The Ukrainian Football Association, in cooperation with European football associations and Ukrainian businesses, organized over 10 sports camps for children from frontline regions.

The tragic war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine has brought much sorrow to our country. Russian occupiers have seized numerous Ukrainian territories where they imposed a regime of terror and actual genocide of Ukrainians. Frontline areas are almost constantly under enemy shelling, which has already claimed many lives of our fellow citizens. And it is the children who suffer most in this difficult time, having encountered war at such a young age.

Photo by the press service of the UAF

The Ukrainian Association of Football, led by its president Andriy Shevchenko, aims to continuously support our children for a better future of Ukraine and Ukrainian football. That is why sports camps were organized in Zakarpattia, Germany, and Italy for boys and girls living closest to the zones of military conflict.

Photo by the press service of the UAF

This year, in more than 10 camps, 279 young football players from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, and Dnipro had the opportunity to recuperate, engage in active sports activities, and develop their football skills.

Photo by the press service of the UAF

“Currently, evacuation is taking place in Donetsk Oblast, and I am sincerely grateful to the leadership of the Ukrainian Football Association for the opportunity to send our children to camps. These are boys and girls from Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, Dobropillya, and Lyman. What they have experienced at such a young age is hard to imagine. Therefore, these days in camp were extremely important for them. I will never forget their excited faces upon arrival. Such trips will remain in the memories of our children for life. They are our future, and it's very important that they feel cared for even during wartime.” — noted Oleksandr Kosyevych, executive director of the GS "Football Association of Donetsk Oblast."

Photo by the press service of the UAF

Children also had a wide cultural and sports program. In particular, in Zakarpattia camps, there were organized trips to the "Carpathia" water park in Mukacheve, thermal waters in Kosino, sanatorium "Carpathians" in Truskavets, and Bezdosky Park in Uzhhorod.

Photo by the press service of the UAF

“After personally visiting the camp in Zakarpattia, I had the opportunity to meet our children and see their happy faces. A rich program was prepared for them: museum tours, visits to water parks, hikes in the forest, and participation in open football lessons. This is a wonderful initiative of the Ukrainian Football Association that has immense significance for children from frontline regions. This year we organized rest for three groups of children, and all of them were captivated. Both parents and children sincerely thanked for this opportunity. I believe that this initiative should be continued and developed.” — emphasized Viktor Mezheyko, head of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Football Association.

Photo by the press service of the UAF

In each camp, children trained daily on football fields with professional coaches. In their free time from classes, young football players participated in a large number of interesting events. This also included historical city tours, zoo visits, swimming pool visits, and watching matches of the 2024 European Championship.

A significant role in organizing sports camps abroad was played by cooperation between UAF and European football associations.

Photo by the press service of the UAF

Thanks to support from the German Football Association, 20 boys and 20 girls from Ukraine's frontline regions trained and rested in the Uwe Seeler football park in Malente. Football, excursions, and individual games — children's days were filled with various activities that kept them away from war horrors.

“I had the opportunity to meet parents and children who visited a sports camp organized by the Ukrainian Football Association. The children were captivated, while their parents expressed deep gratitude. Special thanks went to UAF President Andriy Shevchenko for making this large-scale project possible for children from Luhansk. For many of them, it was their first trip abroad, and conditions exceeded all expectations. Many of these children have experienced the loss of homes and unimaginable stress, so the camp became an important step on their path to psychological recovery. They felt care and support.” — noted Ihor Shopin, head of the Luhansk Oblast Football Association.

Photo by the press service of the UAF

Also, within the cooperation between UAF and the Italian Football Federation, 40 children and 10 coaches from Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, and Dnipro traveled to the famous Coverciano technical center in Florence, Italy. The stay at the educational-recreational camp in Florence lasted from July 5th to 15th. Children were expected to participate in football training and other activities. Coaches underwent qualification courses according to FIFA methodology.

“This series of projects was implemented in cooperation with the Ukrainian Football Association and directly with its leader Andriy Shevchenko. Thanks to them, our children from de-occupied territories, where constant shelling is ongoing, had the opportunity to travel for training and rest to Italy, France, Germany, and safer regions of Ukraine. There boys and girls who previously played football were able to improve their qualifications. They also traveled with adults — coaches who gained new experience and will implement it in our country.” — emphasized Oleg Synyegubov, head of the Kharkiv Oblast Football Association.

Photo by the press service of the UAF

Children's camps organized within cooperation between UAF and European football associations were aimed at developing young football players and supporting Ukrainian children from frontline territories. The fight for Ukraine's future is also daily care for our children.