Six out of ten teenage girls who drop out of sports do so because they cannot balance demanding school schedules with athletic training, according to data from a report cited by EL PAÍS. The study prompted the creation of Basket Girlz, an initiative spearheaded by Endesa and the Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB) alongside researcher and former international guard Mar Rovira to combat premature dropout rates among young female athletes.
Inés Lorenzo Confronts the High School Schedule Crunch in Zaragoza
Fifteen-year-old Inés Lorenzo faced a difficult choice regarding her future in basketball while playing for CB Zaragoza. As a first-year high school student aiming to study medicine, she faced the rigorous University Access Test (PAU) and needed exceptionally high grades, leaving her to question whether daily practices would conflict with mandatory study hours. Endesa and the FEB launched the Basket Girlz project specifically to address this gender gap in youth sports retention, noting that teenage boys do not experience dropout crises at comparable rates.
Dedicated Facilities Transform CDM Mudéjar Pavilion Rhythms
To solve the balancing act, clubs across Spain have begun installing equipped study rooms inside athletic facilities. Lorenzo described the newly opened study space at the CDM Mudéjar pavilion in Zaragoza as a true solution. The room arrived just as she began balancing track sessions and physical preparation with training to earn her coaching license, alongside volunteer work at the club where she helps when the professional men’s team plays in the 2nd FEB division, officiates friendlies, and assists at the statistics table.
Before the installation of desks, chairs, storage cabinets, and internet connectivity, players who lived far from training venues had to travel home after school only to commute back to the pavilion, wasting significant hours of their afternoons. Now, players from the club’s pool of over 300 female athletes can go straight to the facility, study in proper conditions, and step directly onto the hardwood when practice begins.
Lessons From Vic and Granada Shape Expansion Efforts
The Zaragoza facility follows similar successful rollouts in Vic and Granada. In Granada, more than 300 families use the study room opened a year ago by the Granada Más Baloncesto (GMASB) club, where demand surged into its second season. Club coaches frequently use the space to review university notes or run tactical sessions with players. In Vic, where the Femení Osona club inaugurated the first such study room three years ago, players, coaches, and parents use the room continuously, allowing relatives to complete remote work laptops on-site instead of leaving and returning.
According to Endesa spokesperson Rosa Nogales, the initiative aims to democratize access to study spaces beyond elite academies that routinely provide academic support for professional prospects. By extending the rooms to modest clubs where girls play for recreation or physical health, the program preserves the broader benefits of team sports identified in the Basket Girlz report, including teamwork, emotional management, decision-making under pressure, and empathy.
Laia Lorenzo Mentors Her Younger Sister Through Medicine and Basketball
Inés found a direct role model in her older sister, Laia Lorenzo, a former CB Zaragoza player and youth coach who is currently in her second year of medical school. During her junior years, Laia balanced high-level practices and preparation for the Spanish Championship with demanding high school coursework. Endesa inaugurated the Zaragoza pavilion study room last Tuesday, establishing a permanent fixture designed to keep local teenagers from having to choose between academic excellence and athletic participation.
