Girls Don't Play Sport: The Game-Changing, Defiant Rise of Women's Sport, and Why it Matters

by Chloe Dalton

A timely and defiant manifesto unpacking the past, present and future of women's sport, from the Olympic gold medal-winning founder of "The [Female] Athlete Project"

When Chloe Dalton was eight years old she would practise her goal kicks in the half-time break of her brothers' rugby matches, all the while telling impressed onlookers: 'Girls don't play rugby.' Sixteen years later, Chloe Dalton won Olympic gold playing rugby sevens for Australia and is now a fixture in the AFLW. In 2020 she started her own news platform, "The [Female] Athlete Project," because while she was surrounded by women achieving incredible things in sport, nobody was hearing about them.

This book shines a light on the interlinked quagmires of respect, opportunity, representation and pay that continue to stall the progress of women's teams around the world. Girls Don't Play Sport is a fierce manifesto advocating for female athletes at all levels. It explores how we got to this point and asks where we need to go next to embrace the untapped potential of women's sport.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sports, Feminism, Audiobook, Womens, Australia

234 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 15, 2023

Reviews

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding look into the impact women's sport has on the world, and how much more impact it could have if allowed. I teared up several times, especially in that first chapter!! Chloe's personal stories sprinkled in were also so incredible to hear. The timing of this release was perfect as well, all of Australia has been recently captivated by the Matildas, so reading this right now felt right. A must read, I love women.

[Sabrina Sbragi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve had far too many conversations with others about the issues raised in this book. A great resource to back these arguments with facts but also to refer others to for education. Also a great reflection point to advocate for young girls within a school setting

[Tyssen Gokyildirim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light read but Incredible book for all. The lessons and stories in the book are super important for everyone at all ages.

Chloe is a legend!

[cherryyemilyy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4☆

A really brilliant and informative read! I loved the discussion of women of all abilities in all facets of sport and sporting culture in Australia. I will say I think that netball continues to deserve more discussion as the most popular female sport but also as an extremely polarising sport in Australia. But I also loved the quote (and this wasn’t invented by Dalton lol) “when you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression” because I feel like it perfectly captured the struggles of women fighting for equality in relation to sport.

[madi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Invest in women’s sports!!!! Encourage girls to play sport!!!! Support girls playing sport!!!! Encourage women to play sport!!!!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really insightful read -- and not just for sports fans. The inequities of women's sport are not always widely publicised, so it's great that Chloe Dalton is raising awareness. I also thought there was a good balance between researched topics and the author's own personal experiences.

[Viola · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When you're accustomed to privilege, equality seems like oppression"

I really enjoyed when Dalton wrote about her anecdotal experiences as an athlete and I definitely learned a lot about what females and gender diverse people experience in the space. It was very eye-opening to hear that most of these athele don't even many enough to live on and often have to get multiple jobs to make ends meet. I particularly enjoyed learning about the history surrounding atheles who are not cis men, especially since I am very far removed from the sports world (really, I've lived in Australia for 16 years now and I still have no idea how the AFL works). That said, for as much as I enjoyed learning about these, I didn't find any of the takeaways particularly revolutionary. Not that they need to be but it kind of felt a bit like... Well duh? I would still recommend this book - it was a short insightful read in about a world that is often overlooked.

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is super interesting and I definitely learnt a lot reading it. It was quite eye opening and had lots of different numbers and facts in there talking about just how beneficial woman’s sport can be and also looked at the harsh realities that come with being a women athlete. Chloe Dalton talks lots about men’s vs woman’s sport and how it should be equal; in the opportunities they get to about how people perceive the sport and the athletes.

[Natasha Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect book to read during the Olympics and after seeing so many Aussie women succeed at such a high level in Paris. I cried a few times at some of the stats and case studies Dalton shared in this book. It was hard not to feel emotional at hearing the sheer will and determination required by female and non-binary athletes just to simply play the sports they love.

This book has prompted me to want to be more engaged with women’s sports and support their growth. Overall this was an amazing read and I will be recommending it to everyone!

[Katie Kilgannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t think I was the target audience for this book as someone who already plays and believes in the value of women’s sports but it didn’t make me enjoy it any less. Chloe is well spoken, well read and very insightful on this topic! Thoroughly enjoyed the pieces particularly on playing sport after motherhood and as a gender diverse person. Some of the stats are craaaaazy!!!

[James Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tour de force!

[mia!]

filled with information and insight!!

[Savannah Hightower · Rating 4 out of 5]

having read several books on women in sport at this point, what I appreciated about this one was Dalton’s personal experience as an athlete. she was able to approach topics from a personal perspective.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not familiar with the author, an Australian athlete in a variety of sports. She provided a solid review of the challenges and barriers that women have faces and continued to face over the years, in different countries, and in various sports. She also highlighted successes. I learned a lot, but found the narrative a little bit like a research paper. I also didn’t understand a lot of the references to various sports not popular in the U.S.

[Kate Peper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done Chloe Dalton - you never fail to inspire me!

This was a thought-provoking read, that will start many conversations at the dinner table, in the pub and hopefully at the local sports club. Yeah The Girls!

[Daisy Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Well-written and thought-provoking read

[Ange · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic, important, well researched, well written book.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slow read for me, read over about a month. Very insightful, great to hear a different perspective on this topic, certain things I’d never thought about as a dude surprised me. Have two copies to give away at The Athlete’s Foot Charlestown!

[Katy W · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointingly patchy account of women's sports that devoted most space to the author's life, and contained some bizarrely illogical statements.

One anecdote was particularly revealing. Her brother told her to do things in her childhood, so that he didn't have the bother of doing them, and she would always be persuaded. This included him telling her to start a chant at a match, so he didn't have to. It was also her who would take the inconvenience of getting scratched by the hedge he told her to climb over to retrieve a lost ball.

It's not a surprising anecdote, because this is how girls are socialised - to take on the inconveniences for our brothers, do as we're told, etc. Some of us learn to recognise the patterns, realise we're being played and learn to feel comfortable saying no. Sadly, Chloe seems not to have reached that stage, despite having accomplished much in a number of sporting fields.

Someone seemingly asked her to refer to women by dehumanising language 'menstruators' and she agreed. Just as in her childhood, she said yes to make men more comfortable, and women less so. I hope this book will read as dated very soon, so people look back on it and remember, 'Oh, that was that weird decade when everyone called men 'women', but women had to be referred to by physiological processes ('birthing people') or by body parts (vulva-owners).

Clearly, the author was reading from the trans hymn sheet. Despite claiming earlier in the book that white athletes had advantages of access compared to athletes of other races, this consideration was abandoned when the author wrote about 'Laurel' Hubbard. The inclusion of Hubbard, a white 'transwoman' (a middle-aged man who identified as a woman shortly before applying to compete in women's weightlifting competitions) from a very wealthy family, meant that a young woman from Tonga lost her place at the Olympics. But Chloe Dalton chose to represent the millionaire Hubbard as oppressed, bemoaning the 'bullying' comments on social media (the accurate ones pointing out that he's a man, presumably) and left out Nini Manumua's story entirely. So much for sisterhood, eh, Chloe?

There are a finite number of places in women's sports, and when those spaces are given to men, women lose out. It is exactly like pie, despite Chloe Dalton's oft repeated claim that it isn't. "It's not pie" she parroted, obediently, several times throughout the book, despite all logic telling us that resources are not infinite. She made several illogical claims that women's sports receiving more funding, more airtime, more practice resources, etc, would have no impact on men's sports, because 'it's not pie!' There are, in fact, a finite number of hours in a day, so if one group used to have a practice site exclusively for them for the whole 24 hours, but then another group is given one hour to practice there, the first group now have less time than they did before (though they still have far more than their fair share).

Rather than repeating a nonsensical mantra ('it's not pie') over and over, the author could have acknowledged that the male half of the population are still receiving considerably more than half of the pie of finite resources for their sports. Rather than climbing over a metaphorical hedge to soothe their lost balls, she could have challenged her brothers to try and justify why 50% of the population deserve 90% of the funding and airtime, and the other 50% of the world, deserve only 10%.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic read, really enjoyed the Australian focus but this was also enriched with international context when appropriate. My football bias means I do wish there was a little more focus on women's football but this book was published just before the World Cup boom (though I mean come on, there could have at least been a mention about how landmark us hosting it was and it would have been cool to see some professional speculation on the possible impact). Considering how big the response did end up being It would be super cool if we get an updated version of this with an extra chapter expanding on the recent growth but also how we keep that growth fed and active, as well as a focus on the Sam Kerr and Catlin Clark effect.

Honestly, I didn't know who Chloe was when I picked this up as I've never followed AFLW but oh my god when she revealed she was part of the Rio 2016 Rugby squad that won gold I was so shocked and elated. Prior to 2023, I was a certified 'not sport girlie' with the exception being the Olympics where I, like many others, experienced my - once in every four years - dose of patriotism where I watch Australia compete in anything and everything despite not knowing a single thing about any of the sports. In 2016, one of the sports I really enjoyed watching was the women's rugby games, and to this day I have the most vivid memories of the final game being played RIGHT before the bell would ring for homeroom and being worried I wouldn't get to see the end.

Thankfully, I did. Standing with my laptop on the top of my locker I eagerly watched our Aussie girls play the biggest game of their careers. As it got closer to that bell ringing and more and more of my classmates trickled in, a small group formed around my laptop as we all held our breaths in anticipation. "What are you guys even watching?" we were asked "We're watching our girls bring home a gold medal" we shot back - and when the clock timed out and the game was over we erupted into cheers, we'd just watched an Australian team win gold.

That was 7 years, 7 months and 22 days ago. In the aftermath, I thought "wow I should really watch this more often, I enjoy Rugby Sevens" except it was pretty damn impossible to find a game to go to. Not long after I think the team played an exhibition match in my state but by then my Olympic fever had worn off and I never ended up going - Sorry Chloe :( - but now 7 years, 7 months and 22 days later and all thanks to the 2023 FIFA Women's world cup, I have developed a real love for a sport (and for women's sports in general).

I relish every chance to go see my favourite football team play and stay up till 4 AM to watch the FA Cup and Champions League games and eagerly await watching the Matildas play in the 2024 Olympics. I'm so glad I found a love for sport, but I am sad it took me decades to do so, and I can't help but wonder how many women have never and will never love a sport the way I love football. All because during those formative years when most boys formed attachments to certain sports and clubs, it felt too inaccessible, unwelcoming and unapproachable for girls to do the same.

[Natasha (jouljet) · Rating 4 out of 5]

An examination of women's sport in the world of male dominated focus, funding, and acceptance of the default. As the emerging growth of women's sport continues, a lens like this is needed to help push forward and through the unsupportive and damaging noise, to allow women to be the best they can be.

Triple professional sports star, gold medallist and current AFLW player, Chloe Dalton shares her own pathway from sport to sport, as gender and age blocked her way, to land with her determination to reach Olympic gold. The story of coming to Rugby Sevens is pretty amazing, in addition to all the blocks she experienced along the way.

The juggle that is striving to achieve in women's sport, whilst balancing an alternative paid job to live, to mediocre facilities, being sidelined for the men's teams, to being denied a voice in the media and commentary teams. Women fight at every turn to be a part of the sports they love.

This also examines the social media trolling, the targeted attacks and blatant sexism from men, as women are just going about their sport. The reminder that the threat trolling men seem to feel about the growth of women's sport is about privilege - and that the more men call this out, the better the sports landscape will be.

Particularly when the statistics show that the larger proportion of watchers of women's sport are indeed men.

The imbalance in media coverage, funding, and in basics like uniform considerations, all continue to be challenging for women's sport. Well researched discussions are shared, as well as the voices of other athletes who have experienced such challenges.

In the media "...the words used around male athletes tend to include 'fastest', 'strong', 'big', 'real' and 'great', the more common words used in conjunction with female athletes are 'aged', 'older', 'pregnant' and 'married' or 'unmarried'."

An informative read about the plight of women's sport, as it grows. A personal sports memoir, alongside some well nuanced thoughts of a diverse range of athletes striving to be their best.

[Amy Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt a little bit out of the loop since I've never really taken much interest in ball sports, which were the focus of the book, but I've learned there are definitely issues with equality, opportunity and access for girls, women and people with disability in ball sports.

The most interesting chapter for me was the one highlighting how uniforms can be a barrier for girls/women in sports. They can either be not designed for women, or designed for aesthetics/sexualisation rather than for the practicalities of the sport (e.g. the women's volleyball outfits, which are very different and significantly less practical than the men's volleyball outfits). It reminded me of gymnastics, and how upset I was at not being allowed to wear the leotard as a child, and how impractical for gymnastics I have found it as an adult. It baffles me that the men's team have long pants and the women's team have no pants, but the movements can be done in either.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and short but jam packed full of essential information, research, data and experiences about the barriers females face when it comes to playing sport especially at higher levels.

This is through-provoking, rage-inducing read that reveals just how gendered sport is in world and covers all codes and at all levels. Personal sprites from Dalton herself as well as other female athletes from many countries, ethnicities, genders, sexual-identities, and different levels of abilities in order to show how much harder it gets for woman in sport when you have more barriers added.

Essential reading for all feminists or those a**holes we know that need to get over themselves and realise women athletes deserve recognition, pay and attention.

[Tash · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly compulsive read, I could not put this down.
Chloe’s personal experiences serve as a leaping off point to interrogate the challenges faced by female athletes. The meaty discussion, backed by well researched historical events, give you an insight into the constant barriers they come up against and encourage us not to accept the status quo or ‘normal’ treatment of female athletes we’ve come to know. I also found the exploration of sport’s impact on the undercurrent of society particularly interesting.
But at its crux, this book is a celebration of female and gender diverse athletes, their bravery, strength and resilience - resulting in a very moving read.

[Daria Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deeply-researched and deeply personal book that's well worth a read. There are so many reasons to support girls and women playing sport, not only at the highest levels, but right through to grassroots and social levels. It's encouraging to see the growing participation in, remuneration for, and popularity of sport for girls and women, and I can't wait to see just how awesomely these athletes will be able to perform when they're finally on a level playing field.

[Juliana 🔮✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful, factual and well argued, this book was enjoyable and really informative. I really enjoyed how the feminist views from Dalton were presented in an approachable and inclusive way, not to mention the chapters on gender diverse, trans and disabled athletes.

This book is inspiring in making me want to be even more active with women’s sports but also encouraging me to pick up a new sport myself!

[Brittany Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read that really discusses the ongoing challenges women’s sport faces, the history that got us to where we are, an exploration of transgender/non binary people in sport & an overall positive message about what sport can bring to an individual and to a community, whilst highlighting some of the incredible milestones women in sport have achieved. If you care about sports, this is a must read!

[Kelsey Attwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing and informative read!

I enjoyed learning some of the women’s history in various sports but I wish my sport (netball) was mentioned even if it’s not a women alternative to a male dominated sport they still struggle to be seen. That’s just my opinion though

If you loved the book check out the podcast it’s addicted!!

[Jacey R · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for any sports fan - regardless of gender. While I’m familiar with the US women’s soccer perspectives and events around sports equality it was amazing to read about instances in Australia and elsewhere. This book introduced me to other female athlete biographies I now need to read. Highly recommend.

[Tessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m someone who cries about the Matilda’s, about little kids saying they want to grow up and be Alyssa Healy or Ash Barty or Sam Kerr, I teared up at almost every AFLW match I’ve ever attended. Suffice to say, I cried my way through every chapter of this book - a mix of tears of pride, joy, frustration and determination. I want to give everyone I know a copy of this book.