BMO Girls Play ON! program: boosting participation in Ontario

Despite the growing popularity of female soccer in Canada, there is a worrying trend of girls exiting the game at a young age.

Ontario Soccer, which governs the game in Canada’s most populous province, has identified a lack of female leaders and role models as a key cause.

Last year, in partnership with the Bank of Montreal (BMO), it established the BMO Girls Play ON! program, to help reverse the direction of travel.

WSC spoke to Ontario Soccer’s Ben Lungo to find out more...

 

WSC: Tell us a bit about the BMO Girls Play ON! program...

BL: BMO Girls Play ON! is all about keeping girls and women participating in soccer, long-term.

The program was established in 2023, with five events across various Ontario cities. It is aimed at getting more girls and young women interested in soccer through coaching and playing opportunities. 

The idea is that, by participating in this program, girls will be inspired to stay in soccer for longer. They will also aspire to continue their soccer career in other avenues than simply playing, such as coaching, officiating, volunteering and more.

In a world that is traditionally dominated by men, this program empowers young women to take the lead in a fun and comfortable environment, while providing younger girls with a whole cohort of positive female role models.

With support from allies in the Ontario Soccer community, initiatives like BMO Girls Play ON! can be a catalyst for gender equity, sowing the seeds for a future where girls confidently take the lead, on and off the field.

 

WSC: Who is it aimed at and how have you gone about reaching these people?

BL: BMO Girls Play ON! offers soccer-development sessions for U7 and U8 girls new to soccer, and coaching sessions for U16 and U17 girls, taking the first steps in their coaching careers.

Participants were gathered with the assistance of Ontario Soccer membership, who were excited to help promote the cause. 

Ontario Soccer membership districts helped with advertising and general promotions in their areas, while membership clubs helped with co-hosting events, providing logistical support, and with the recruitment of volunteers and participants.

 

WSC: What does the program involve?

BL: In its first year of operation, BMO Girls Play ON! ran as one-day events, designed around keeping women and girls involved in the game. 

As an example, in the morning, U16 and U17 girls attended a coaching clinic where they learned the basic skills towards a ’FUNdamentals’ coaching certification. 

In the afternoon, dozens of U7 and U8 girls showed up for a 3v3 festival, led by the newly trained coaches. 

WSC: How many girls have been involved in the program so far and what has the feedback been like?

BL: In 2023, approximately 300 grassroots participants – the U7s and U8s – and 80 coach participants – the U16s and U17s – participated in the BMO Girls Play ON! program.

Feedback received by Ontario Soccer has been great to date and the organization expects a jump in participants this year as there is more awareness around the program and its benefits.

Ontario soccer clubs have expressed their interest in supporting the program and co-hosting future events, and survey results confirm the success of the program as grassroots participants rated their overall program experience as 90 out of 100.

All of the coaching participants rated their overall program experience as either "good" or "very good".