"Man behöver inte spela med de bästa för att vinna"

: En intervjustudie om hur flickors självförtroende konstrueras inom flickfotbollen

Abstract

Football organization characterizes many girls living and is the largest youth sport activity in Sweden. There is no doubt about that sport offers several benefits to human mental and physical wellbeing. Football is an arena where girls’ self-confidence can be promoted and strengthened. In the same time many athletes become victims to the rugged individualism of the pursuit of sporting success. The competition of sports impact of child and adolescent mental health is important to highlight and discuss in football to operate as a health promotion arena. The purpose of this study was to investigate, based on girls 'own experiences, how selfconfident are constructed in the girls' football. The method for collecting the empirical material was an interview in the form of six focus group interviews and two individual interviews, which were based on a semi-structured interview guide. The result, based on qualitative content analysis, showed that girls have different intentions with their football and live in different sporting worlds. Girl's football could not meet the needs of girls who would not venture on its football. Girls self-confidence is constructed in interaction with the environment and it responses to the girls' accomplishments on the football field. Girls' football become more competitive and highlighted the importance of being good. This contributed that the activity inhibited the girls who not venture for their football from a mental health in the form of a lowered self-confidence. From a health promotion and education view, the conclusion was that girls' football in the long term need to find new approaches in order not to deprive the girls the right to mental health and physical activity within the business.