BETTER ENVIRONMENTS.
STRONGER FUTURE.
Wrestling CAN be different. GirlsCAN exists to help change that.
Girls CAN is an applied innovation lab for women’s wrestling. We work with coaches, clubs and communities to identify persistent challenges, combine research with lived experience, test practical ideas in real environments, and turn what we learn into tools and resources that can strengthen wrestling.
Why Girls CAN
We know a lot about what helps girls thrive in sport. The challenge is putting that knowledge into practice.
More than 1 in 5 Canadian girls leave sport during adolescence, and more than 1 million Canadian girls are missing the benefits of sport. The research exists. The challenge is implementation.
Girls CAN exists to help build wrestling environments where more girls stay, more women lead, and more coaches feel supported
How We Work
Girls CAN connects evidence with lived experience. We identify persistent challenges, listen to the people closest to them, co-design practical responses and test those ideas in real wrestling environments. We evaluate what worked, what support it required and whether another community could use it. Then we turn the learning into practical resources and coach education
Our Impact
Year One was about asking better questions, listening closely, building relationships, testing ideas and learning alongside communities.
Featured Work
Girls CAN Defend
A two-day self-defence and confidence-building experience combining movement, games, boundary-setting, breathing strategies and practical self-defence.
Women’s Coaching Network
A national community connecting women coaches so they can learn alongside one another, build relationships and access stronger pathways into leadership.
Girls CAN Clubs
Emerging work focused on moving girl-centred design from individual programs into the everyday club environment.