The UEFA PLAYMAKERS project cycle for this year has been successfully implemented in Zhytomyr. The project is being carried out by the Ukrainian Football Association and the Zhytomyr Oblast Football Association. The Lyceum No. 28 participated, and the training sessions were conducted by coaches Kateryna Markova and Larisa Shevchenko.

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"I am very pleased with the program, which gives girls the opportunity to develop their imagination and acquire basic football skills. It is important that there are projects like this that motivate children and show them that football can be played by both boys and girls. Perhaps in the near future, girls who go through this program in Zhytomyr will play for some of Ukraine's best women’s clubs," noted Kateryna Markova. "After the start of the full-scale invasion, the program became a very useful tool to stabilize the emotional state of the children. The game and joy from it help them feel connected, close, and supported."

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The project involved first-grade students. We have a lot of emotions from the children and positive feedback from parents. UEFA PLAYMAKERS is not just about physical education, it's a combination of creativity and imagination development that comprehensively develops each child."

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"I would like to highlight the work of Kateryna Markova, who worked as a coach for this project and recently completed teacher training courses with the 'Football' module D-diploma from the UAF. She is a very initiative person who loves her profession and children. We sincerely thank Kateryna for her efforts," shared Ruslan Mayevskyi, Executive Director of the Zhytomyr Oblast Football Association.

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Goals of the UEFA PLAYMAKERS program, which is implemented by the Ukrainian Football Association:

• to introduce girls to football by creating an environment where fun, friends, and football are at the center;
• to implement a new individual coaching approach that uses imagination (inspired by Disney stories and characters) as a tool for training and acquiring football skills;
• to refine girls' life skills, basic movement skills, and teach them the basics of football to foster a lifelong love of the sport.