Article is written by a school student and former ISF Young Reporter Yasmine Chaoui
Anya Kuzmenko from Ukraine started to be interested in Football back in 2015, when she entered the first grade. During the breaks between classes, right in the corridor, she and her classmates played football. The ball was a pencil or a ball made of paper and tape. When in second grade, the classmates started to play in the yard as they were considered grown-ups. Past school, she still practiced at home, with her neighbour Denis, or by herself.
„I will never forget the first time I scored 30 times; for me at that time, it was the biggest success and everything changed,” Anya said.
When she went to the district competition to play for her school team, there was no age limit; the main thing was to get 11 girls. That day she performed her best, but unfortunately, Anya’s team finished last. However, there was still positive news; she won her first trophy and a certificate for being the tournament’s top player.
Rising Through the Ranks
At these competitions, there was a girl who played football more professionally and played for the national team of her district. She suggested that Anya could go to the nearby city that was located near her village. Anya agreed. When Anya came to the inspection, the coach immediately took her to the team, both for boys and for girls. A Sunday later, she already played in the championship of Ukraine in futsal (2006-2007 age group).
These were her first serious competitions. Therefore, she started going to her village for training and traveling to a neighboring city. Every day she had training, and on weekends she trained individually. She played with that team for 3 years.
In 2021, the team broke up, and her coach decided that it was necessary to send her to a more professional club. She had two options: to play for Chernihiv or for Plysky. She chose the second option since the team was located not far from her home.
The new coach decided to merge the two teams into one and play in the championship of Ukraine. Girls from Kharkiv played for them. At one of the games of the group stage, a coach from Kharkiv came to watch the game and select some players for his team.
“I gave that game one hundred percent of my focus, scoring in the 4th and 6th minute,” she said.
After that match, she was invited to a sports college located in the city of Kharkiv. She immediately agreed, but her parents were against it since she had only finished the 7th grade. After a while, she still persuaded them to let her go, study, and practice. As their Kharkiv team already won the Ukrainian gymnasiade in 2021, they got the chance to go to the U-15 ISF World School Futsal Championship in Serbia, Belgrade, where the young girls took the second place.
Facing the Challenges of War
The first 3 months were very busy and fun as she got to know new friends and teachers.
“The trainings were very different from those in the old team; they were very diverse and interesting,” she added.
But her training did not last long since the football stadium was often closed for quarantine due to the coronavirus.
But the worst was on February 24, 2022, when bombing on Kharkiv at 04:30 in the morning started.
At that time, Anya was in a dormitory; her team and her, and other children woke up due to the sound of explosions.
“I had no emotions, no immediate reaction. It seemed that this was not reality and I was dreaming,” Anya said.
Anya faced constant blackout of electricity, water, curfew, and no training as it was dangerous to hold any meetings. That continued until September. Then their coach found a football base in a safer city, where they spent the last 2 months. Anya was displaced.
After that, the situation in Kharkiv improved, and they started practicing again.
Resilience and Hope for the Future
When 2023 came, they were already able to participate in the first competitions after such a long break. It was in February, the U-16 winter championship. They won the first place. Then they participated at the Ukrainian National. The winner had to go to Morocco to represent its country at the ISF World School Football Championship Rabat 2024.
Anya’s team did not leave the group as it scored fewer goals than their opponent, but she had the opportunity to join another team and she agreed. At that moment, she was training in Kharkiv, a city that is constantly being shelled.
Russian army is shelling not only military facilities but also railway stations, houses, schools, kindergartens, hospitals, the city’s infrastructure, and parks. However, she is still training and dreaming that the war will end, and she will be able to train and live in a peaceful Kharkiv as before, without shelling, blackouts, and constant air raids.
The Broader Impact on Displaced Children
The plight of displaced children in Ukraine extends far beyond individual stories like Anya’s. According to Save the Children, over 600,000 children have returned to situations of poverty and danger, with around 360,000 returning to war-affected and frontline regions including Dnipro, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, and Sumy.
UNICEF reports that approximately 3.7 million people remain internally displaced in Ukraine, with a significant portion being children. Safety concerns have left around 600,000 schoolchildren unable to access in-person schooling, and many suffer from severe psychological impacts due to the ongoing conflict.
The Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine and research by VoxUkraine corroborate this data, highlighting the urgent need for support and resources for these vulnerable populations.
School Sport Foundation is supporting Every Child’s Right to Play
Anya’s journey from a young football enthusiast to a determined athlete amidst a war zone highlights the transformative power of school sports. Investing in sports infrastructure for displaced children is not just an act of charity but a necessity. It ensures that every child, regardless of their circumstances, has the opportunity to experience the joy, camaraderie, and life skills that sports provide.
By supporting initiatives like the School Sport Foundation’s project, we can help children like Anya continue to dream, play, and thrive even in the face of adversity.
Make your donation today and support Ukrainian school athletes and dreams.
https://school-sport-foundation.com/donation/
