TrainHer wins national #DigiInventors Challenge to develop creative digital health solutions
A South Lanarkshire schoolgirl who felt excluded playing on a boys football team has helped design an app to make sure other girls don’t experience the same.
Maya Barcella knows what it feels like to be the only girl on a boys team. When she joined a local team in S1, she struggled to fit in – and that experience inspired her and three classmates at St Andrew’s & St Bride’s High School to create TrainHer, a gamified app designed to help girls build confidence and develop their football skills.
Their idea has won this year’s Scottish #DigiInventors Challenge, a national competition run by the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) in partnership with Scottish Women’s Football.
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.”
Competition teammate Sophia Barcella, who plays for Motherwell FC, said: “Having played for many teams I know all the benefits that football can have on young girls. We hope our app can get the next generation of girls to play football.”
According to sportscotland, just 55% of teenage girls meet recommended physical activity levels outside school, compared to 66% of boys. TrainHer aims to close that gap by making training fun, social and rewarding.
The app features daily challenges, leaderboards and rewards including tickets to women’s football matches. 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’d like to see – including a community page where girls can connect and support each other.
The #DigiInventors Challenge is run by the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre in partnership with Scottish Women’s Football. Now in its ninth year, the competition has engaged nearly 2,700 young people across Scotland and the UAE, challenging them to develop digital solutions to real-world health and wellbeing challenges.
Vivienne MacLaren, Chair of Scottish Women’s Football and judge at this year’s #DigiInventors Challenge, said: ”We know girls’ participation in sport drops off at key stages, and the overuse of digital technology has meant many feel self-conscious about how they look when exercising. So putting digital tools to good use – encouraging girls into football, building community and building confidence – is so important. The pitches I heard were all exceptional and it was extremely difficult to pick a winner. I’d like to congratulate all the finalists and look forward to supporting the winners in any way I can.”
A primary school edition of the challenge is set to launch on 5th January 2026, inviting P5-P7 pupils across Scotland to develop their own digital health ideas.
Professor George Crooks OBE, CEO at Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre, who presented the award to the winning team, said: “After nine years of #DigiInventors, we’ve seen first-hand how powerful it is when young people are given the tools and confidence to tackle health challenges that matter to them. TrainHer is a brilliant example of that in action. Expanding the programme to primary schools is the natural next step – we want to inspire that entrepreneurial, problem-solving mindset at an even earlier stage and show pupils across Scotland that their ideas can make a real difference.”
Martina Hendry, Lead Officer Raising Attainment – Primary, at South Lanarkshire Council, said: “We are immensely proud of our pupils from St Andrew’s and St Bride’s High School. 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. The professionalism and ambition they’ve shown throughout has been exemplary.”
