Favourite movie superheroes are to feature in a new program to encourage young girls to play more football.
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI), UEFA, and Disney have launched the Playmakers program, which uses storytelling to introduce basic football skills. Harold's Cross Football Club in Dublin is one of the 30 clubs around the country that has just started the program.
Coach and committee member at the club Kathleen Healy explained to RTÉ's News at One that the club is piloting the program, which aims to get girls aged five to eight, without any previous experience in football, introduced to the game.
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She says it is very different to traditional types of football training and academies.
The idea is that they use the Disney movie 'Incredibles 2’, which a lot of the girls would be familiar with and know the characters and the story, and through storytelling we introduce different concepts, she said.
"We give them kind of confidence in movements. We get them to move. We encourage creative thinking and communicate and work as part of a team.
"Then we also introduce football skills as well. So the idea is really just to have a lot of fun, to get them moving, to get them working as a team, and then get them interested in football skills as well."
Ms Healy says it has been a particular challenge to get girls involved in football.
She says the academies are good in terms of recruiting girls.
"But I think those who aren't necessarily just wanting to show up on the pitch and focus on the ball skills, this is a really great way to introduce them into the ball skills, but through maybe the magic of storytelling, which is a bit more focused on movement and getting those basics right before we introduce the football", she said.
She agrees that having role models, whether it's in football or any other sport, enjoying successful careers is extremely important for young girls.
The Disney Playmakers program is run by women, some with a football background, some with drama experience.
"You only do what you see".
"It's important that they have fun. This should be enjoyable.
"Especially at this age and stage", it really is about fun and getting confidence and kind of developing the basic skills, she adds.
"It really is about fun and getting them engaged and we will see that translate into them participation in the academy. And they have a bit of confidence when they're going into the academy.
Ms Healy says that the club’s vision is "football for everyone".
But they wanted to focus on girls and not just recruiting new girls into the club, but ensuring that they actively participate in the club, that they counter that natural drop-off that is seen that starts to creep in and around age nine or 10.
"And by the time girls get to the age of 14 they're dropping out of sport at two times, the rate of boys.
"And so definitely we want to recruit new girls into the club, but want to make sure that they actively participate as well throughout the years", she said.
