Project coordinators Yevgeniy Stolitenko and Olga Vladimirova held an initial meeting with representatives of regional football associations and coaches who had already participated in the project, updating all organizational conditions for participation, and introduced a new program section called "Encanto."

Photo by the UAF press service

Following this, an educational webinar was conducted with new project coaches, presenting the program in Ukraine and discussing three main thematic blocks: "Who are we training?", "Why are we training them?" and "How do we train them?".

Participants familiarized themselves with the structure and plans for classes, resources and learning environment of UEFA Playmakers, examined methods of teaching basic movement skills, life skills and values, fundamentals of football for younger girls. The instructors discussed the method of play and storytelling, safety of girls in football, role of a coach.

The next step will be to hand over equipment for launching work at 30 UEFA Playmakers centers across 16 regions of Ukraine — this is 60 football sections for 900 youngest girls.

Photo by the UAF press service

We remind you that the UEFA Playmakers program in Ukraine has the following goals:

— introducing girls to football through creating an environment for them where fun, friends and football are at the center;

— implementing a new individual coaching approach that uses imagination (inspired by Disney stories and characters) as a tool for training and acquiring football skills;

— improving physical literacy of girls and encouraging lifelong interest in football;

— providing psychosocial support to young girls during wartime.