As part of this year’s Girls’ Football Week, The FA has teamed up with Disney to inspire girls across the country to play the game and get active with the help of some iconic Disney characters.
The nationwide participation initiative will give girls, of all ability levels, the chance to play football with an added sprinkle of Disney magic and storytelling.
Sessions run by qualified coaches will take place across the country, using football resources created by The FA.
Disney-inspired drills will feature strong, determined and mould-breaking characters, who take their destiny into their own hands and follow their dreams, including Rapunzel from Disney’s Tangled, Moana from Disney’s Moana, and Judy Hopps from Disney’s Zootropolis.
The drills will feature in packs being distributed to schools, clubs and homes from Monday 9 April, aiming to inspire girls to try football and meet new friends.
Each Girls’ Football Week session will give players an introduction to the fundamentals of the game, help them build key social skills and offer fun, team-building exercises for girls aged 5-11 to get involved, get motivated and get active.
As well as getting the chance to play, girls who sign-up to take part will be provided with an official FA and Disney participation certificate and a 20 per cent discount voucher to use in Disney stores.
The FA is encouraging clubs and organisers to register their own Disney-themed sessions during the week for which they will be provided with a range of Disney-inspired drills, illustrated FA and Disney branded imagery, online promotional tools and guidelines.
To launch the week, Disney and The FA brought to life the stories of three aspiring players from Coalville Town Football Club in a short film, showing how they have taken inspiration on the pitch from the bold and adventurous Disney characters:
Anna Hill, chief marketing officer for Disney UK and Ireland, said: “Using Disney’s storytelling and characters, we can help The FA attract new audiences to Girls’ Football Week and showcase that there are opportunities for girls of all ages and experience to take part.
“This is another great example of Disney’s healthy living commitment in action, where we use Disney’s characters to encourage families and children to be more active together, and empower girls and build their self-confidence.”
Kelly Simmons, FA participation and development director, added: “We are thrilled to be working with Disney for this year’s Girls’ Football Week.
“The combination of our football sessions with some Disney magic will help to make football a relevant and attractive offering for girls at this age and ensure every session is inspirational and fun.”
Meanwhile, England’s Lionesses were given a special surprise during their recent SheBelieves tour.
As part of the ongoing partnership between The FA and Disney, while in Orlando the team were treated to a trip to Walt Disney World. The Lionesses had the chance to explore the Magic Kingdom, enjoy the attractions and meet some of their favourite characters, Minnie Mouse and Rapunzel.
Girls’ Football Week, which will run from 23-29 April, is a key initiative in The FA’s Gameplan for Growth which aims to double participation of girls by 2020.
The week involved over 60,000 girls across 1,400 universities, colleges, clubs, and schools nationwide in 2017.
Players: To take part in Girls’ Football Week visit TheFA.com/GirlsFootballWeek
Organisers: To host an event for Girls’ Football Week visit FAGirlsFootballWeek.com
To share your Girls’ Football Week stories and to stay up-to-date with all the latest info, check out the Disney UK and The FA’s social media channels.
