PARSIPPANY, N.J. – A U.S.-based soccer team, made up of members of the Ukrainian American Youth Association (UAYA), participated in an international soccer tournament in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, on July 12-15. The tournament, “On the Wings of Friendship Cup (Ukraine Heritage and Soccer Cup),” was made possible by an initiative between the UAYA and the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast soccer federation, as well as the soccer fields arranged by Ruslana Martsinkiva (Ivano-Frankivsk), Ihor Sliuzaria (Kolomiya) and Ihor Matviychuk (Kalush).
The players, age 16 and under, included four teams – Teplovyk Deuce No.3 of Ivano Frankivsk, Karpaty of Kolomiya, FC Kalush and the U.S. team of the UAYA. Matches were held in stadiums, including Rukh in Ivano-Frankivsk, Khimik in Kalush and Yunist in Kolomiya.
Karpaty won the tournament after winning the final 4-2 against Kalush; in the third-place match, Ivano-Frankivsk won 5-3 against the U.S. team.
In the standings, Karpaty had nine points, with three wins, 12 goals for and three against; Ivano-Frankivsk won two matches and drew one, with seven goals for and five against for six points overall; Kalush won one match and lost two matches with eight goals for and seven against for three points overall; and the U.S. team lost all three matches, scoring five goals for and 17 against for zero points overall.
Although the U.S. team came in last place, organizers recognized their good sportsmanship on and off the field.
Members of the Ukrainian American Youth Association who formed the U.S. team.
The best players were recognized with special awards, including: Oleksandr Danilov (Karpaty), best goalkeeper; Oleh Vasylenko (Ivano-Frankivsk), best defender; Dorian Lesiuk (UAYA), best midfielder; Oleh Zakharkiv (Kalush), best attacker; and Rosyslav Napadiuk (Karpaty), best striker.
The main aim of the tournament was to generate excitement about soccer among the youth and for these young people from the U.S. and Ivano-Frankivsk to socialize. Besides the sports aspect of the tournament, there was a cultural component, with the U.S. team members visiting a number of historical and tourism locations in the region.
For three days, Ivano-Frankivsk was transformed into a celebration of soccer – a celebration of brotherhood, uniting all Ukrainians around the world.
Ivanna Klymentiy, head of the Ukrainian Youth Association in Kalush, welcomed the guests to the city and presented the U.S. team members with books about the founding of the city and area.
Official opening ceremonies for the tournament were held in the Khimik stadium in Kalush. In attendance were Halyna Romanko, head of the city council, and Natalia Tabachuk, deputy head of the city council; Taras Klym, head of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast soccer federation; and Vasyl Siroka, first-deputy head and director of the Ivano-Frankivsk soccer federation. Michael Tomaszewsky, tour manager and coordinator for the U.S. team, and Ms. Romanko welcomed the athletes and guests to the tournament.
The U.S. team lost 1-6 against Kalush in its opening match, and Kolomiya Karpaty won 2-0 against Ivano-Frankivsk.
After the first match, the U.S. team socialized with the Kalush team and on July 13 met with the team from Kolomiya. The U.S. team visited the Hutsul art museum in Kolomiya and a pysanka museum that had over 12,000 examples of artwork.
Following the tour of Kolomiya, the soccer tournament resumed, and the U.S. team lost 1-6 against Kolomiya Karpaty, while Ivano-Frankivsk won 2-0 against Kalush.
On July 14, which was a free day for the players to rest, the U.S. team visited the famous Carpathian ski resort at Bukovel.
The U.S. team met with the city leadership of Ivano-Frankivsk, including Ruslan Martsinkiv, head of the city council, Denys Rudnytsky, head of the city’s sports department, Messrs. Klym and Sikora, and representatives of the Ivano-Frankivsk soccer federation.
The U.S. team – formed by Mr. Tomaszewsky – showed its experience having been on amateur teams in Yonkers, N.Y., Passaic, N.J., as well as Palatine, Ill. For many of them, it was the first time that they had traveled with friends from UAYA to Ukraine.
The U.S. team, joined by team manager Michael Tomaszewsky (left), at Arena Lviv for the team’s friendly match against the Karpaty Lviv Academy team.
The U.S team players included: Roman Andrach Jr., Nazar and Rostyslav Fedorko, Orest and Zakhar Figol, Dorian Lesiuk, Gabriel and Nathaniel Maksymiw, Roman Raguso, Mike Shevchik, Adrian Skala, Lukian Tomaszewsky, Alex and Stefan Zawojski, and Alex and Nick Zielonka.
The U.S. team also played a friendly match against the Karpaty Lviv academy team at Arena Lviv, the site of the Euro-2012. It was a surprise that was kept from the U.S. team by their manager.
The U.S. team also visited the children at the Caritas Berezhany Sanatorium. Mr. Tomaszewsky noted, “The visit to the sanatorium proved to be one of the highlights of our tour as the boys, our families and the Ukrainian children all had fun singing, dancing and sharing time with each other. We presented each child with a backpack full of school supplies and candy – some were so excited, saying they never had a backpack before. We also gifted them a stereo system the Sanatorium Director requested, which will surely bring much music and joy to the children for many years to come.”
Mr. Tomaszewsky explained to the The Weekly via-email: “I basically made contacts in Ukraine by research and ‘cold calling’ to introduce myself and the idea of a heritage and friendship through soccer tour. As we worked through plans, these concerns subsided as I watched [our Ukrainian counterparts] organize meetings, and even post updates on local Ukraine websites and news outlets. To ease my comfort, as I made additional contacts here in the United States, they referred the same people I was already working with. All my worries were for naught as the contacts I made were excellent and delivered on a plan better than even I had expected.”
The event was financially feasible, Mr. Tomaszewsky said because, “While parents offset some of the costs with small fund-raising projects, we were fortunate to partner with a number of organizations to help offset costs of our tour, uniforms, gifts for our host teams, gifts for the children’s sanatorium, equipment and partial travel expenses of our players. We also thank all of our sponsors that are mentioned.”
The Ukrainian organizers, he said, were: “Well organized, cooperative, excited to plan and host. The organizers, the clubs we played against, the spectators at our games and even our tour guides were impressed by our children’s knowledge and love of Ukraine and its heritage. We sang the same songs; our children danced the kolomyika better, but they played soccer better.”
The U.S. team visits the children at the Caritas Berezhany Sanatorium in Ivano-Frankivsk.
Another highlight of the tour was that the teams would gather after each match for a dinner, where the players got to know one another, exchanged contact information and socialized.
When asked about future plans, Mr. Tomaszewsky said, “I envision making this a recurring tour and starting to exchange ideas on additions and improvements to visit Ukraine in 2018. I would like to enable an exchange or scholarship program to bring Ukrainian boys here to experience the diaspora in the U.S.A.”
Tournament sponsors included SUMA Federal Credit Union of Yonkers, N.Y., the Ukrainian Youth Association, Nova UA Federal Credit Union, UAYA Passaic, N.J., UAYA Yonkers, Lys Sports Academy and Self Reliance New York Federal Credit Union. Readers can find more information and photos on the Facebook group page “Ukraine Heritage & Soccer Tour 2017.”