The "Open Football Lessons" festival took place at the Central Ukrainian State University stadium named after V. Vinnichenko in Kropyvnytskyi within the framework of a project by the Ukrainian Football Association and the Kirovohrad Oblast Football Association.

Seventy-two schoolchildren aged 8 to 12 participated in the festival, including children of servicemen, children with special educational needs, and children from large families.

Photo by KOAF

Within the framework of the project, a youth football hub was created in Kropyvnytskyi, and with the support of local young leaders, various football events for children are organized based on this hub.

This time, boys and girls together with experienced physical education teachers from educational institutions conducted a sports celebration for future football stars.

Photo by KOAF

The festival was opened by the head of the Kirovohrad Oblast Football Association Viktor Bezsmertnyi, the chief of the youth and sports department of the Kirovohrad Oblast Military Administration Andriy Shchetina, the chief of the youth and sports department of the Kropyvnytskyi City Council Vyacheslav Gurskyi, rector of Central Ukrainian State University named after V. Vinnichenko Yevgen Sobol, and the head of the oblast branch of the Committee for Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine Oleksandr Shevchenko.

Photo by KOAF

The moderator of the festival was the head of the local youth football hub and leader of the children's football club "Spartak," Oleksiy Kovalenko.

After the end of the festival, all participants received gifts from organizers and partners (certificates, t-shirts, and baseball caps for the project), as well as local benefactors. Educational institutions in the city received balls and sports equipment necessary for conducting football classes.

Photo by KOAF

The "Open Football Lessons" project of the Ukrainian Football Association and oblast associations, supported by the New Democracy Foundation (NDF), the Cross-Cultural Projects Association (CCPA) from Denmark, and UEFA is:

• psychosocial support for children of military personnel, children with special educational needs, and those affected by war;
• unity and friendship among children of servicemen and local children, social integration;
• inclusive environment where participants are involved regardless of their abilities or gender, including the participation of children with special educational needs;
• safety knowledge in wartime conditions;
• philosophy of mass football - joy from playing rather than results at any cost;
• nurturing a healthy lifestyle;
• volunteer development;
• activating local communities through intersectoral networks (teachers, coaches, psychologists, security experts, parents, youth leaders, local authorities, benefactors, etc.).

All project events are held in regions with the approval of oblast military administrations.