UEFA "Playmakers" program extended until 2027

2023-11-08 21:07

73 thousand girls from Europe became part of the UEFA "Playmakers" program since 2020, with 3224 Lithuanians joining this group. Soon this number of participants will grow even larger, as the successful initiative has been extended for another four years.

"We play using our imagination. We play to become stronger. We play by telling stories" - these slogans attracted the attention of football fans in Lithuania and inspired even more girls to enjoy football through the "Playmakers" project.

The Lithuanian Football Federation invites girls to participate in the renewed "Playmakers" project, aimed at involving 5-8 year old girls in football, using "Disney" hero stories and adventures.

Project innovations: the opportunity to become a "Playmakers" center and updated session content

The new season will start in the spring of 2024. "Playmakers" sessions in Lithuania will take place in 30 centers, each of which will include 30 girls. Girls' registration will take place shortly after the new year, so we invite you to follow further "Playmakers" news, where contact information will be shared.

Each educational institution that wants to become a "Playmakers" center must submit an application on the futbolotreniruotes.lt platform, at this link.

In Lithuania, the "Playmakers" program coordinators for the new season will be Guostė Jonikaitė, Tatjana Veržbickaja, and Gabrielė Šleinytė. They will be responsible for the proper implementation of the program, assisting organizations conducting sessions, organizing training, conducting visits, and performing other project-related functions.

There will be no shortage of innovations in the program content itself. The "Playmakers" session process is based on the stories of "Disney" movie heroes like "Frozen 2", "Incredibles 2", "Moana", and will be complemented from next year by the movie "Encanto". New booklets in Lithuanian with tasks are currently being prepared for all project participants.

Impact of the first years of the "Playmakers" project

"We are delighted that this project has been extended, as in the two years we have seen the significant value it creates for girls' football and children's activity in general. Educators leading the sessions reported that a significant number of girls in kindergartens became much more active, some found it easier to socialize and make friends, and about 400 girls joined football teams, where they still train today.

The organizing centers did a great job engaging young athletes in football games, but what was missing and what we expect in the new UEFA "Playmakers" season is greater interest from our football clubs, their attention and support to the centers, and the opportunities for small Elsas and Moanas to continue their football journey," shared Greta Valikonienė, who oversees the project in Lithuania.

"We are truly excited that the UEFA "Playmakers" project and our partnership with "Disney" will continue for another four years. The combination of physical activity and the magic of "Disney" movies has become a winning formula for involving girls in football, encouraging parents to get involved in activities, and giving every girl the opportunity to experience the joy of football. I hope to see the development of professional players in the future, whose love for football started from the very first "Playmakers" sessions," said Nadine Kessler, UEFA's women's football director.

Results of the "Playmakers" program in Europe

Since 2020, "Playmakers" has involved 47 European countries, with about 3800 centers operating. These centers attracted about 73 thousand girls to football sessions, with activities conducted by over 5200 individuals.

A study by Lids Beket from the University of Bedfordshire (United Kingdom), which analyzed the received questionnaires, found positive results of the program:

• 96% of girls said they enjoyed the sessions;
• 94% of participating girls' parents recommended these sessions to other parents;
• 91% of girls wanted to continue playing football after the "Playmakers" program;
• 75.3% of parents felt more confident that their daughters would play football regularly after the program;
• 71% of coaches said they became better specialists working in the UEFA "Playmakers" project;
• 68% of female coaches did not have coaching experience before the UEFA "Playmakers" project;
• 63% of educational coaches were women.