In the past year the sport has overtaken netball as the most popular sport among girls.

Northern NSW Football, which owns and operates the Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility opposite Speers Point Park, boasts 12,600 female players across the region.

This figure represents 21 per cent of all registered players.

Last year, 5635 female soccer players were under the age of 13 – a 9.2 per cent increase year-on-year.

The study also revealed that football was gaining traction among boys, too, with one in two children aged six to 13 now playing football.

It had overtaken swimming as the sport of choice for all Australian kids.

Northern NSW Football Community Football Manager, Peter Haynes said while athletics, cricket, netball and Australian Rules had all increased in popularity over the past year, it paled in comparison to the boom in football.

“This is great news for the game and reflects the accessibility of our game to people of all ages and gender,” Mr Haynes said.

“We will continue to deliver opportunities in all areas especially for women and girls across northern NSW in our ongoing commitment to maintain this positive increase in their representation in our game.”

Northern NSW Football runs competitions for boys and girls in the Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Hunter Valley, Far North Coast, Mid North Coast, North Coast and Northern Inland regions.

Female football players can climb the ranks to compete in the national W-League competition, run by Football Federation Australia.

It runs simultaneously alongside the men’s competition, the A-League.

Established in 2008 – four years after the A-League – the W-League is contested by nine teams and provides budding female football players a pathway to a professional football career.

The teams are the Newcastle Jets, Sydney FC, Western Sydney Wanderers, Canberra United, Melbourne City, Melbourne Victory, Adelaide United, Perth Glory and Brisbane Roar.