We are failing young girls due to our "very gendered" approach to physical education, according to Ciara Kelly.
This morning the Newstalk Breakfast presenter told listeners about her "rubbish" experience of P.E. growing up - and said it is clear that not much has changed since.
She was speaking after the women's English soccer team criticised the lack of access to sport in school for young girls.
Fresh from their European Championship victory, the Lionesses called on the British Government to ensure all girls have access to sports like football in schools through more comprehensive physical education.
"In my day, P.E. was crap. It was really quite rubbish. Sport was very gendered."
This approach to sport meant she only had access to 'girlier' sports such as volleyball and basketball, but not football.
"I'd never kicked a ball in my life because I'd never once played football."
"It was harmless, it was an afterthought, it was not a priority."
Physical education was something "girls were allowed to opt-out of largely and indeed not engage with and that the P.E. system in schools wasn't engaging with girls either".
"Girls sport wasn't celebrated, wasn't promoted, and we're failing girls, surely to God, by this happening."
"Why are we failing girls?"
"We know that adolescent girls are falling away from physical activity for lots of different reasons - body consciousness; it's not delivered in the way that is accessible for them; a lack of role models."
Ciara called on Norma Foley to address the issue, asking her:
"Why are we failing young women and the next generation of women so that we are actually disempowering them from feeling that sport is something for them, disempowering them from feeling that physical activity is something for them."
"Enjoying and embracing"
She said current attitudes are perpetuating health problems in women due to inactivity.
"But, more than that, sport isn't just about preventing obesity. I know that we are one of the fattest countries in Europe, but it isn't just about that."
"It is about allowing people the gift of enjoying and embracing physical activity."
