Creating Pathways for Girls in Sport

THE BRIEF

Girls' participation in organised sport requires more than access to playing facilities. It needs structured competitions, supportive environments and clear opportunities to progress.

In many communities, school sport can provide an important entry point. However, without regular competition and links between schools and representative structures, talented girls risk being overlooked.

The challenge is to establish accessible school-based leagues that connect grassroots participation with wider development opportunities.

WHAT WE DID

Drawing on experience in school sport development, we developed a girls' school football league bringing schools together through organised competition.

The model provided opportunities for girls to play regularly, develop their abilities and gain competitive experience. It also established a platform for identifying emerging talent and connecting promising players with district-level representative football.

Applied within African contexts, this approach could be adapted through partnerships between schools, local authorities, community organisations and national or regional football structures.

WHAT CHANGED

The model demonstrated how school competitions can become more than standalone sporting events.

They can provide a structured pathway from participation to talent identification and representative opportunities, helping to make development systems more accessible to girls.

The wider ambition is to strengthen the connection between grassroots participation, organised competition and long-term progression.

WHERE IT STANDS

Sustainable progress in girls' sport requires investment in the structures surrounding participation.

School leagues, trained coaches, local partnerships and representative pathways can help build stronger foundations for girls' football across Africa.

The objective is not simply to get more girls playing. It is to create sporting environments in which they can develop, compete, lead and progress.