Mary Van Lieshout
Sport Ireland’s Director of Participation Ethics Integrity and Research.
The benefits of sport and physical activity extend far beyond childhood, which is why Sport Ireland is committed to investing in programmes that help children and young people build physical literacy and lifelong wellbeing.
Regular physical activity provides well-documented physical and mental health benefits. For children, it promotes bone health, encourages healthy muscle growth, and improves motor and cognitive development.
Mary Van Lieshout, Director of Participation, Ethics, Integrity and Research at Sport Ireland, the national development body for sport in Ireland, says the benefits of sport extend far beyond childhood, fostering lifelong wellbeing, resilience and encouraging healthier lifestyle choices.
“People who are active in their early 20s are more likely to remain active throughout life,” she explains. “Ireland has the largest generation of teenagers we’ve seen in a long time, presenting a real opportunity to build an active and healthy generation.”
Making sport accessible for every child
As part of Sport Ireland’s mission to help people unlock the gateway to lifelong participation in physical activity, it uses its long-running Irish Sports Monitor research programme to identify participation trends, address inequalities and inform programme investment.
“We know that barriers such as time, cost and travel can prevent people from participating in sport,” says Van Lieshout. “Our focus is on creating sustainable, health-promoting communities. Our research helps us map sporting infrastructure across Ireland to ensure investments are made where they’ll have the greatest impact.”
Across Ireland, the Local Sports Partnership (LSP) network, funded by Sport Ireland, is delivered through 29 local partnerships aiming to increase participation in sport and physical activity. “Reaching underserved communities, including children with disabilities and families experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage, is a huge priority,” explains Van Lieshout.
Our focus is on creating sustainable, health-promoting communities
Building confidence through physical literacy
While activity levels in Ireland are encouraging, with 2.12 million over-16s participating in sport, retaining participation remains a priority. “One of our biggest concerns is keeping girls engaged throughout secondary school years,” says Van Lieshout. “Academic pressures often mean they step away from sport, and some never return. Closing that participation gap is a major driver for our Women in Sport programme.
“Too many people grow up believing they’re ‘not sporty’,” says Van Lieshout. “We need to build physical literacy during the formative years, so young people develop the confidence and skills necessary to feel comfortable participating in sport and physical activity for life.”
