Disney Cruise Line is deepening its commitment to making a real difference in the communities it calls home with a major expansion of The Play Project, a community-led initiative that’s bringing new energy to youth sports and play spaces across The Bahamas.
This next chapter delivers upgraded facilities to even more islands — now with new collaborators, including ESPN — with refurbished baseball fields, basketball courts, and track and field grounds in Eleuthera, Nassau and Abaco. The goal is to create more places for kids to be active, experience the joy of play and simply be kids.
Working alongside community leaders and nonprofit organizations, play spaces across The Bahamas have been transformed, creating more than 60,000 hours of play for over 800 children at nine schools in Eleuthera and Nassau, with future projects planned for Abaco.
Impact Two Years in the Making
The mission began when Disney Cruise Line opened Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point in 2024. Seeking to create vibrant spaces for Bahamian youth, Disney teamed up with the global nonprofits love.fútbol and Good Sports, as well as local residents to design essential play spaces.
In its inaugural year, efforts were focused on South and Central Eleuthera. Six primary schools — P.A. Gibson, Deep Creek, Tarpum Bay, Rock Sound, Wemyss Bight, and Green Castle — received revitalized play spaces. This undertaking in 2025 was fueled by the hands-on dedication of more than 230 Disney VoluntEARS, who worked alongside Bahamian officials, teachers, and students to create what has become a community-led success story.
This successful model in Eleuthera has served as a blueprint for growth, allowing the initiative to expand into Nassau and Abaco and continue its mission of bringing the magic of play to students across The Bahamas.
Partners and Possibilities
Disney Cruise Line tapped into the power of The Walt Disney Company to bring ESPN’s Take Back Sports initiative to help drive support for The Play Project. Take Back Sports is designed to get and keep youth playing sports through making sports more accessible for children across the country, creating opportunities for youth to play and keep playing.
“The Walt Disney Company and ESPN are working to make youth sports more accessible,” said Kevin Martinez, vice president of ESPN corporate citizenship. “We’re thrilled to support young athletes with resources so kids can take advantage of the many life skills that sports have to offer.”
Team Spirit and Homeruns in Eleuthera
The Play Project returned in Spring 2026 to where it all began back in 2024, revitalizing even more spaces in South and Central Eleuthera. Whether it’s resurfacing baseball fields at Tarpum Bay or installing new playgrounds at Emily G. Petty and Emma E. Cooper schools, the goal remains the same: creating a lasting legacy of play.
“Disney Cruise Line continues to show its commitment to communities in Central and South Eleuthera with the expansion of the Play Project initiative,” said Hon. Clay Sweeting, Minister of Works and Family Island Affairs and Member of Parliament for Central and South Eleuthera. “Programs and corporate engagement like this are an important part of the incredible economic development Eleuthera is now experiencing.”
The Play Project Expands to Nassau
Disney Cruise Line collaborated in the Summer of 2026 with ESPN’s Take Back Sports, The Buddy Hield Foundation, love.fútbol, and Good Sports for a total revitalization of the courtyard at Woodcock Primary School. The space was transformed into a joyful place of play that celebrates local pride and inspiration with new basketball rims, a repaved court and vibrant mural painted by local Bahamian artist Angelika Wallace-Whitfield.
“Every child deserves a welcoming environment to play, and this courtyard at Woodcock Primary School is built for exactly that,” said Rena Langley, senior vice president of Communications and Public Affairs for Disney Signature Experiences, which includes Disney Cruise Line. “The Play Project helps create opportunities for children to connect, build confidence and simply enjoy being kids. Disney Cruise Line is proud to celebrate this milestone with the Nassau community and our partners across The Bahamas.”
The unveiling of the court included a ceremony and sports clinics for students hosted by The Buddy Hield Foundation and Team Bahamas. To infuse the space with local pride and inspiration, the courtyard includes new basketball rims and volleyball poles, a repaved court and a vibrant mural painted by local Bahamian artist Angelika Wallace-Whitfield.
“Growing up in The Bahamas, I know firsthand how a positive place to play can change a kid’s life. Hosting today’s basketball skills camp is all about passing that gift forward,” said NBA player Buddy Hield, founder of The Buddy Hield Foundation. “The Buddy Hield Foundation is thrilled to team up with Disney Cruise Line and our collaborators on The Play Project here in Nassau, bringing world-class athletic experiences directly to these kids, showing them that their dreams matter and their community is fully behind them.”
Looking Toward a Bright Future
The momentum doesn’t stop in Eleuthera. Disney Cruise Line and international nonprofits love.fútbol and Good Sports are leading community “build days” in Abaco and Nassau this summer. In fact, The Play Project has begun expanding to the Sandy Point community in Abaco.
“We see play as a powerful platform for creating lasting impact for children and the places they call home,” said Manoel Silva, chief operating officer of love.fútbol.
In collaboration with nonprofit organizations and local leaders, the community in Abaco gathered August 10 to celebrate the groundbreaking of a future recreation space designed to inspire young people through the joy of play.
Castaway Cay cast members teamed up to lead youth sports clinics and arts and crafts, engaging local students in an afternoon of teamwork, skills building, and play.
The community event included a ceremony, back-to-school supplies distribution, arts and crafts, and youth basketball clinics hosted by Disney Cruise Line and nonprofit organizations. The celebration concluded with a Junkanoo Performance from the Marsh Harbour team.
Renovations at Sandy Point Community Park will include resurfaced basketball and volleyball courts, new bleachers and fencing, upgraded player and officials’ areas, and facility improvements that will enhance the experience for youth and families for years to come.
