Cymru play Croatia in Wrexham on 05/04

BE Football Programme Sparks Rise in Girls’ PE Participation

Our BE Football programme has enabled and inspired 84% of girls in participating schools to play football in their PE lessons. 

As the legacy of the Women’s Euro 2022 tournament comes into focus, the issue of girls playing football in PE lessons has become a hot topic. 

But research commissioned by our programme partners, the Youth Sports Trust, says our bespoke schools programme, designed to inspire teenage girls using the power of football to develop life skills through football-related activities, is having a huge impact.

“This timely research highlights the importance of bespoke programmes to cater for the needs of teenage girls to encourage them to play and get involved in football.

Lowri Roberts, FAW Head of Women’s & Girls’ Football

“Once these girls have experienced football, they grow their understanding of the positive values of the game at a time when women’s football has never been more visible to them.

“This is an exciting time for women and girls’ football and the BE Football programme will inspire more girls to enjoy the game and benefit from enhanced life and leadership skills that the sport offers and make themselves their best selves in the process.” 

Before the programme was created in 2020, only 49% of girls in the 38 schools involved said they were playing football in PE lessons. But, since the programme was introduced to their schools, that figure has shot-up to 84% in the last 12 months. 

The research has also revealed that since BE Football was launched…

  • 49 % of young people have taken part in more football activities over the past 12 months
  • Young people’s engagement with football activities has increased in all areas.
  • Girls are starting to feel more confident that they are good at football.
  • Football Influencers report improvement in their skills, in particular their leadership, teamwork and communication skills.
  • 100% of teachers have been inspired and motivated to improve the delivery of football within girls’ PE.

Further data from our BE Football schools says participants have led an average of 54 girls’ football lessons, within curriculum time, for pupils in year seven, eight and nine. 

These lessons have engaged an average of 204 young people per school, 9% having a special education need or disability and 17% from ethnically diverse communities. The research says 38% of these pupils had never played football regularly before. 

Now 29% of schools have also extended the delivery of BE Football to pupils in year 10 and 11.

Teachers leading the programme have also benefited from the Be Football training, gaining new knowledge to adapt their teacher approach and feeling inspired and motivated

We’re currently looking for new schools, across Wales, to join the programme.

Click HERE to register your interest.

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