A school football development event took place in Zaporizhzhia, dedicated to the growth of school football and the qualification improvement of coaches who work daily with children in communities across the region.

During the meeting, First Vice President of the UAF Artem Stoyanov, head of the ZOAF Mykola Belyi, and head of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast State Administration Ivan Fedorov presented the results of the first stage of an innovative regional project called "Football Sounds Louder Than Lilies."

Photo by ZOAF

The project is the first comprehensive model for developing school football in Ukraine and covers five key areas that form a holistic educational-sports ecosystem. This includes:

— infrastructure: 16 modern sports fields are being built in communities across the region;

— staff training: 37 teachers completed a UAF program and received coaching qualifications;

— opening sections: 40 football sections were launched in schools, including near shelters and in safe zones;

— material support: coaches received basic equipment sets for quality training sessions;

— competitions: 110 school teams joined the "School Ball" tournament.

Photo by ZOAF

An important part of the event was the awarding of D-diplomas to teacher-coaches from the UAF. These professionals are already setting new standards for school football, providing children not only with sports skills but also support, stability, and opportunities to develop despite the challenges faced by the region.

By the end of the year, thanks to the project, systematic training will reach at least 750 children from Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

The Zaporizhzhia Oblast Football Association continues to invest in infrastructure and professional staff development. These components will determine the future level of school and mass football in the region.