On May 20 at the Central Stadium in Cherkasy, an expanded meeting on the development of children's and youth football was held by the Cherkasy Oblast Football Association (ЧОАФ) together with the head of the department for the development of children's and youth football at the Ukrainian Football Federation (УАФ), Bogdan Hordiuk, the head of the Committee on Players' Status and Transfers at УАФ, Yevheniya Yershova, and the head of the Information and Analytical Department at УАФ, Valeriy Bahur.

Photo by ЧОАФ

During the event, representatives of УАФ outlined key directions for reforming children's and youth football, including:

- introducing uniform standards for preparing young football players in line with international requirements;

- expanding cooperation between schools, communities, and football clubs to involve as many children as possible in the sport;

- digitalizing record keeping and monitoring of training processes using the information-analytical platform of УАФ.

Bogdan Hordiuk emphasized in his speech the importance of supporting local initiatives and forming a comprehensive vertical for football development from grassroots to professional levels. Yevheniya Yershova detailed legal aspects regarding the status and transfers of young players, stressing the need for transparency and adherence to athletes' rights. Valeriy Bahur presented new analytical tools that will allow objective evaluation of the effectiveness of work at children's sports schools.

Photo by ЧОАФ

Coaches also had an opportunity to ask questions and received detailed answers.

In conclusion, the sides agreed on further cooperation, conducting training seminars for coaches and managers of sports schools, as well as working on regional programs for developing children's football.