RIAS 05

Valeriy
Rozenberg
Valeriy
Rozenberg
RIAS MAGAZINE No 05
CHILDREN's FOOTBALL, RUSSIA
>> Continuation
>> Other schools are on a commercial basis, because they have to rent
sports grounds, pay salaries to coaches, because there is no state support.
We do not compete generally, because the number of children we can
accept in the school is limited to the capacity of the stadium, we have one.
Others do the same. Depending on opportunities for renting sports
facilities, they take a certain number of children. I tell you more, we do not
compete, we try to cooperate. In particular, there are sports academies
that have branches all over the city, they have football, there are other
sports. But we are interested in football. We have certain agreements with
them. After them children go to sports schools being prepared enough.
Sometimes you see children who have capabilities to play football and
play well, but we have to deal with them individually, because they simply
did not get some elementary skills. We certainly do not give these
children up, but it is always better to deal with those who have some
understanding. Therefore, it is better not to compete with such schools
but to cooperate with them. Moreover, we all participate in joint events.
And there is always the possibility of dialogue and cooperation.
RIAS: What about children from rural areas and small towns? Are they
completely out of touch with you?
It is the Leningrad region that deal with them. Clubs of small towns have
their own sports schools where children gather from nearby villages. Here
there is no particular problem. They have their own activities, their own
federation. They are engaged apart from the city. We as a school are
focused on nearby areas. We are at the crossroads of two city
quarters: Vyborgskiy and Primorskiy. 95% of children who
attend our school are from these two areas, in contrast to the two Zenits
that collect children from around the city.
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