Robert Perry
Maya Barcella, Sophia Barcella, Hannah Lee and Lucy Waters created TrainHer
A schoolgirl who felt excluded when playing on a boys' football team has helped design an app to make sure other girls do not experience the same feeling.
Maya Barcella is one of a team of four S1 pupils at a South Lanarkshire school to win this year's Scottish #DigiInventors challenge - a nationwide contest run by the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre.
Maya, Sophia Barcella, Hannah Lee and Lucy Waters created TrainHer - an app designed to help girls build confidence and develop their football skills.
She said she was encouraged to come up with the idea after struggling to fit in with a local boys' football team, who refused to talk to her after she joined.
The app features daily challenges, leader boards and rewards including tickets to women's football matches.
Maya said: "From the start it felt like I didn't belong - the boys wouldn't talk to me or even warm up with me.
"It was because of this we felt that creating TrainHer would help girls grow in confidence and encourage more girls to get involved."
Her teammate Sophia Barcella, who plays for Motherwell FC, said she hoped the app would get the next generation of girls interested in playing football.
During development, the team consulted other pupils, including those who play for girls' football teams.
They shared the challenges they face and suggested features they would like to see, including a community page where girls can connect and support each other.
Staying active
Sport Scotland figures suggest 55% of teenage girls meet recommended physical activity levels outside school, compared to 66% of boys.
Prof George Crooks, chief executive at the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre, said TrainHer was a brilliant example of young people being given confidence to tackle health challenges.
The challenge is run in partnership with Scottish Women's Football.
Martina Hendry, of South Lanarkshire Council, said staff were immensely proud of the pupils' efforts.
She added: "Their solution addresses real barriers that girls face in football and turns training into a motivating, confidence-building experience.
"Rooted in the pupils' own observations and experiences, TrainHer encourages young women to stay active and feel empowered to participate in a sport they enjoy."
A primary school edition of the challenge is set to launch in January 2026.
