Danish football club redesigns women’s changing rooms to attract more players

A local football club in northern Denmark has overhauled its women’s changing facilities after players complained about poor showers and a lack of privacy, contributing to a surge in female membership.

The initiative at Terndrup IF follows feedback from female players, who reported issues such as weak shower pressure—so low it struggled to rinse out hair conditioner—and limited amenities, reports Danish broadcaster DR. Since the upgrades, which include better showers, hairdryers, larger mirrors, and private changing cubicles, the club has seen 12 new women join since the start of the year.

“I asked the girls what they wanted in a changing room, wrote it down, and sent it to our chairman,” said Mathilde Pedersen, a player and coach who led the project. “It’s important to play in a club where you feel valued.”

The club’s chairman, Brian Christensen, admitted he had overlooked such details until players raised them. “As a man, there are things you don’t think about,” he said. “When a player told me the showers couldn’t even wash out balsam, we fixed them the next day.”

New recruit Line-Marie Wahl said the changes boosted her motivation: “I want to go to training every time, and I want to help the club beyond just playing.”

The project aligns with broader efforts by DGI Nordjylland, a regional sports organisation, to make clubs more appealing to young women. Recent data from DIF and DGI shows a rise of 4,425 female members in North Jutland’s sports associations in 2025 compared to the previous year.

“It’s not just about the sport—they build community beyond it,” said Cille Holst, a youth consultant at DGI Nordjylland. Terndrup IF is one of several clubs now involving female members in designing facilities to better suit their needs.