Inspite of the challenges associated with the war, another annual cycle of meetings for young football enthusiasts and heroes from interesting, bright, and unforgettable Disney animated films such as «The Incredibles 2», «Frozen 2», «Raya and the Last Dragon», and «Encanto» was completed in Synelnykove.

The UEFA PLAYMAKERS program, which helps young football beginners meet Disney characters here, is implemented by coaches Andriy Strelchenko and Xenia Balyuk.

Photo DOAF

“Thanks to storytelling conversations between coaches, girls, and volunteers, an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust was formed. This helped young football fans not only take their first steps in football but also learn from Disney characters how to seek ways of mutual support both on the pitch and off it. The girls are learning to be leaders and support those who need it. Communication during and after training sessions united the girls and fostered a sense of importance of being part of a team, while each participant remained an individual. All skills acquired through training in football, as well as finding solutions both collectively and individually in non-standard situations, along with seeking opportunities to express their own character traits, greatly help the girls achieve goals not only in football but also in life”, — noted Andriy Strelchenko.

Photo DOAF

“After my daughter started participating in the program, she became more adapted to life situations, her communication with peers and older people improved. Her sense of responsibility for her actions increased. The concept of equality between rights and obligations in coexistence among people emerged.”, — shared Oksana T., mother of one of the participants.

The program coaches thank the project curators from the Dnipropetrovsk Football Association, Yaroslav Derevyankin and Roman Proshchenko, for their help in organizational and some material matters (additional equipment was provided to expand the geographic scope of the project and conduct unplanned sessions).

Photo DOAF

“The choice of location for the UEFA PLAYMAKERS project in Dnipropetrovsk was correct, as Synelnykivschyna is currently one of the centers of girls' and women's football in the region. The UEFA PLAYMAKERS team in Dnipropetrovsk continues to work on developing girls' football and prepares for a new season of the project.”, — summarized Yaroslav Derevyankin, Executive Director of AFD.

Coach Xenia Balyuk is especially grateful to the program. During her first three-year cycle in the project, she decided to become a professional coach and started studying for an S-diploma, and later successfully passed the exam and received a license under the close supervision of the project curators.

This demonstrates yet another useful and important aspect of the UEFA PLAYMAKERS project — not only for girls but also for coaches. The involvement of female coaches in the project encourages them to develop and improve both personal and professional qualities.

Photo DOAF

“By joining the UEFA PLAYMAKERS project, I got acquainted with an incredibly eventful and interesting sport — football. Discovering girls' football was even more fascinating and unusual, which changed my life. Thanks to the project, I added women's football to my main specialty (track and field). I really enjoyed working with the girls, teaching them football. And thanks to the project, I first became an assistant coach in a local team, then had the opportunity to obtain an S-license from UEFA and UAF.

Later, I was able to participate in an international program for coaching qualification improvement and travel to Romania for training, where Ukrainian and Romanian women's team coaches gathered to learn more about the nuances of girls' football. UEFA PLAYMAKERS is a wonderful starting platform not only for girls but also for us — beginner coaches.”, — noted Xenia Balyuk.

Photo DOAF

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

• to introduce girls to football in 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 the basics of football to foster lifelong interest in the sport.