Kelly Smith Celebrates Milestone in Girls’ Football Access in Schools

Kelly Smith, the former Arsenal and England forward who scored 46 goals in 117 appearances for the national team from 1995 to 2013, has expressed her delight at the growing opportunities for young girls to play football—something she longed for during her own childhood.

On Thursday, the Football Association (FA) announced that it has reached its target of ensuring that 90% of schools in England provide girls with equal access to football during Physical Education (PE) lessons, achieving this milestone three years ahead of the original deadline set for 2028. This initiative is part of the FA’s broader strategy to promote equality in sports for women and girls.

The Barclays Girls’ Football in Schools network, which launched six years ago with just 3,000 participating institutions, has expanded impressively to include 20,202 schools. As a result, approximately 2.6 million girls now have equal access to football in PE, marking a significant 31% increase since the 2020-21 season.

Reflecting on her experiences, Smith revealed, “I was kicked off a boys’ team for being the wrong sex. So it gives me goosebumps thinking about it because now so many girls have the opportunity to play football if they want. In PE, I never had that. I had to fight my way to try and play on a team. We had to change in the car because all the boys’ changing rooms were taken up with their bags and shirts hanging up.”

The FA attributed the Lionesses’ triumph at Euro 2022 as a pivotal factor in influencing governmental discussions and facilitating policy changes. Sarina Wiegman’s victorious squad even penned an open letter to the then Conservative leadership candidates, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, advocating for equal football opportunities for all young girls in schools.

Currently, 90% of schools offer girls equal access to football through PE lessons at Key Stages 2 (ages 7-11) and 3 (ages 11-14). Ian Wright, a former England and Arsenal striker and ambassador for Barclays Football, stated, “This was never about girls becoming the next Lionesses; it was about normalising girls playing football, just like boys do. It’s about equality.”

Following their Euro victory in 2022, England reached the Women’s World Cup final the subsequent year, although they lost to Spain. However, they later defeated Spain to reclaim their European title in July.

Stacey Mullock, head of development at the FA, emphasized, “No girl should ever face barriers to playing football in school. That belief drove us to set ambitious targets and push for a cultural shift where girls have the same access and opportunities as boys.”

Despite these significant advancements, the FA acknowledged that challenges still exist, particularly for Key Stage 4 (ages 14-16), where many teenage girls withdraw from team sports due to issues related to confidence, body image, and negative perceptions. The governing body aims to increase the percentage of schools offering equal opportunities through extra-curricular clubs from 83% to 90% by 2028.