HER TEAM: Elevating Japanese Girls in the World of Football
In recent years, women’s football has gained unprecedented enthusiasm worldwide. Despite the launch of a professional women’s football league in Japan in 2021, Japanese girls still struggle to develop their talents.
At adidas, we are committed to making sports equal through greater access. Under our ‘Make Sport Equal’ initiatives, we focus on eliminating the barriers women and girls face in accessing sports. In collaboration with a number of global partners, we drive access, equity, and safety in sports through community-based programs.
In Japan, at the middle school level, the number of girls’ football teams is only 2.8% compared to that of boys’ teams, making it difficult for Japanese girls to find a team that matches their level. On top of that, girls face extra hurdles like gaining family support or securing transportation, making it harder to continue playing compared to boys. As a result, many players feel alienated or lonely and end up quitting the sport. In fact, one in five Japanese female football players quit the sport by age 13.
To bridge this gap, adidas Japan expanded its internal project into a larger joint initiative with the Japan Football Association (JFA) and launched HER TEAM, a collaborative project aimed at creating a more sustainable environment for U-15 (those under 15-years-old) junior high school girls to get involved and hone their football skills in their respective communities.
Having played soccer from kindergarten through university, this project holds a special place in my heart. When I was in elementary school, I considered quitting soccer because I couldn’t fit in with the boys’ team. However, watching Nadeshiko Japan (the Japanese national women’s team) win the World Cup gave me the courage to continue playing through university. Through HER TEAM’s initiatives, I hope to create an environment where female players who want to continue playing soccer have as many options as possible.
Today, I am going to share my journey – having led this project since 2022 – and show how it is creating a positive impact for young Japanese girls.
Building a sustainable future for women’s football: The HER TEAM project
At the HER TEAM project, we focus on supporting newly established girls’ football teams at junior high schools and local community clubs throughout Japan to successfully get off the ground.
Leading this start-up project has had its own challenges such as securing coaches with sufficient knowledge and experience to devise training programs suitable for female athletes. To address this, we collaborated with Coerver Coaching to send coaches to teams that needed them and leveraging their expertise, we have been conducting football workshops. This not only offers new training opportunities but also creates a sustainable system for continuous growth, contributing to the advancement of women’s football.
With adidas’ extensive football resources, our support also includes sourcing adidas kits, providing promotional tools for recruiting members, and inviting girls to JFA and adidas football-related activities. Combining the strengths of JFA and adidas, we use JFA facilities so the girls can interact with adidas-sponsored players and collaborate with regional football associations to maximize Japan’s soccer network, creating attractive growth opportunities for the young players.
Norio Sasaki, a Japanese football coach and JFA Women's Committee Chairman, says, “Through this project, JFA and adidas Japan aim to inspire junior high school girls to start or continue playing soccer.” He adds,
"We believe that HER TEAM will lead to the development of many new girls’ soccer teams, from which future star players for Nadeshiko Japan will emerge."
Boosting morale and driving participation
Since its launch in 2020, HER TEAM has supported 841 girls across 89 football teams and clubs throughout Japan. Mr. Shigeyuki Fujii, the representative and coach for OSAKA PIONE U15 – one of the HER TEAM-sponsored soccer teams – says, “The provision of adidas kits was very well-received by the girls. Many girls want to wear the same gear as everyone else, so wearing the same kit on the pitch has boosted the players’ morale. Additionally, driving recruitment in supermarkets and sports stores has helped the local community recognize star players. Through the activities of HER TEAM, I hope more people will become interested in women’s football.”
Inspiring girls at HER TEAM CUP
In March 2024, we held our first HER TEAM CUP 2024, inviting 14 HER TEAM-sponsored teams from across Japan to connect and inspire one another. Around 150 players and 28 trainers/coaches participated, along with three former Japanese female professional football players, including the legendary Homare Sawa, who joined as special guests.
The HER TEAM CUP 2024 provided opportunities for the teams to find practice partners and connect with teams they hadn’t previously contacted. At the event, I was most impressed to see the team coaches deepening their interactions and building ongoing connections even after the event. Proof that our efforts were making a difference.
Building a positive cycle
Our primary mission in Sports Marketing at adidas is to support the performance of Japan’s top athletes. Their success on the big stage inspires and moves many people, including young female athletes. Seeing them in action motivates students and children to start playing football or to dedicate themselves even more to the sport.
I believe this positive cycle contributes to the overall development of the football community in Japan. Moving forward, I am committed to continuing to support the creation of teams in regions with few girls’ teams, providing more opportunities through HER TEAM to help these girls experience the joy that football brings.
