Nike's New Global Football Program Helps Drive Gender Equity in Sport

As the world watches its most elite footballers compete in Australia and New Zealand, Nike is proud to introduce a new program to help grow the game’s future players.

Nike, in partnership with Football Victoria, is announcing the Nike FC Accelerator Program, designed to drive gender equity in sport and inspire the next generation of athletes.

Predominately based at the new Home of the Matildas, the Nike FC Accelerator Program is a four-year commitment to help fuel female athletes. It focuses on increasing female leadership by funding certified coaching programs, offering existing female coaches the opportunity to upgrade their license, and elevating female coaches on Nike channels. The program follows the success of a recent Nike coaching education investment, which has already doubled the number of female C-License coaches in Victoria. This month, 30 more coaches will graduate, leading to nearly 600 accredited female coaches in the region; Nike’s latest investment will increase this number by 26% in year one.

The Nike FC Accelerator Program also gives the Nike Football Community, which includes thousands of young women and girls throughout Victoria, access to the Home of the Matildas world-class facilities and the dedicated Nike FC pitch.

“We're committed to making meaningful investments in women’s sport, deepening our support for young female athletes and building a better game,” says Ashley Reade, Nike Pacific General Manager and Vice President. “The Nike FC Accelerator Program is the latest way we are elevating the game and helping the next generation fall in love with football and sport.”

The Nike FC Accelerator Program is an extension of an existing five-year partnership with Football Victoria as the sponsor of the women's state knockout tournament —the Nike FC Cup — which has been a growing success. As part of the partnership, Nike covers entry fees to help remove financial barriers, open the opportunity for more teams to enter and to help create an equal playing field for all.

The new partnership expands Nike’s existing commitment to grassroots community initiatives giving access to sport and play for kids around Australia, which includes Fitzroy Lions Soccer Club, Helping Hoops, National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy (NASCA), and the Dylan Alcott Foundation.

The Nike FC Accelerator Program is further proof of the company’s industry-leading investment in women and girls. Nike is committed to growing women’s sports and building a better game through listening to athletes, serving them holistically and collaborating on creating positive change through sport.