Double debut
“Brownie”- the soccer team of OCF “Way Home” took part in social and sport event, of first national street soccer cup tournament of “Caritas” Foundation that was held in Kiev on May 20-21.
Over its history, the “Brownie” team visited a large number of various social and sport events in various parts of our country. “Brownie” team played in Ternopol, Donetsk, Kremenchug, Kiev and other cities of Ukraine and repeatedly was “the masters” of tournament that took place in Odessa. For “Brownie” the Visit to Kiev was the seventh in its long history, but it can be bravely named “a double debut”. The first thing – was that in the tournament was a completely new team, composed from students and friends of the Foundation. The second thing – was that the tournament became a debut for the promoters of Charitable Foundation “Caritas Kyiv.” Note that “Caritas Kiev” and “Way Home” have very cordial partnership that continues during long time – far back in the past 2008 “Caritas” has become one of the main partners of first soccer project for children and adolescents in from crisis situations that was implemented by “Way Home” Foundation, supported by “UNICEF Ukraine.”
In the debuted cup of “Caritas”, football teams from Khmelnitsky, Lviv, Coloma, Odessa and Kiev took part in soccer games. All teams, who gathered for the tournament, were formed from children and adolescents – boys and girls who are in difficult life circumstances.The promoters of the organized event, planned in such way that all teams would play with each other, that children would have the ability to “taste” the reality of football game (because sometimes the situation forces to go far just for one game, and it doesn’t allow to plunge into the game). “Brownie” held four play-offs in the tournament and during all four play-off Odessa lost, but, first of all, didn’t lose disadvantageously, and secondly managed to show their own nature, and even a good level of soccer techniques. Yes, it is possible to find thousand reasons to justify the result – uncomplete soccer team arrived to the game – (special thanks to Kiev team that added to Odessa team – three players), “Brownie” team was the youngest among all of other players, the techniques were too unprepared including some key moments. But all this is not important. Soccer project “Red card for children neglect” in “Way Home”, exists according to enough popular Olympic slogan: “Most important is participation and not the victory”. For Way Home Foundation, soccer is first of all a tool of social rehabilitation and adaptation of children and adolescents that are in difficult life circumstances. The fact that children visit training lessons – is already a victory. They chose sport exercises during which a healthy way of life is formed, as same as team spirit, and forming new friendships.
Passion to soccer is a unique ability – this ability erases social marginal that usually appears in communication between people. Sport becomes an effort for creation of new possibilities for children and adolescents that have passed through cruel life sufferance.
All what was mentioned above – is the main objective for coordinators and staff of soccer project. Consequently, results of sport tournaments – is a supplementary thing. For example, during visiting Kiev, all children got a lot of fun no matter the fact that they have took the last place in tournament. For this we would like to thank specially for – charity foundation “Caritas Kiev” that organized a very interesting program for children. In first day children visited Kiev museum of water and were on “Dynamo” stadium of Valeriy Lobanovskiy.
Of course all the kids had a lot of positive impressions, especially after visiting the stadium – during the excursion children visited museum of soccer club “Dinamo” (Kiev), they visited clock-rooms, media-centers, were on football field and sat on training benches in the stadium. Later children visited special fun-club that is located on the stadium, where representatives of the club presented souvenirs of “Dinamo” soccer club. This was not the end of their sport tour – next day, during the beginning of the tournament, children got the ability to talk with soccer players and even to take photos with them, and among these players was a legendary person – Kiev soccer player of “Dinamo” club, that had been famous in 70th, Vlodimir Mountyan, that have visited the tournament as a honorable guest. By the way, during salutation speech, Vlodimir Mountyan mentioned that gained his own achievements in football and in own life due to labor and discipline – we wish to believe that words of legendary soccer player will become a strong motivation for children for further growth, especially the one referring to life experience. Additional advantage of such tournaments – is that children find new friends. For example, Odessa children have got acquainted with the owners of the competitions and children from Kiev. Also with representatives from L’viv soccer team. Before the departure children said goodbye to new friend, exchanged with telephones and other contacts of social networks for keep in touch for further (especially girls have got friendship so fast with other soccer team girls)
During the ceremony award, promoters of the event thanked all participants of the tournament and promised them to get their next Cup of “Caritas” soccer game and will invite more soccer teams from all other parts of our country.
