International holidays - World Children`s Football Day

Pele, born into a poor Brazilian family, spent his days kicking a ball made of straw, rags and paper with other boys. At the age of 7, the future football star began playing for the team of the city of Bauru, located in the state of Sao Paulo. Cristiano Ronaldo started playing for the Andorinha club in Madeira at the age of 8. At the same age, coaches appreciated the ball-handling technique of Argentinean Diego Maradona, inviting the Argentinos Juniors junior football team. Examples from the lives of outstanding players confirm that the earlier a child’s talent is identified and opportunities are created for its implementation, the greater heights he will achieve in the future. Football is one of the most famous sports in the world. However, in order to popularize and develop it, coaches need to search for gifted children and give them a chance to demonstrate their abilities. These goals are pursued by FIFA and UNICEF, which established the holiday in 2001. Every year on June 19, World Children's Football Day is celebrated. Active games with peers in the yard are an excellent place to practice shin passes, stop and roll the ball at high speed, and head it into the opponent’s goal. During street training, Zinedine Zindane realized that he loved football and wanted to play it all his life. The future legend, living with his family in a poor area of ​​​​Marseille, pulled out a lucky ticket in 1983. Zindan caught the eye of coaches from the amateur club Saint-Henri, who were wandering the streets of the city in search of talent. The keen eye of specialists who assessed the abilities of the 11-year-old boy helped him make a name for himself and achieve great heights in sports. Before the start of football matches and the playing of the national anthem, children join the professionals on the field. This long-standing sports tradition symbolizes the continuity of generations. Children's appearance on the field together with experienced players motivates them and thousands of their peers to believe in themselves and begin to give their all in training. In the future, young athletes will have the chance to put on the national team uniform and compete for their club in the adult team. World Children's Football Day is dedicated not only to playing football at a professional level. The game helps millions of children from around the world lead a healthy lifestyle and organize leisure time. Football is an accessible sport. Young athletes just need to meet like-minded people, find a ball and a place to practice passes and shots. Pele claimed that his success was not an accident. It was the result of perseverance and hard work, continuous learning and self-sacrifice for the common cause. Football builds and strengthens character: it makes an athlete agile, resilient and collected, cultivates determination and team spirit. Coaches who are looking for young talents all year round are ready to share the philosophy of the game and the basics of skill with the players, and not just on June 19 in honor of World Children's Football Day.