UCL undergraduates inspire more girls to keep up their football

A student-led volunteering project in collaboration with football clubs across London is inspiring more young women to continue playing football, building confidence and challenging stereotypes.

Almost half of teenage girls in the UK drop out of playing the sports they once enjoyed. A recent survey highlighted the main reasons for waning interest as the fear of being judged, and a lack of confidence.

To reverse this trend and encourage more girls to continue with football, a UCL student-led volunteer programme ‘Girls Can Kick’ has been devised by two UCL undergraduates Lily Wielar (UCL Education), and Emilia Privat (UCL English). They run the project in collaboration with UCL’s Women’s Football Club (UCLWFC) and grassroots football clubs around London.

The community programme provides opportunities for young girls to gain extra practice with volunteers acting as coaches and role models, encouraging more girls to see football as a lifelong activity for them as women. It involves a team of 20 volunteers from the UCLWFC.

The team works with programmes run by the nearby Camden & Islington United football club that introduce girls to football, with a focus on team bonding and skills, and being active, rather than solely being competitive. Plans are in place to extend the programme to Camden youth teams in future years.

The volunteer coaches show the players that they can be both athletic and feminine, they can excel in the sport and embrace their passion without limitations. The programme helps to build confidence and provides a positive environment that helps girls thrive both on and off the pitch.

“It’s really important that girls see that sports can be a part of their life and that being athletic and playing sports is something that can be just as rewarding and valuable for women as it is for men,” says Lily, one of the project leads.

Inspiration for the programme came from Lily and Emilia’s own experiences of playing football as youngsters and the challenges they faced of embodying femininity and continuing to play football during puberty. They were determined to help challenge the deep-rooted gender stereotyping that can present a psychological barrier for women throughout life, by providing support and mentoring for girls playing football, and helping them to freely engage in the sport.

“We play alongside them, partner with them, provide them with different techniques, showcase cool tricks and create a positive atmosphere filled with supportive talk and feedback,” explains Emilia, who hopes the programme will expand. “We also hope to get coaching qualifications ourselves, to form a more equal partnership in terms of coaching,” she adds.

Girls Can Kick is one of the many initiatives supported by the Students’ Union UCL Volunteering Service, which connects students with community volunteering opportunities across London. It won the ‘Best Newcomer’ award at the service’s annual Volunteering Awards 2022–2023.