Girls-only soccer programs address participation gaps, build confidence, improve retention, and inspire long-term involvement in the sport. Combining fun, mentorship, and a supportive environment is critical to keeping girls in the game and shaping the future of women’s soccer.

Benefits of Girls-Only Programs

• Retention & Enjoyment U.S. Soccer Foundation’s Soccer for Success girls-only sites in East Los Angeles reported 60.9% of participants said the season was ‘the most fun’, with another 22.7% saying it was ‘a lot of fun’. The focus on fun helped sustain participation and linked enjoyment directly to long-term retention. (U.S. Soccer Foundation)

• Confidence & Leadership Female-only teams foster leadership roles and improve self-esteem and communication skills, providing a supportive environment where girls can take initiative. (British Football School Blog)

• Challenging Stereotypes Girls-only spaces counter outdated views of soccer as “for boys,” normalizing female participation and visibility at all levels. (British Football School Blog)

• Physical & Mental Health Participation in soccer can provide up to 60% of recommended daily physical activity, boosting fitness, strength, and endurance while reducing stress and building mental resilience—especially important in underserved communities. (British Football School Blog)

• Female Mentorship Programs with women coach‑mentors help girls feel more comfortable, foster trust, and inspire long‑term involvement by providing visible role models in leadership positions. (U.S. Soccer Foundation – Someone Like You)

Participation Trends

Girls-only soccer programs are gaining momentum worldwide, offering tailored environments that help young female athletes thrive. These programs address long-standing participation gaps and provide safe, supportive spaces that encourage retention, build confidence, and promote skill development.

• In the U.S., ~40% of teen girls do not participate in sports, compared to ~25% of boys (Women’s Sports Foundation).
• Girls are twice as likely to drop out of sports by age 14 as boys, often citing lack of fun, intimidation, or absence of role models.
• In England, female soccer participation has doubled over the last four years, with 285,000 girls joining the “Biggest Ever Football Session” in 2023.
• Thanks in large part to Title IX, the U.S. has one of the largest youth player pools in the world, with more girls playing organized soccer than most countries combined.
• Despite this, 95% of female soccer players in the U.S. are under 18, compared to 31% in Germany — which has six times more adult female players, thanks to stronger community club systems.
• Other nations such as Australia and Canada have leveraged major tournament success (e.g., the Matildas’ 2023 World Cup run, Canada’s Olympic gold) to boost adult participation and grow domestic leagues, ensuring pathways beyond youth programs.

Despite the remarkable success of the U.S. Women’s National Team, growing participation in girls-only soccer programs remains a challenge. Participation rates still lag behind boys-only programs, even with systemic advances such as Title IX, which mandates equal access to sports in schools. While these policies have expanded opportunities at the youth level, retaining players beyond the school system is far more difficult. Competitive and community options for women after college remain limited in the U.S., especially compared to peer nations with stronger adult club and recreational infrastructures.

Female Leaders, Coaches, and Mentors

1. Representation & Visibility

Inspiration through visibility: When girls see women in leadership or coaching positions, it signals that soccer is a space where they belong — not just as players, but as leaders. Challenging stereotypes: Female leaders break the notion that authority in sports belongs only to men. Pipeline effect: Having women at the top normalizes their presence in decision-making, encouraging more girls to aspire to similar roles.

2. Building Trust & Safety Relatable role models: Girls often feel more comfortable discussing challenges with women who understand their experiences.

Psychological safety: Female mentors can reduce feelings of intimidation, making it more likely for girls to try, persist, and take leadership roles themselves.

Cultural connection: Coaches who “look like them and talk like them” create culturally affirming environments, especially in diverse communities.

3. Recruitment & Retention Higher engagement: Research (U.S. Soccer Foundation) shows that female-led programs see above-average participation rates (e.g., 41% female participation in Detroit case studies).

Mentorship chains: Female coaches often bring in more female assistants, building a sustainable talent pipeline.

Retention boost: Players with female mentors are more likely to stay in the sport through adolescence.

4. Decision-Making Influence Program priorities: Female executives and board members can advocate for equitable funding, scheduling, and facility access.

Policy impact: Representation in governance increases the likelihood of gender equity in organizational decisions.

Holistic development: Women leaders tend to emphasize not just competition, but also community building, mental health, and leadership skills.

Female-led programs in Detroit saw 41% female participation, significantly above average.

• Girls report feeling safer, understood, and more likely to try soccer when coached by women who “look like them and talk like them.”

• Grassroots Growth: In the UK, club initiatives like Berkhamsted Raiders now serve over 350 girls in girls-first programs, demonstrating the power of local investment. (British Football School)

• Role Model Effect: International players such as Megan Rapinoe and Lucy Bronze began playing in youth programs that challenged gender norms—and now they serve as inspirational role models for girls worldwide. (British Football School)

📝 Key Takeaway

Girls‑only soccer programs blend fun, female leadership, and inclusive coaching to create environments where girls can thrive. By breaking down stereotypes and centering development on girls’ needs, these programs boost retention, build confidence, and support pathways from grassroots to elite play.

🌐 Sources

• Empowering the Game: Why Youth & Women’s Soccer Deserves Greater Popularity, Girls Soccer Network (2025) (girlssoccernetwork.com)
• Breaking Boundaries: The Rise of Girls‑Only Football Training and Its Impact, British Football School (Nov 2024) (britishfootballschool.com)
• Girls‑Only Soccer for Success Sites Launch & (Importantly) They Are Fun, U.S. Soccer Foundation (2018 evaluation) (ussoccerfoundation.org)
• Someone Like You, U.S. Soccer Foundation (Detroit PAL coach‑mentor initiative) (ussoccerfoundation.org)
• Play to Lead: New Research Proves Youth Sports Fuel Women’s Leadership, Women’s Sports Foundation (2020) (womenssportsfoundation.org)
• England’s Biggest Ever Football Session Saw Thousands of Girls Training Across the Country on International Women’s Day 2023, Active Together (Mar 2023) (active-together.org)
• How the Lionesses Have Changed the Women’s Game, The Times (2023) (thetimes.co.uk)
• Increasing Opportunities for Women and Girls with the Largest Girls’ Football Club in the Country, Football Foundation (2024) (footballfoundation.org.uk)
• The More Beautiful Game: How Women’s Football Took Off in the UK, Financial Times (2024) (ft.com)
• Grassroots Growth: In the UK, club initiatives like Berkhamsted Raiders now serve over 350 girls in girls-first programs, demonstrating the power of local investment, British Football School (2024) (britishfootballschool.com)
• Role Model Effect: International players such as Megan Rapinoe and Lucy Bronze began playing in youth programs that challenged gender norms—and now they serve as inspirational role models for girls worldwide, British Football School (2024) (britishfootballschool.com)