UEFA and Disney announced the extension of the Playmakers program until 2027, as research shows its positive impact in Ukraine

13.12.2023 18:01

Photo by UEFA Playmakers

Since 2021, UEFA Playmakers has presented the magic of Disney stories to more than 1 girls in Ukraine, and the program's new cartoon is "Encanto".

Parents in Ukraine reported that UEFA and Disney's first pan-European initiative for girls, UEFA Playmakers, inspired by Disney, inspired their daughters who participated in the program to play soccer (82%) and join a local team (100%). UEFA and Disney have announced the extension of the UEFA Playmakers program for four years, until 2027.

Photo by UEFA Playmakers

UEFA and Disney are proud to present Disney's Oscar-winning animated musical comedy Encanto as the new animated feature to join the UEFA Playmakers programme, following The Incredibles 2, Frozen 2 and Moana from Disney, in which a strong woman played the main role.

Anatoliy Demyanenko, the first vice-president of UAF, said about the program: "We are very pleased with the impact that the UEFA Playmakers program has had in Ukraine, helping young girls get their first experience playing football. We see how many girls have joined local teams after participating in the program.”

Photo by UEFA Playmakers

The coach of the UEFA Playmakers program Andriy Strelchenko from the city of Synelnikove, in the Dnipropetrovsk region, noted: "I really like the opportunity to use fun games as a way to instill a love of soccer in girls from an early age. The use of recognizable characters from Disney films creates a good atmosphere in the classes, as both the girls and the coaches can talk about a common topic. The program really brings the girls together by interest, and the storytelling approach helps keep them interested.

Together with other participants, girls feel more free, which means that they are less afraid to ask questions and make mistakes. During the sessions, the girls become more confident in their ability to work with the ball and other equipment, and their communication improves through a common interest and knowledge of the characters."

A magical experience for girls, parents and coaches

The UEFA Playmakers program has had a tangible impact in Ukraine and has succeeded in engaging more girls in football through movement, play and storytelling, as well as providing girls with unique opportunities to join the game in a safe, fun and exciting way.

Photo by UEFA Playmakers

Inspired by academic research, UEFA Playmakers classes are held in 30 centers in Ukraine by more than 82 coaches trained under the UEFA Playmakers program.

Across Europe, UEFA Playmakers sessions take place in 48 European national associations in more than 3 cities. More than 800 girls have taken part in the program, which has trained more than 73 UEFA Playmakers.

Testimonials from girls, parents and coaches participating in the UEFA Playmakers program demonstrate the enormous positive impact of the program in the country:

• 100% of girls tried football with the program for the first time;
• 100% of girls enjoyed the program;
• 91,73% of parents now feel more confident when their daughters play soccer;
• 94,7% of parents would recommend the program to friends and relatives.

Paving the way for girls in soccer

The story of Playmakers is just beginning and UEFA will build on this momentum so that girls not only get to know football, but also keep playing it. The main aim of the UEFA Playmakers program is to provide each Playmakers center with a clear pathway into football for both players and coaches. To achieve this goal, UEFA will provide support to national associations with dedicated experts who will provide mentoring support and follow-up programmes.

Photo by UEFA Playmakers

In addition, UEFA will provide wider access to UEFA Playmakers content, allowing girls, families and teachers to enjoy UEFA Playmakers activities regardless of sessions.

"We are very excited to see the expansion of the UEFA Playmakers program over the next four years and continue our partnership with Disney," said UEFA Women's Football Executive Nadine Kessler. — The combination of physical activity with the magic of Disney proved to be a winning combination to introduce girls to soccer, involve parents and give every girl the opportunity to experience the joy of our beautiful game. I am happy to see how in the future there will be professional female soccer players who will be able to trace their love for soccer from the very first Playmakers class."

Photo by UEFA Playmakers

Nicole Morse, vice president of brand marketing and franchising for Disney in Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: “The Disney-inspired UEFA Playmakers program was such a brilliant collaboration that its extension for the next four years was not in doubt. It was great to see our strong female characters and stories like Moana and Frozen being such a force for good, inspiring families and children to be more active and sparking a love of soccer. The feedback from the girls, parents and coaches has been very positive and we look forward to bringing new audiences to our stories, starting with our new Encanto story, which will be broadcast in 47 national associations across Europe."

Photo by UEFA Playmakers

Countries participating in the UEFA Playmakers programme

Seven countries participated in the initial pilot phase in February 2020: Austria, Belgium, Norway, Poland, Romania, Scotland and Serbia.

In less than four years, another 40 countries joined the program, including Ukraine

You can view the program's Facebook page by link.

Media attention

Media interested in learning more about the UEFA Playmakers program can visit www.uefa.com/playmakers.

In July 2023, Leeds Beckett University conducted a thorough study of the 31 UEFA national associations participating in the UEFA Playmakers programme. Data were obtained from 1 parents and 392 coaches.