"Open football lessons" came to Poltava Oblast

12.10.2023 09:00

Photo by AFP

The Ukrainian Football Association and the Poltava Oblast Football Association, with the support of UEFA and in agreement with the regional military administration, are implementing the social project "Open Football Lessons".

The events aimed at providing psychological support to children in war conditions and helping displaced children to get used to and make friends took place on the basis of the Poltava Lyceum named after A. Makarenko.

Photo by AFP

Director of the institution Valery Shulga addressed the participants and spectators of the football festival with words of congratulations. Physical education teacher Dmytro Fomenko introduced the students to the plan for the sports holiday. A cheerful physical education minute from the members of the board of student self-government and the performance of multiple winners of regional cheerleading tournaments - pupils of the choreographic group "Stimul" - gave the lyceum students a special mood and a strong desire to show their dexterity, tenacity, perseverance and ability to work in a team.

Photo by AFP

These qualities were fully demonstrated by 72 children at six separate locations: they practiced mine safety by dribbling the ball, scored it into an "unmined" goal, including after overcoming a barrier, performed jumps on a coordination ladder, pulled a rope, played in football in 6x6 teams and created a game parachute. 12 high school volunteers provided significant assistance to athletes on this difficult route.

All participants of the event received T-shirts with the logo of the football festival. A pleasant bonus for the institution was also sports equipment from the UAF and AFP, which will remain for further needs and use during physical education lessons and other mass sports events.

Photo by AFP

The leader of local volunteers, Dmytro Fomenko, noted: "The Open Football Lessons project is about the joy of the game instead of the result at any cost, the education of a healthy lifestyle, the development of volunteerism and an active life position of young people, and the deepening of knowledge about security in conditions of war.

Implementation of the "Open Football Lessons" project was made possible thanks to the resilience and dedication of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. We thank our defenders for the opportunity to study, develop, and implement their plans. We will always remember those who gave their lives so that the sky above Ukraine would become peaceful, so that we could rejoice in each new day.

Sincere thanks to the Ukrainian Football Association and the Poltava Oblast Football Association and personally to its executive director Viktor Pozhechevsky for the opportunity to participate in the implementation of an interesting and useful project."

The project of the Ukrainian Football Association "Open Fun Football Schools" (Open Fun Football Schools) with the support of UEFA is:

• psychosocial support for children of armed forces, children of IDPs, children affected by war;
• association and friendship of IDP children with local children, social integration;
• inclusive environment, participants regardless of ability level, gender, as well as the participation of children with special educational needs;
• knowledge of security in conditions of war;
• the philosophy of mass football — the joy of the game instead of the result at any cost;
• education of a healthy lifestyle;
• development of volunteerism;
• activation of local communities through cross-sectoral networks (teachers, trainers, psychologists, security specialists, parents, youth leaders, local authorities, patrons, etc.).

All project activities are carried out in the regions in agreement with the regional military administrations.