LOS ANGELES — Disney Jr. and ESPN are joining forces again to make it easier for young children to experience the fun of youth sports.
The collaboration brings together ESPN’s Take Back Sports initiative and Disney Jr.’s Let’s Play! campaign for a second year, continuing Disney’s broader push to encourage active play among preschoolers and kindergarteners.
Once again, the effort will work with the nonprofit Every Kid Sports to offer grants for income-restricted families, helping cover youth sports registration fees for children ages 3 to 7.
Families who meet the eligibility requirements can register here.
In its first year, the program reached more than 1,200 families. According to organizers, half of those families said the grant made it possible for their child to participate in a sport for the first time.
The campaign also hosted a free Let’s Play! Sports clinic in East Los Angeles last fall, where more than 70 preschoolers and kindergarteners had the chance to take part.
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This year’s rollout will broaden that reach with free preschool sports clinics planned in select communities, including Oakland, Chicago, Fresno, Los Angeles and Philadelphia.
The partnership is also extending to the screen with “Me & Mickey: Let’s Play Sports,” a series of 10 shorts featuring Mickey, Minnie and their friends as they introduce children to basic sports skills, from kicking a soccer ball to playing catch.
“Me & Mickey: Let’s Play Sports” debuts June 29 on Disney Jr. and Disney+.
Head of Disney Jr. Original Programming and Strategy, Alyssa Sapire, discussed Disney Jr.’s focus on incorporating these skills into storytelling.
“We work closely with consultants and experts from multiple organizations to help integrate these positive life skills into our Disney Jr. Content,” she said. “We can’t wait for kids to learn the joy of playing sports through watching Mickey and the gang.”
The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of Disney+, Disney Jr. and this ABC station.
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