The Scottish FA have launched a programme to keep girls playing football at grassroots level.
Along with Uefa, the governing body’s We Play Strong centres are aimed at 12-16 year olds to halt the drop off in participation compared to younger ages.
It will potentially see after-school football offered across 120 schools.
“There’s a level below club football that hasn’t necessary been catered for,” said Donald Gillies, the SFA’s head of girls and women’s football.
“A 13-14 year old girl might think they have to join a team to play regularly, and that’s a big step for some.
“So making sure there is an in between so they can go along maybe for the first time or get back into it before having to commit is what this is aimed at.”
This year there were 1,515 Scottish Women’s Football registered players aged 12-13 and just 533 players aged 16-17.
The programme may well nurture the next crop of Scotland stars who have been inspired by a Scottish presence in the Champions League or Scotland qualifying for the World Cup.
However, for Gillies reaching girls at this crucial age is important to offer children across Scotland a way into the game.
“Success could be anything from more girls playing to that one girl playing who maybe wouldn’t have done before, that girl who has grown in confidence from being part of a team,” he said.
“Hopefully if we can retain players at that age group not only will it have an impact on our potential talent pool, but more so have an impact on the girls playing football for the rest of their lives.”
Scotland under 19 captain and Hibernian midfielder Jamie-Lee Napier, 18, recalled: “I started to take it more seriously, sometimes you need to make sacrifices when my friends wanted to go out you can’t, but that’s something you need to do to make it to a high standard.
“At a certain age you want to just play with girls, your own age and at your standards to push you on and things like this will help get more girls involved and active.”
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