A brand-new national football programme launched in Scotland to encourage primary school-aged girls to participate in the game.
The KDM Group Soccer Centres will provide a fun and friendly environment where the stars of the future can access the game, develop their skills and meet new friends whilst improving their fitness.
The previous iteration of the Soccer Centres programme that ran between 2018 – 2020 was hugely popular, with 82 centres and more than 3,000 participants.
With a record number of girls and women currently playing football in Scotland – with more than 21,000 registered players across the country – the new KDM Group Soccer Centres programme will further bolster the continued growth of the game.
Each region will have a dedicated ambassador for its KDM Group Soccer Centres from the Scotland Women’s National Team:
North – Rachel Corsie
Central – Lee Gibson
West – Chloe Arthur
East – Lisa Evans
South-East – Claire Emslie
South-West – Erin Cuthbert
Scotland Women’s National Team goalkeeper Lee Gibson, who helped to launch the programme this week at Dalgety Bay in Fife, said: “For me to come to nights like this, it’s amazing to see how far the game has grown.
“Looking around and seeing so many young girls playing football – this is what it’s all about. We want to try to inspire them to take up football, the numbers are at a record high and long may that continue.
“It’s an amazing programme that I’m really proud to be part of.”
Sam Milne, Scottish FA Club Development Officer, East Region: “We’ve recently launched our ‘Football For All’ grassroots strategy and these centres are part of helping to implement that and offer more girls the chance to get involved in football.
“It was great to have Lee at the launch so that the girls could meet a genuine role model who is playing the game at an elite level. It was amazing to see their reaction and how much it meant to them.
“This really is a fantastic programme that will help supplement the continued growth of the game as well as supporting our ambition to keep providing as many playing opportunities as possible.”
The Scottish FA’s new grassroots partner, KDM Group, are supporting the programme. Mark Jones is an Executive Director: “Realistically, this is about young girls having the opportunity to get involved. We want to help provide the platform for them to learn about football and enjoy the game.
“It’s not just about the physical benefits, you can see the smiles on their faces when you watch them play. The profile of women’s football is getting bigger every day and young girls deserve the opportunity and environment to show how good they can be.
“By investing in the soccer centres, we hope we can do our bit to help the development of the women’s game.”
Sessions are opening across the country in the coming weeks.
Visit scottishfa.co.uk/soccercentres to find out when your local KDM Group Soccer Centre starts.
