ESPN and Disney Jr. Expand Youth-Sports Access as 'Me & Mickey: Let's Play Sports' Debuts June 29

ESPN and Disney Jr. are renewing their youth-sports initiative with national nonprofit Every Kid Sports for a second year, funding registration-fee grants for income-restricted families with kids ages 3-7 and adding preschool clinics in new markets. The campaign also brings a new 10-short collection, "Me & Mickey: Let's Play Sports," debuting June 29 on Disney+ and Disney Jr.

ESPN and Disney Jr. are teaming up for a second year to widen access to youth sports for preschoolers, pairing grant funding for income-restricted families with a brand-new animated shorts collection. The centerpiece on screen is "Me & Mickey: Let's Play Sports," a 10-short lineup that debuts Monday, June 29, on Disney+ and Disney Jr.

A Second Year for the Preschool Sports Push

The collaboration extends a partnership the two Disney brands launched a year ago, framed around ESPN's "Take Back Sports" effort and the "Disney Jr. Let's Play!" campaign. Both lean on the same core idea: that getting kids moving early builds confidence, teamwork, and a lasting habit of active play. For year two, ESPN and Disney Jr. are once again working with national nonprofit Every Kid Sports to provide grants that help income-restricted families cover the cost of youth-sports registration fees for children ages 3 to 7.

That age band is deliberate. Registration fees are one of the earliest and most common barriers families hit when they want to sign a young child up for a first team or class, and the program is designed to remove that hurdle at the exact moment a child is most likely to fall in love with sports.

What Year One Delivered

The first year produced concrete numbers rather than vague goodwill. More than 1,200 families across eight U.S. cities received grants supporting access to 22 different sports — and notably, 50% of participating families said it was their child's first time playing a sport at all. The program also ran its first free Let's Play Sports Clinic in East Los Angeles last fall, where more than 70 preschoolers and kindergarteners took part in a hands-on introduction to organized play.

Those results are the kind of proof point that tends to drive expansion, and that is exactly what is happening in year two.

Expanding to New Markets in Year Two

This year the program is growing its in-person footprint with preschool sports clinics in additional select markets, including Oakland, Chicago, Fresno, the LA–Inland Empire, and Philadelphia, among others. The clinics are built to introduce young children to multiple sports in a low-pressure, playful setting while connecting families directly to youth-sports resources in their own communities.

On the grant side, registrations are open now for qualifying families and will be fulfilled through the fall 2026 Every Kid Sports Pass. Eligible families span a broad slate of metro areas — including Los Angeles, Fresno, San Francisco, Houston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Raleigh-Durham, and New York — with details available at everykidsports.org/letsplaysports. A new public-service announcement for this year's campaign is narrated by ESPN senior writer and college football insider Heather Dinich.

Mickey and the Gang Hit the Field

The initiative does not live only in clinics and grant paperwork — it also shows up on screen. "Me & Mickey: Let's Play Sports," a collaboration between Disney Jr., ESPN, and the Positive Coaching Alliance, debuts Monday, June 29, on Disney+, Disney Jr. (at 6:25 a.m. EDT/PDT), and Disney Jr. On Demand.

An extension of the popular Me & Mickey vlog series, the new collection runs 10 shorts featuring Mickey, Minnie, and the rest of the gang laughing, playing, and working together as a team. The shorts introduce kids to preschool-friendly fundamentals like kicking a soccer ball and playing catch — sports skills broken down into bite-size, joyful moments that match how very young children actually learn.

What the Partners Are Saying

"Play is such an important part of every child's development, and we work closely with consultants and experts from multiple organizations to help integrate these positive life skills into our Disney Jr. content. We are thankful for our ongoing collaboration with ESPN and all of the other experts that have advised on the Disney Jr. Let's Play! campaign and our brand-new 'Me & Mickey: Let's Play Sports' shorts. We can't wait for kids to learn the joy of playing sports through watching Mickey and the gang." — Alyssa Sapire, head of Disney Jr. Original Programming and Strategy

ESPN framed the renewal as an extension of its belief in sports as a developmental tool for the youngest players.

"ESPN is proud to partner with Disney Jr. for a second year to create more opportunities for preschoolers to get out and play sports. At ESPN, we believe sports can make a meaningful difference for kids from an early age, helping build confidence, teamwork and sportsmanship. By expanding access for young children and their families, we are proud to support the valuable life lessons and lasting benefits that come from playing sports." — Kevin Martinez, vice president of ESPN Corporate Citizenship

Every Kid Sports, the nonprofit fulfilling the grants, emphasized the emotional payoff for families.

"We're thrilled to team up with Disney Jr. and ESPN to bring the magic of play to preschoolers from income-restricted families. This collaboration is about more than sports — it's about joy, confidence and creating those first unforgettable moments that spark a lifelong love of being active and connected." — Eleana Fanaika, executive director of Every Kid Sports

Why This Matters for Fans and Families

For Disney households, the appeal is twofold. Parents of preschoolers get a genuinely useful entry point — grant funding that can erase a registration fee and a familiar set of characters modeling good sportsmanship at home — while the rest of the audience gets a fresh batch of Me & Mickey shorts to stream. The June 29 launch also lands right at the start of summer, when families are most likely to be hunting for activities to channel restless energy. Qualifying families who want in on the grants can register now through Every Kid Sports, with funding set to flow through the fall 2026 Every Kid Sports Pass.