The central stadium in the village of Gorodok is bustling and crowded. The football field is divided into six locations, each buzzing with activity. Children run around, dodge balls past obstacles, practice shooting accuracy and passing skills, and play football. A true hive of soccer activity.

All the children are participants in a large-scale nationwide project called "Open Football Festivals" by the Ukrainian Football Association. This time, the Gorodok village council gladly agreed to host the event under the coordination of the Rivne Oblast Football Association.

Photo by ROAF

The festival began with a ceremonial part. Addressing the audience were the head of the Rivne district administration, Yurii Kolos, the head of the Rivne Oblast Football Association, Oleh Kucher, his deputy Oleksandr Hilyi, and the head of education, culture, youth, and sports department at the Gorodok village council, Volodymyr Hrysyuk.

Before the start of the event, all participants and guests observed a moment of silence in memory of fallen defenders of Ukraine.

The festival brought together students from four schools: Gorodok, Karpyliv, Obaryv, and Bronytsia. The organizers deliberately formed groups so that children from different institutions could get to know each other and become friends.

"For us, this is our first such experience, and we are grateful for the trust. Children were divided into six groups, there were six locations - relay races, ball games, coordination exercises, police and psychological sessions. It was especially important that we involved students who rarely participated in sports competitions before. We did it deliberately because throughout the year, many competitions take place for schoolchildren. The event became a celebration of sport and friendship, as well as another step towards developing mass football among children in our community," – said volunteer organizer Andriy Shevchuk.

Photo by ROAF

The project we now know as "Open Football Festivals" started in Ukraine in 2010. Under different names, it has continued to this day and continues to gather school youth. These events are held twice a year – in spring and autumn. All equipment used is provided by the UAF and remains with the community.

"Such festivals have already become a good tradition in Ukraine. This time we visited the Gorodok community, which actively develops, especially in football. We saw excellent organization: the field was prepared, children arrived on time, local authorities were involved. Everything is at a high level. It's pleasant that the equipment provided by the association remains with the community after the event," – said head of ROAF Oleh Kucher.

In addition to physical activities, students worked with police officers and psychologists from their communities.

"I was invited to the Open Football Festival to provide children with social and psychological support. We worked on how to deal with stress and anxiety because football is a team game, and not everything always goes as planned. Children learned breathing techniques, methods of calming down, and understanding that feeling anxious is normal. It's important for everyone to contribute to the team so that together we can achieve victory," – shared thoughts Kateryna Chaban, psychologist at the Gorodok territorial community's Center for Resilience.

For the Gorodok community, this is not their first large-scale sports event.

"It was very honorable to host the Open Football Festival in our community. We do a lot for children's development, and sport plays one of the most important roles in this process. We are convinced that during these difficult times for the country, we need to involve children as much as possible in various activities so they remain engaged – developing and having fun. I thank the Rivne Oblast Football Association for entrusting us with organizing this event. I believe we succeeded and everything was done at a high level because this is not our first large-scale event, so we have experience," – said Volodymyr Hrysyuk, head of education, culture, youth, and sports department at the Gorodok village council.

Photo by ROAF

The project does not end with one event but rather begins.

"After the festival, a group of 24 children is formed who will train throughout the autumn-winter period. In spring, there will be another festival where other children will participate. Overall, 24 training sessions take place in a year after which the project reports and concludes. Next year, the festival will be held in another community. This is primarily about promoting football and involving children in sports, including girls, as it's important to adhere to gender equality principles in developing football," – said Oleksandr Hilyi, coordinator of the nationwide "Open Football Festivals" project in Rivne Oblast.

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

• youth leadership in communities;
• psychosocial support for children of military servicemen, IDPs, and those affected by the war;
• unity and friendship among children of IDPs and local children, social integration;
• an inclusive environment where everyone participates, including children with special educational needs;
• knowledge about 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, security experts, parents, local authorities, patrons, etc.).