Within the framework of the Ukrainian Football Association's project "Open Football Festivals," nearly 100 volunteers from 18 regions of Ukraine underwent training in Kyiv under a donor program called "Restoration and Resilience Led by Youth in Ukraine."

The youth leadership program covered two seminars over the course of a week. The first to participate were representatives from Volyn, Zhytomyr, Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Rivne, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, and Chernivtsi regions. Following them, participants included representatives from Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Odesa, Poltava, Cherkasy, Chernihiv regions, and the city of Kyiv.

Photo by the UAF press service

The seminars were opened by the Technical Director of the UAF, Igor Dedishin, and the Head of Mass Sports Department at the Agency for Mass Sports in Ukraine, Stanislav Kovalenko.

The program was presented by Deputy Chief of the Amateur and Mass Football Division at the UAF, Yevgeniy Stolitenko, Deputy Director of the Institute of Content Modernization at the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, Galyna Komoyets, and top national experts — Olena Timoshenko, Tetiana Malychko, Lianna Kopilova, Vitaliy Titaryuk, Serhiy Chesheyko, Yuriy Lutsenko, and Oleksiy Lazarenko.

Photo by the UAF press service

Organizers from communities and youth leaders familiarized themselves with the concept and specifics of organizing the project, as well as the unique content of activities within it (regarding children's development and interaction, fun games, football games and technical exercises). Additionally, they received innovative materials on the psychological support component of the project, as well as safety and child protection in football, knowledge for minimizing risks from explosive hazards, mines, and emergency situations related to war.

Photo by the UAF press service

Key themes of all sessions were youth leadership programs, motivation for mass football participation, qualities of a good coach, importance of values, effective communication, and mental health support.

Seminar participants learned to analyze opportunities, assess resources and risks, communicate and work as young leaders, set SMART goals, and plan activities. Presentations from regions regarding the exchange of experiences in implementing mass children's football projects were also important.

Photo by the UAF press service

The sessions took place both in interactive seminar format and on practice fields at the Training Complex of the UAF for preparing youth and junior national teams.

After completing the seminars, volunteers received UEFA Mass Football Leaders certificates from Oleksandr Kadenko, a member of the UEFA Mass Football Commission and Executive Committee of the UAF.

Photo by the UAF press service

The Ukrainian Football Association's "Open Football Festivals" project is:

• youth leadership in communities;
• psychosocial support for children of military personnel, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and war-affected children;
• unity and friendship between IDP children and local children, social integration;
• an inclusive environment where everyone participates, including children with special educational needs;
• knowledge of safety in wartime conditions;
• the philosophy of mass football — joy from playing instead of results at any cost;
• cultivation of a healthy lifestyle;
• volunteer development;
• activation of local communities through cross-sector networks (youth leaders, teachers, coaches, psychologists, safety experts, parents, local authorities, benefactors, etc.).