Indian Women's Football, From First Kick to Pro
She Kicks is India's abode for women's football: an academy, a club, city leagues and a foundation, connected into one pathway so a girl never runs out of road after her first taste of the game.
India's first women's football ecosystem
Indian women's football has never lacked talent. What it lacked was structure, somewhere for a girl to keep going once she had learned to love the game.
Established in 2018 as India's first women-centric football programme, She Kicks was built to close that gap. It is founded and led by Aditi Chauhan, and everything it runs points one way: toward more girls playing, competing and being seen.
The belief underneath it is simple. Access to football, education and opportunity should not be limited by a girl's gender, geography or background.
Four pillars, one pathway
Four units make up She Kicks: a football academy, a competitive club, city leagues, and the Aditi Chauhan Foundation, a Section 8 non-profit. Read together they form a single ladder, from a girl's first touch of a ball to a professional contract and a shot at the national side.
This is the 360 degree approach the ecosystem was designed around. Each pillar runs as its own unit with its own remit, then wires to the others so a player steps up without starting over.
Academy
A women-specific curriculum designed by Aditi Chauhan, delivered by AFC-licensed coaches, taking girls from grassroots basics to competitive standards.
Now registering in Delhi and Bangalore
League
A long-duration, multi-city league open to all skill levels, played six-a-side and growing toward eleven-a-side, built to keep players in the game long enough to be scouted.
Update: revived and expanding across cities
Club
A squad built across under-15, under-17 and senior women, giving developed players real match exposure and a bridge toward professional contracts.
Foundation
The Aditi Chauhan Foundation, a Section 8 non-profit, opens the game through grassroots workshops, talent identification, athlete development and coach education.
Donate to put a girl on the pitch
Why families choose She Kicks
A girl gets more here than drills on a pitch. Everything is built around maximum participation in a safe, supportive environment, so parents can trust the setting and players can actually stay in the game.
Safety first
A safe and secure playing environment is the baseline for every session, on and off the field.
Certified coaching
Technical training from AFC-licensed and certified coaches, on a women-specific curriculum.
Health and nutrition
Nutrition guidance and holistic development are part of the plan, not an afterthought.
Mentorship
Guidance and career counselling help a girl see a future in the game, with role models to look up to.
Real competition
Exposure through leagues at all levels, pan India, so talent is tested and unexplored players are found early.
A women-specific curriculum
Training follows a structured curriculum designed by Aditi Chauhan for how girls actually develop in the game.
Built by someone who played at the top
She Kicks is founded and led by Aditi Chauhan, a former India women's national team captain and goalkeeper and the first Indian player to play for a Premier League club, West Ham United FC. That top-level standard is what she pours into how every pillar here is designed and run.
The academy runs on a women-specific curriculum she designed, and she rebuilt the league specifically to give girls a real platform to go professional. Her full playing career, credentials and story live on the About page.
Read her full story arrow_forwardRecognised for the work and the record
The mission and the founder behind it have both been recognised on national and international stages, for changing the game for girls and for excellence on the pitch.
UNESCO acknowledgement
A UNESCO India acknowledgement for She Kicks' contribution to gender equality through football.
View the letter open_in_newAsian Women Footballer of the Year
Aditi Chauhan was named Asian Women Footballer of the Year 2015, presented at Wembley Stadium in London.
Apollo Tyres recognition
Featured and honoured by Apollo Tyres for her impact on women's football in India.
Already on the ground across India
This is not a plan on paper. Through the academy and the Aditi Chauhan Foundation, She Kicks has directly impacted more than 2,000 girls and reached over 10,000 across its activity.
It takes structured football into schools, festivals and city programmes well beyond its Delhi NCR base. For many girls it is the first time coaching has come to their doorstep, and scouted and underprivileged players are sponsored through the foundation so cost is never the barrier.
Spotting a player only matters if there is somewhere for her to go. A girl picked up through a Kolkata scouting leg has since been signed by a top tier club competing in the IWL and AFC Championships, the exact professional step the whole ecosystem is built to unlock.
Grassroots workshops
Football festivals and camps for girls across India, several of which have grown into ongoing academy programmes.
School partnerships
Multi-day coaching camps and programmes across schools, delivered by She Kicks' own coaching staff.
A growing footprint
New training bases keep opening in more cities, so a girl's distance from a good coach keeps shrinking.
In the players' words
The real measure of She Kicks is what the girls say about it. These are their own words, unedited.
I love football and I feel we can test our strength and ability by playing football. I feel now a days there is good career opportunity in sports too. My experience with She Kicks is amazing and I love practicing with the team here. A good thing about She Kicks is that everyone is very friendly and cooperative. If I get the chance, I would love to be with the team for few more years.
Football gives me strength, will power and courage to face life. It calms my mind. She Kicks is another family for me now. The coaches and players are very supportive and cooperative. The coaches treat every player "equal" and give individual attention to all of us. I love the training sessions.
I keep myself healthy by playing football. It helps me in building my stamina, strength and speed. I aim to become a good footballer and I am glad I joined She Kicks. Our coaches are The Best, they are friendly and helpful. After joining She Kicks, I became more extrovert and confident. Thank you She Kicks for giving me the chance to train and play football and for helping me to attain my goal.
I love football as it helps me to discover myself. I love controlling the ball and kicking football is the best moment for me. I aim to represent my country one day. She Kicks is providing a great opportunity for girls to play football and also good facilities for us all. The coaching staff is very good. They help us in becoming good player and good human being too. I particularly love the daily analysis done by all of us after each session. The whole atmosphere here is very encouraging.
For me, Football is the most entertaining sport in the world. I aim to become a good footballer and take Indian women football to the next level. I really love the atmosphere here in She Kicks, on and off the field. The coaches here are very supportive and helpful, and individually guide each and every player. I appreciate this personal attention that helps me to improve my game.
Structure first, headlines second
The women's game in India needs working structure, not just attention, and She Kicks is that idea turned into moving parts. The momentum is real: India's senior, under-20 and under-17 national teams have all qualified for the AFC Asian Cup 2026, and the She Kicks Football League has been revived to give girls a stage of their own.
The league runs in a long-duration format, open to players of every skill level, from newcomers to professionals, and is growing toward eleven-a-side over time. It is competition with a purpose: to keep players in the game long enough to be scouted, developed and given a platform.
Underneath it, the Aditi Chauhan Foundation runs grassroots workshops, talent identification, long-term athlete development and coaches' training, so the pipeline has depth at every level rather than a shiny top. The design is meant to sustain itself: 15% of the league's net profits are directed back into the foundation, which feeds new players up through the academy and club, which in turn strengthens the league.
By 2035 the aim is a clear, unbroken pathway feeding India's push toward the FIFA Women's World Cup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Indian women's football and joining She Kicks.
Yes. India has senior, under-20 and under-17 women's national teams, all of which have qualified for the AFC Asian Cup 2026. She Kicks builds the layer beneath them: an academy, a competitive club and city leagues that give girls a structured route toward the national side.
There is no single answer, since it depends on era and position. One of the most recognised names is Aditi Chauhan, former India captain and goalkeeper and the first Indian to play in the Premier League, who now founds and leads the She Kicks ecosystem. Her full record is on the About page.
Start with structured grassroots coaching rather than one-off drills. The She Kicks Academy takes complete beginners through the fundamentals and into advanced training, while the Aditi Chauhan Foundation runs grassroots workshops that bring the game to girls who have never had access to a pitch.
With She Kicks you can begin at the academy for coaching or the league for match play, which is open to every skill level. Talent identification camps scout new players across cities. Write to shekicksfa03@gmail.com or call +91 91767 91552 to register your interest.
Fees vary by city, age group and hours of coaching, so there is no single national figure. For current She Kicks Academy fees, contact the team directly. Scouted and underprivileged girls are sponsored through the Aditi Chauhan Foundation so cost is not a barrier to playing.
Follow a structured pathway rather than hoping to be spotted. At She Kicks a girl trains at the academy, plays competitive fixtures in the league, earns a place in the club, and is scouted toward professional and national football, with each stage feeding the one above it.
India's women's game is on a clear upward curve. The senior, under-20 and under-17 national teams have all qualified for the AFC Asian Cup 2026. FIFA rankings shift every window, so the number that matters more is the pathway feeding those teams, which is exactly what She Kicks builds.
The top of the global women's game moves between leading nations such as the United States and Spain as results change, so no side stays first for long. India's focus is the grassroots-to-professional structure that lifts a country up those rankings over time, which is the work She Kicks does at home.
Find your place in the game
Players, families and supporters all have a door in: pick the pillar that fits where you are today.
Reach the team at shekicksfa03@gmail.com or +91 91767 91552, head to the contact page, or explore working together through Partners and CSR.
