"Artem Rogowski, President of the Novosibirsk Regional Football Federation, is confident that football's popularity will stay high and continue to escalate."
In the vast Siberian city of Novosibirsk, a significant shift is underway in the world of football. The Russian Football Union, with its key initiative, "Football in School," is aiming to fill the void left by street football and rekindle interest in the traditional 11-a-side format.
The project, which equips schools with essential gear like balls, uniforms, goals, cones, and more, is successfully developing in the Novosibirsk region. Over 111 schools are currently involved, with 37 of them based in Novosibirsk itself. Master classes are held for students, led by coaches from the "Сибирь" football club academy and private football schools.
One such school, School No. 1 in the Ordynsky District, has seen great success. Their girls' team has won local competitions and even claimed silver medals at the national level. The boys' team from School No. 120 in Novosibirsk also made a name for themselves, becoming regional runners-up in the "Leather Ball" competition within the School Football League.
However, the focus is not solely on winning. The development of individual skills of footballers is considered more important than the result of the competition itself. Coaches are beginning to understand that young footballers need freedom and should be allowed to do what they want on the field up to a certain age.
This approach is evident in the "Football in Kindergartens" project, a follow-up to "Football in School," where five kindergartens in the Novosibirsk region are participating as pilot regions.
The region's football scene is not without its challenges. The popularity of classic football has decreased in recent years, and despite the fact that teams from the Novosibirsk region perform well at the youth level, the players don't often make it to RPL clubs. Only three natives of the Novosibirsk region are currently playing in the Russian Premier League.
To address this issue, the Federation aims to bring all the stadiums in Novosibirsk city up to standard within five years. The search results do not contain information about which cities have joined or newly founded football regional leagues in the Novosibirsk Oblast in recent years.
Another popular sport in the region is Futsal, with about 10 modern sports complexes suitable for 5x5 formats. Despite the prominence of Futsal, the Federation is hopeful about the future of traditional football in Novosibirsk.
In five years, the director of MFK LKS, Alexei Bokarev, wants to see the club among the top 5 in Russia. It would be great to see at least one representative from the region in the Russian national team in five years. The Federation is introducing the position of regional methodologist for the "Football in School" project to organize methodological seminars, further emphasizing their commitment to nurturing young talent.
In September 2024, a master class for students of the "Voshod" education center in the Novosibirsk district was given by the head coach of the Russian futsal national team, Beso Zoidze. This event underscores the Federation's efforts to bring in experts from various fields to inspire and educate the next generation of footballers.
Women's football is thriving in Russia as a result of the "Football in School" project. The Tatarsky District is an active participant in the project and all youth competitions. The popularity of football among the 40,000 people playing in Novosibirsk Oblast continues to grow, as does the hope for a brighter future for football in Novosibirsk.
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