Main idea is to enrol them at Shakhtar Academy regularly
Tuesday, October 26, 2021
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Shakhtar Academy sports department head Edgar Cardoso speaks about the Shakhtar ProSchool project, its advantages, uniqueness and development prospects
- Tell us more about the Shakhtar ProSchool.
- The project was launched after we already had schools for younger children. Now, they have made the decision to open a school for children aged 8 to 12 in order to narrow the age gap before enrolling at the Academy. We recruit boys and girls and pass knowledge to everyone, regardless of the level of the child. The main idea is to regularly enrol the Shakhtar ProSchool students at the Shakhtar Academy, and in the future some of them may even join the first team! It’s also important to note that we give them the opportunity to participate in a free training session – any child can come and try their hand, and only then take the final decision.
- Why did you pick Kyiv as the location for Shakhtar ProSchool?
- previously, children of this age group trained in Shchaslyve, but we realized that in Kyiv we could create even better conditions for training. We found a strategically located place in the city centre where many more boys and girls can come. Also, there are a number of advantages there: quality pitches, changing rooms, car park for parents.
- What skills does a child need to have to be enrolled in Shakhtar ProSchool?
- We are open to absolutely everyone! Classes are held at different times, and children are divided into groups depending on the level of their play. This raises the value of each training session. The guys with a higher level work with strong opponents, while those who just begin their way in football get the opportunity to develop and progress gradually. Everyone who likes Shakhtar and football will certainly be able to find a place for themselves in this project.
- Tell us in more detail about the principles of dividing children into groups. How many participants is the project designed for?
- We have a lot of time for creating multiple groups. Now I want to reach the 200-player mark as soon as possible. We are optimistic about the future and believe that we’ll be able to attract 300 children and bring them closer to professional football. In just four starting weeks, we got 60 children interested – they are regular participants in the Shakhtar ProSchool now.
- Is there an exact number of players that you plan to bring to the level of a professional Academy in the future?
- It's hard to say how many children will eventually be able to make it to the Academy. Based on my experience, I can tell that it’ll be good if 5 to 10% of children reach the professional level. If next year 25% of the U13 team are the pupils of Shakhtar ProSchool, we will be happy.
- What’s the advantage of Shakhtar ProSchool over other projects? What makes it easier for children to get into the Academy team?
- Shakhtar Academy and Shakhtar ProSchool are very closely related. I’ve already attended the project training sessions and can say that we pick the best for ourselves. Shakhtar ProSchool employs the coaches who have trained children at the Academy for many years: Henadii Zubov and Bohdan Bilko. They will be able to pass all the most important things on to the children and prepare them for entering the Academy. The project is really beneficial for the club strategically because while entering the Academy, the players will already know the basic principles and philosophy of our play. Even this year, most of the guys in the U14 team are having their first season at Shakhtar, but we want the children to be integrated into the training process once they get to the Academy. We dream that in the future it’s the players from Shakhtar ProSchool who will form the backbone of U14.
- How unique is this project for Ukraine?
- None of the Ukrainian clubs have ever used a similar approach to the Academy scouting and enrolment, so Shakhtar ProSchool is unique for Ukrainian football.
- Do you plan to have Shakhtar ProSchool in other cities of Ukraine?
- As soon as the project bears fruit, we will begin to expand our presence. Of course, in the future we want and see Shakhtar ProSchool present in other cities of Ukraine that are strategically important for us. With the expansion of the school network, we will be able to be more effective, because then we’ll have the opportunity to develop and prepare children not only in Kyiv, but throughout the country.
- Please tell us about the development of women's football. What prospects are open specifically for girls?
- We focus on the education of girls. Presently, women's football in Ukraine is reaching a new level. The proof is the formation of Shakhtar professional women's team. We already have the girls aged 12. It’s clear that at this age, getting into an adult team is simply unrealistic. We are looking forward to the start of the development of youth football serving as the foundation of tournaments for different age groups, so that girls can prove themselves at a young age.
- If you recommended Shakhtar ProSchool for children, how would you do it?
- Shakhtar ProSchool is a school for everyone – both boys and girls are welcome! You can come and have a shot at it absolutely free of charge. We will assign your child to a group where he or she will be on a par with everyone else, so that they feel comfortable. Also, children from Shakhtar ProSchool take part in various events: they lead Shakhtar players onto the pitch and act like ballboys in the match. Recently, Junior Moraes attended the Shakhtar ProSchool training session, and everyone, without exception, had a unique opportunity to be photographed with the Ukrainian Super Cup. Feel free to come, it will be interesting!
Address: 36 Volodymyr Brozhko St, Kyiv (football fields of IAPM). You can sign up or learn more by calling 067 639 19 36.
The first training session at the school is free. The number of vacancies is limited.
- The project was launched after we already had schools for younger children. Now, they have made the decision to open a school for children aged 8 to 12 in order to narrow the age gap before enrolling at the Academy. We recruit boys and girls and pass knowledge to everyone, regardless of the level of the child. The main idea is to regularly enrol the Shakhtar ProSchool students at the Shakhtar Academy, and in the future some of them may even join the first team! It’s also important to note that we give them the opportunity to participate in a free training session – any child can come and try their hand, and only then take the final decision.
- Why did you pick Kyiv as the location for Shakhtar ProSchool?
- previously, children of this age group trained in Shchaslyve, but we realized that in Kyiv we could create even better conditions for training. We found a strategically located place in the city centre where many more boys and girls can come. Also, there are a number of advantages there: quality pitches, changing rooms, car park for parents.
- What skills does a child need to have to be enrolled in Shakhtar ProSchool?
- We are open to absolutely everyone! Classes are held at different times, and children are divided into groups depending on the level of their play. This raises the value of each training session. The guys with a higher level work with strong opponents, while those who just begin their way in football get the opportunity to develop and progress gradually. Everyone who likes Shakhtar and football will certainly be able to find a place for themselves in this project.
- Tell us in more detail about the principles of dividing children into groups. How many participants is the project designed for?
- We have a lot of time for creating multiple groups. Now I want to reach the 200-player mark as soon as possible. We are optimistic about the future and believe that we’ll be able to attract 300 children and bring them closer to professional football. In just four starting weeks, we got 60 children interested – they are regular participants in the Shakhtar ProSchool now.
- Is there an exact number of players that you plan to bring to the level of a professional Academy in the future?
- It's hard to say how many children will eventually be able to make it to the Academy. Based on my experience, I can tell that it’ll be good if 5 to 10% of children reach the professional level. If next year 25% of the U13 team are the pupils of Shakhtar ProSchool, we will be happy.
- What’s the advantage of Shakhtar ProSchool over other projects? What makes it easier for children to get into the Academy team?
- Shakhtar Academy and Shakhtar ProSchool are very closely related. I’ve already attended the project training sessions and can say that we pick the best for ourselves. Shakhtar ProSchool employs the coaches who have trained children at the Academy for many years: Henadii Zubov and Bohdan Bilko. They will be able to pass all the most important things on to the children and prepare them for entering the Academy. The project is really beneficial for the club strategically because while entering the Academy, the players will already know the basic principles and philosophy of our play. Even this year, most of the guys in the U14 team are having their first season at Shakhtar, but we want the children to be integrated into the training process once they get to the Academy. We dream that in the future it’s the players from Shakhtar ProSchool who will form the backbone of U14.
- How unique is this project for Ukraine?
- None of the Ukrainian clubs have ever used a similar approach to the Academy scouting and enrolment, so Shakhtar ProSchool is unique for Ukrainian football.
- Do you plan to have Shakhtar ProSchool in other cities of Ukraine?
- As soon as the project bears fruit, we will begin to expand our presence. Of course, in the future we want and see Shakhtar ProSchool present in other cities of Ukraine that are strategically important for us. With the expansion of the school network, we will be able to be more effective, because then we’ll have the opportunity to develop and prepare children not only in Kyiv, but throughout the country.
- Please tell us about the development of women's football. What prospects are open specifically for girls?
- We focus on the education of girls. Presently, women's football in Ukraine is reaching a new level. The proof is the formation of Shakhtar professional women's team. We already have the girls aged 12. It’s clear that at this age, getting into an adult team is simply unrealistic. We are looking forward to the start of the development of youth football serving as the foundation of tournaments for different age groups, so that girls can prove themselves at a young age.
- If you recommended Shakhtar ProSchool for children, how would you do it?
- Shakhtar ProSchool is a school for everyone – both boys and girls are welcome! You can come and have a shot at it absolutely free of charge. We will assign your child to a group where he or she will be on a par with everyone else, so that they feel comfortable. Also, children from Shakhtar ProSchool take part in various events: they lead Shakhtar players onto the pitch and act like ballboys in the match. Recently, Junior Moraes attended the Shakhtar ProSchool training session, and everyone, without exception, had a unique opportunity to be photographed with the Ukrainian Super Cup. Feel free to come, it will be interesting!
Address: 36 Volodymyr Brozhko St, Kyiv (football fields of IAPM). You can sign up or learn more by calling 067 639 19 36.
The first training session at the school is free. The number of vacancies is limited.