The FAI’s innovative Primary Playbook course has taken a significant step forward this summer, expanding to six locations nationwide following a successful pilot last year.

The course is designed to empower primary school teachers with the skills and ideas to use football as a medium for education and physical activity.

The five-day summer sessions were held in West Cork, Cork City, Donegal, Co. Longford, Carlow, and Co. Tipperary, bringing together more than 60 teachers. They explored how football can enhance classroom learning and support broader development goals, both within and outside the classroom.

The programme now forms a central part of the FAI’s Education & Development Strategy 2025-2030, launched in April. It aims to integrate football into the heart of primary education, supporting physical literacy, social inclusion, and cross-curricular learning through sport.

FAI Football Development Officer Raff Cretaro, who led the course in Aughnacliffe, Co. Longford, said the sessions had been both practical and inspiring. “As our new strategy says: ‘where there’s football there’s education, and where there’s education there’s football,’ and I think the two marry together very well.”

“The course has shown this can work and be brought into the classroom and out into the yard,” he explained. “The teachers were looking to be shown how to practically implement football in school to elevate children’s learning and increase participation, and the feedback has been positive about this.”

That feedback included strong endorsements from the participants themselves. Caitríona Lynch, a teacher at Sacred Heart Primary School in Granard, Co. Longford, said the course offered simple but powerful tools. ”

“We learned a lot of ideas we can bring back to the classroom,” she said. “We looked at things like European tournaments and how you can bring those countries into learning, and then take that into the yard and play soccer.”

“Football is a universal language, and we’ve had people from different countries come into our school, but all of them know the language of football. It brings everyone together.”

Niall O’Regan, the FAI’s Head of Education & Development, said the national roll-out represents a significant step forward for football in schools.

“I am delighted to see the growth in the delivery of our teacher training summer courses, with the programme evolving from the pilot in 2024 to six training centres in 2025 and more than 60 teachers completing the five-day training,” he said.

“The programme has been really well received by the teachers who have completed it, as it provides them with the tools needed to use the medium of football in the classroom.”

“It promotes physical education and also acts as a wider way to implement wellness, inclusivity, and maximise participation through the multiple roles and responsibilities in our game.”

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