The growth of the UEFA Disney Playmakers programme shows no sign of slowing down with 150 programmes set to be rolled out this year around the country.
Designed for girls aged 5-8 years who are not currently playing football, the programme invites them to step into the magical world of Disney as they take their first steps on their football journey.
Along with making new friends and using the storytelling of Disney movie ‘Encanto’, girls will learn new skills in ball mastery, dribbling, shooting, small-sided games and team bonding.
Over 73,000 girls across Europe have been introduced to football through UEFA Disney Playmakers since 2000 with last year showing a 210% increase on girls who were involved in Ireland, including over 200 female coaches fully trained up to deliver the programme.
“It is fantastic to launch the 2024 edition of the UEFA Disney Playmakers – a programme that started as a pilot and has grown into a key initiative to introduce girls to football in a fun, interactive and creative way,” said Pearl Slattery, FAI Programme Coordinator for Women’s Football.
“Working with UEFA has been brilliant as they are keen on developing the programme each year and they visited us for a week in 2023 to develop the new booklet that will be used as part of the programme. We started out with 30 clubs in 2021 and now we will have 150 clubs this year, which shows just how popular it continues to be.
“This programme can only be a success if the clubs, schools, volunteer coaches and FAI support staff believe in it and give their time to it. I’d like to thank them for their dedication because it makes such a difference and gives hundreds of children a positive experience where they choose football as an activity for life.”
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