Focus on Russia: Inter Campus through the eyes of its protagonists

"I’ve been wanting to tell you how I’ve met so many kind-hearted people. It’s a wonderful project and a training programme that makes everything more fun, accessible, easy and, above all, inclusive. Come and visit me whenever you’d like, my door will always be open to you."

These are the words of Vadim, the first and now former coach of Inter Campus Russia in the town of Bobrov, located in the south of the country. His words seem somewhat melancholic because they were written when he had to leave the project for personal reasons. However, they were equally filled with hope and gratitude. He coached the children of the local orphanage school for six years in his neighbourhood. He espouses our philosophy of combining sports with bringing joy to boys and girls at the school.

"During each training session you can feel a friendly and cheerful atmosphere,” said Vadim in the letter he wrote when he knew that he’d no longer be a coach at the school. “It’s clear the children love the programme. I can only thank the leaders of the project for the opportunity they gave me, the children and the entire school".

We’d like thank Vadim and all of the coaches that work with us across the world. Sometimes they coach on poor quality pitches with little equipment and in challenging circumstances. Some work with us for a few months, some for over 20 years. However, they all work with the same passion and dedication in their posts as educators and role models for children.