I run the Junior group at our soaring club and we've had a recent influx of girls in a primarily male-dominated Junior group. This is outstanding and I want to encourage more of it, but I need some advice from female soaring pilots about what will motivate young women to remain in our program.

For all of the kids there is a warm up period that can be difficult for them to get through before they are comfortable enough to come out the field and feel useful. At age 14, we're talking about kids who are at that awkward end of middle school, start of high school age. The culture of the boys is that they tend to kid around and tease each other a lot. They laugh it off and usually form a bond that sticks as they continue as Juniors.

All I really know about the girls is that this *isn't* the way they form bonds, particularly with a group of kids that are mainly boys. I know that there's more of a social aspect to their participation -they prefer when they are at the field that another girl is there with them, for example. They are also much more sensitive to making mistake, so they are more hesitant to just jump in and help, which makes it take longer for them to acclimate.

I'd be interested in hearing from any female soaring pilots of any suggestions that you may have for ways to encourage the girls during this initial period. If I can encourage this group I've got to stick around, I think I can recruit some of their friends next season and begin to build on that.