The Association of Amateur Football in Ukraine, in cooperation with the Ukrainian Football Association and the organization Spirit of Soccer, has launched a hybrid coaching course project under the C-license program of the UAF, which for the first time included an EORE module (training on explosive ordnance risk).

The international investment project is planned to last three years and is being implemented with support from the US State Department.

Photo courtesy of UAF

The first training module took place from September 3 to 9 at the football club "Left Bank" for 30 participants from three regions of Ukraine — Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Chernivtsi. For the second year of program implementation, the number of involved regions is planned to be increased to six.

The final day of the project took place in Irpin at the "Champion" stadium, which was damaged during the occupation of Kyiv Oblast. Thanks to a festival organized by course attendees, children from Bucha and Irpin received knowledge about explosive ordnance that could be present in Kyiv Oblast through football.

Photo courtesy of UAF

The key goal of the project is to increase civil security levels in war-affected regions of Ukraine by training football coaches on EORE, establish rules for handling explosive ordnance, and introduce skills for providing initial psychological support to children and other civilians at risk.

Photo courtesy of UAF

The strategy for implementing the program includes the following components:

— preparing Ukrainian football coaches according to the national diploma C standard of the UAF. It is expected that 60 coaches (40% of whom are women) will receive qualifications as football coaches with EORE and injury risk elements within two years of project implementation;

— preventing accidents involving unexploded ordnance, training on which will reach approximately 40,000 children in Ukraine;

— disseminating EORE rules to nearly 250,000 at-risk children through printed educational materials and by engaging well-known football stars on social media;

— spreading digital content (videos, animations, graphic illustrations) with EORE messages and for raising awareness about the rights of survivors and people with disabilities to reduce discrimination and promote social integration.

Photo courtesy of UAF

“After the experience of implementing EORE programs in Bosnia and Kosovo, I never thought that I would have to reintroduce such a program in Europe to protect children from the consequences of using cassette bombs, anti-personnel mines, and other war-related risks. 

We recently successfully completed the first session of the coaching course for obtaining the UAF C-license, which for the first time includes EORE components. It will be difficult to select teams for further project implementation as each of the 30 participants showed themselves impressively,” — summarized the training founder of Spirit of Soccer Scott Lee.

Photo courtesy of UAF

“On behalf of myself and the Association of Amateur Football, I would like to thank our international partners — Spirit of Soccer organization and the US State Department for their help to our country and especially football in this difficult time,” — emphasized a member of the Executive Committee of the Association of Amateur Football in Ukraine and UEFA mass football commission Oleksandr Kadynko. “It is good that our coaches have an opportunity to receive free football education, improve their qualifications and awareness about handling explosive ordnance. It is important that coaches will be able to pass on this valuable experience to their colleagues and young football players. Saving children's lives justifies implementing such projects further.”

The next stage of the course will be an evaluation session, which will take place from October 19 to 22 and will include training on providing first aid.