EE: Teen Confidence & Mental Health Campaign

EE, lead partner of the Home Nations Football Associations, has launched its ‘Everyone Needs a Squad’ campaign.

Following new research carried out by EE in partnership with leading child and adolescent psychologist Dr Sheila Redfern PhD, the study highlights football’s positive impact on teenage girls’ mental wellbeing and confidence in the face of social media pressures, uncovering how being part of a football network helps young women cope with these pressures.

The study found that 93% of girls aged between 13 and 18 who play or watch football have reported that the sport gives them more confidence, with 69% feeling a sense of belonging and 57% experiencing positivity. In contrast, of those girls who do not watch or play football, two fifths (44%) have stated that social media has affected their confidence, while one quarter (27%) of respondents have admitted it has reduced their self-esteem. Girls involved in football are also more likely to develop strong emotional resilience (66%) than their counterparts (49%), with nearly three quarters (72%) well equipped to cope with negative online experiences.

Three fifths (61%) of girls who watched or played football also said they were comfortable confiding in friends and family over social media pressure. The study surveyed two groups of teenage girls aged 13-18 – those engaged in football networks and a control group who were not.

The ‘Everyone Needs a Squad’ campaign features players from across the Home Nations, including England’s Lucy Bronze, Georgia Stanway, and Fran Kirby, and Wales’s Hayley Lodd, Gemma Evans, and Alice Griffiths, as well as players from grassroots teams. England legend and mum of two, Kelly Smith, fronts the campaign, sharing her experiences of being involved in a football community.

The campaign encourages girls across the UK to find their team, step onto the pitch, and discover the mental boost that football can offer. EE has also launched a bespoke online platform called EE Squad, which helps teenage girls explore, build, and grow their community around football. The platform offers routes into local football opportunities, confidence-building content via EE LearnSmart, and personal stories from Home Nations players.

Dr Sheila Redfern PhD, who co-designed the research methodology, said, “Adolescence is a time of significant developmental change; including neurological, psychological, physical and social changes that shape long-term wellbeing. In recent years, we have seen an increased spike in the mental and emotional health problems of adolescent girls which has been exacerbated due to increased exposure to the online world. The research carried out by EE has produced some important and striking results, shining a light on how being part of the football network can benefit teen girls’ wellbeing and promote resilience (good mental health). The study clearly shows that being in the football community can improve adolescent girls’ self-esteem and confidence at a time in their lives when they are most likely to doubt themselves and compare themselves unfavourably to others.”

Kelly Smith, scorer of 46 goals in 117 appearances for the Lionesses, and mum of two, said, “Football gave me absolutely everything growing up. I wasn’t a confident or outgoing person off the pitch but as soon as I was playing, I could be myself and show what I could do; it was where I felt most comfortable. The online world was very different back when I was starting out, but I’ve seen the pressures social media puts on young people now. Being part of a community is so important when it comes to building confidence and the resilience young people need to navigate the world. For me, there’s no community more powerful than the football family, and I really hope as many girls as possible get to feel a part of that.”

Alicia Simai-Kral, who plays for Highbury Wolves Girls and features in EE’s ‘Everyone Needs a Squad’ campaign, said, “Football has always been my escape from the pressure of social media. Playing with girls’ teams gave me the confidence to be myself, online and offline. It’s where I’ve felt supported, not judged and that’s made all the difference.”

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