Aviva is proud to partner with the FAI to bring you the brand-new In Her Boots programme. This partnership is the only education and awareness-based programme aimed at the football volunteer workforce across Ireland working with female players aged nine -16 years’ old. The programme will focus on topics that are vital for the participation and retention of young female players in football across Ireland. This new approach to female player development celebrates and informs all levels of clubs on a national scale.
By the age of 14, girls are twice as likely to drop out of playing sport compared to their male counterparts. According to Sport Ireland 60% of girls stop playing sports by the time they reach secondary school, citing a variety of factors such as lack of confidence, social pressure and discomfort due physiological changes as influencing their decisions.
Developed by experts whose primary focus is the female game, this is not just a football training programme – it is a holistic approach to girl’s health and athletic development, focusing on education, nutrition, injury prevention and menstrual health. Every element is designed with the needs of adolescent girls in mind. This is not only to equip them with the tools they need to succeed both as athletes and individuals, but ultimately to equip their coaches, parents, guardians and peers with the necessary information and tools as well.
The Programme
Launched in 2024 to address the drop-off in girls’ participation in football, In Her Boots in partnership with Aviva, is a free education and awareness-based programme aimed at empowering the football volunteer workforce, who train girls aged 9-16. It has already reached hundreds of coaches, parents, and clubs nationwide with 2000 coaches and volunteers taken part since the launch last September.
