This initiative is part of UAF’s Sustainable Development Strategy, supported by UEFA's Football and Refugees grant.

The project aims to enhance the knowledge, skills, and qualifications of IDP coaches working with youth and amateur teams, as well as those aspiring to become coaches. Completing the course successfully also expands career opportunities for participants by improving their access to the job market.

Photo by UAF press service

“This is an excellent and much-needed project. Coaches need to develop their skills, and in today's circumstances, it’s incredibly challenging. The UAF has done a great job bringing all these coaches together. Everyone prepared well and performed admirably. There was even one coach who is already ready for a higher category than the UEFA C License,” noted Oleksandr Shamych, head of the Physical Education and Sports Department at Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture and a doctor of psychological sciences.

Photo by UAF press service

The coaches were congratulated and awarded their licenses by UAF First Vice President Pavlo Boichuk, UAF Licensing Center Director Valeriy Shamardin, Oleksandr Shamych, former Dynamo Kyiv player and Ukraine youth teams' coach Oleksandr Holovko, and UAF Sports and Technical Department Director Vyacheslav Darahan.

Photo by UAF press service

This is the second project supporting internally displaced coaches. In 2023, a similar initiative was implemented in partnership with the UN Refugee Agency. During that project, 32 male and seven female coaches successfully completed the program and received licenses.

One participant, Yuriy Khrystoforov, originally from Velyka Novosilka in the Donetsk Oblast, shared his journey into coaching:

Photo by UAF press service

“I’ve loved football since childhood. For people who have left their homes and lost their jobs and so much more, this program offers a chance to find a new profession, secure employment, and adapt to life in new surroundings. With the education and experience gained here, you feel more confident and prepared for new opportunities.”

Photo by UAF press service

Next year, supported by the UEFA Football and Refugees grant, UAF plans to launch a new project aimed at improving the mental and physical well-being of internally displaced children and those affected by the war. The project will also focus on engaging girls in football.