The UEFA PLAYMAKERS project center, implemented by the Ukrainian Football Association and the Odesa Regional Football Association, is successfully operating at the Artsyzsky Lyceum No. 5 and Vinogradivska Lyceum under the patronage of the Artsyz District Children's Sports School.

This year's cycle of classes was conducted by project coaches Vitaliy Migov and Oleksii Cherkes, who were assisted by volunteers.

"Thanks to this project, we conduct training sessions using the latest methods. The main goal is to create a unique environment for story-based trainings inspired by Disney movies, where football will be accessible to girls in a fun, positive and safe way."

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We started with recruitment. The girls attend the training sessions happily. We needed to expand access and opportunities for all girls to try football. We convinced parents that not only boys can play football, we talked about gender equality, explained the format of the classes. The girls tried it out — and since then they have been attending regularly. They always have fun and are interested.

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We assert: creating a girls' football team is possible! Thank you to the Ukrainian Football Association, UEFA PLAYMAKERS and the Odesa Regional Football Association. We are greatly thankful to our defenders for being able to conduct these classes!" — noted Vitaliy Migov.

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"I have a lot to say about such a game as football. This happened in the fall, when our coach (now I call him Coach with a capital letter) Vitaliy Migov offered children in first grade to play this game and attend UEFA PLAYMAKERS football project classes. My daughter came home with big happy eyes and asked: 'Mommy, can I do football?' I thought it was just for fun.

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But no, today thanks to our coach and she, as well as many other girls have reached a level in their age that they participated in tournaments in different cities. They are always somewhere traveling and traveling. For them this is life, the path to the future, and they like it! Anna says that she loves football very much, she likes the game, and she does not intend to quit. Our coach cares about young female athletes.

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Our children have won a lot, our Artsyz District Children's Sports School is known at least throughout the South of our homeland! I am grateful that in my Anna there is an important person besides her parents whom she trusts," — noted Diana Z., mother of young footballer Anna.

According to the coach, the girls are already participating in competitions. They became participants of all-Ukrainian football festivals WU-9 and WU-11 that took place in Odesa at the "Chornomorets" stadium. The children were captivated by the atmosphere of the football festival. And after the festival new girls came to training, they brought their friends and neighbors.

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

• to introduce girls to football by creating an environment where fun, friends and football are in focus;
• to implement a new individual coaching approach that uses imagination (inspired by Disney stories) 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 lifelong interest in football.