Sport England is investing £2m of National Lottery funding into grassroots girls’ football as part of a new programme set to be launched by The Football Association (The FA) later this summer.
The Squad Girls’ Football programme will be aimed at getting more 12-14-year-olds into the game.
Sport England’s latest Active Lives Children and Young People report shows that girls are less likely than boys to complete the suggested 60 minutes of physical activity a day outlined by the Chief Medical Officer.
The research shows that barriers to participation include 51 per cent of girls saying they’re shy or self-conscious, while 46 per cent lack confidence in their own ability.
This new programme aims to combat this by training coaches to ensure every girl has a voice and choice during the session, to guarantee their preferences and needs are catered for.
"This is a hugely exciting and unique project, and one we’re delighted to be partnering with The FA on with a view to engaging more teenage girls with football,” said Sport England CEO Tim Hollingsworth.
"The upcoming launch of Squad Girls’ Football will play a pivotal role on this front, and by putting teenage girls at the heart of its session planning, we want to empower girls to get active in ways they will love and keep coming back to."
Squad Girls’ Football’s launch will add to the existing participation programmes currently offered as part of The FA’s 2020-24 Inspiring Positive Change strategy and equal access ambition.