playing sport, barriers they faced that stopped them getting out on the pitch, and the mental and physical benefits of playing Gaelic4Mothers&Others. Well-known broadcaster with Today FM, Alison Curtis, is the Gaelic4Mothers&Others Ambassador for the new sponsorship, having recently signed up to play with the St. Vincent's Gaelic4Mothers&Others team in Dublin, where she is documenting her Gaelic Games journey on her Instagram page, and encouraging others to follow suit. Motivations & Constraints Much of the research suggested that those who play Gaelic4Mothers&Others did so as a way of finding some well-needed "me time", having struggled in the past to find time for themselves due to family and work commitments. Exercise was the number one motivation for those involved with the programme at 84%, while friendship ranked second at 64%. Confidence (23%) and time (41%) ranked highest in terms of barriers to playing sport, while when asked how they had previously spent their time RESEARCH REVEALS COMPELLING INSIGHTS BEHIND WHY WOMEN PLAY GAELIC4MOTHERS&OTHERS before playing Ladies Gaelic Football with their Gaelic4Mothers&Others club, just over half of respondents said that they had spent their time putting others' priorities first. Benefits to both mind and body The research also uncovered a host of physical and mental benefits associated with regular exercising and socialising within the team environment. Over 90% of respondents felt that the initiative had improved their mental health, and 97% agreed that playing Gaelic4Mothers&Others helped to relieve stress – particularly important given events of the last 18 months. Meanwhile, 87% of participants felt that the programme had helped them to reconnect with friends that they wouldn't have reconnected with otherwise, truly showcasing what Gaelic4Mothers&Others is all about. Sporting Role Models Despite over 48% of Gaelic4Mothers&Others players having never played Ladies Football before joining the programme, with 34% not playing in over 10 years, 89% of the women surveyed agreed that it had empowered them to be a sporting role model within their family. Sports Direct ambassador and broadcaster, Alison Curtis, signed up to try out Gaelic football for the first time as part of the launch, signing up to her local Gaelic4Mothers&Others club at St Vincent's in Dublin. Since joining, she has found that her involvement with the team has meant that she could now be a sporting role model for her young daughter, Joan. Over the coming months, Sports Direct will show women everywhere that while visibility and role modelling may start at home, with Gaelic4Mothers&Others and Sports Direct, role modelling has never been so fun. The new Sports Direct video series, '#MyReasonWhy' showcases ambassadors across the four provinces of Ireland who have shared their reason why – why they're involved in Gaelic4Mothers&Others, and why it means so much to them. You can view these videos now on Sports Direct Ireland's Instagram page. For more information on the Gaelic4Mothers&Others programme, please visit: ladiesgaelic.ie/lgfa-hub/games-development/gaelic4mothersothers/