SIA Academy is an international football academy with a difference. It is socially committed and acts to help those who need it most. A fortnight ago, Soccer Inter-Action welcomed 50 refugee footballers fleeing the war in Ukraine to its high performance centre in Enguera, Valencia.
They all belong to the clubs FC Krivbas and UFK Dnipro, teams from areas heavily affected by the war. Once they were introduced to the facilities and their new life, the players have adapted very well to the SIA Academy. This is what life is like for the 50 or so displaced Ukrainian players.
Ukrainians at SIA Academy
The 50 Ukrainian players staying at the SIA Academy have already settled into their new life at the Soccer Inter-Action high performance centre. All the professionals at the SIA Center have worked in a coordinated and courageous manner to offer them all possible facilities in their new home.
From five meals a day at the SIA Academy restaurant, which is jointly managed, to friendly matches and training sessions on a daily basis. I also work with nutrition and psychology. Not forgetting the leisure time that makes the new life of the Ukrainians at Soccer Inter-Action much more bearable.
Sports work
The fifty or so Ukrainian refugee footballers hosted by SIA Academy at its facilities have a specific sporting plan. They train on Soccer Inter-Action’s natural and artificial turf pitches. They do so together with their coaches and with the help of SIA technicians. They have also had the opportunity to train with UD SIA Benigànim, SIA’s own club in the Spanish Third Division.
The Ukrainian players have the same dynamics as the international players of the academy. They work on the pitch, in the gym and in the video analysis room. They train individually and collectively to keep improving. In addition, they do so with the latest equipment provided by Soccer Inter-Action..
Off-field work
The academy dynamic also means that the SIA Academy works with the Ukrainian footballers off the pitch. Soccer Inter-Action’s nutritionist has worked with all of them to provide them with the necessary nutrients to help them perform on the pitch. A balanced and complete diet for players on the run from war.
In addition, the psychology service of the SIA Academy has worked bravely alongside them. They all have negative experiences from the war behind them. The aim is to lighten this burden so that they can live a happier and more bearable life. Soccer Inter-Action wants to support them and is doing its utmost to do so.
Support for Ukrainians at SIA Academy
SIA Academy’s great gesture of solidarity by hosting 50 Ukrainian refugee players has been met with a response. Institutions, organisations and companies have wanted to do their bit to provide humanitarian aid to young people fleeing the war. Donations of food, equipment, organisation of activities and much more.
Enguera Town Council
The Enguera Town Council has supported the arrival of the refugee footballers at the SIA Center. The town council of the town where the Soccer Inter-Action high performance centre is located has coordinated some extra-sports activities for the young Ukrainians.
Some of them have involved around fifty players to get to know the town and the natural environment that surrounds it. These activities have allowed the Ukrainian players to adapt better to their new situation.
Aid from Cobopa, Rotary Xàtiva and Ukraine Une Corazones
In addition to the local council, one of the most renowned companies in the area, Cobopa, collaborates with SIA Academy every day by donating food products such as bread and snacks. Also, two NGOs that have supported SIA Academy after the arrival of the Ukrainian players have been Rotary Xàtiva and Ukraine Une Corazones.
Thanks to them, it has been possible to obtain several kilos of basic foodstuffs so that the players can keep themselves in the best conditions. Milk, pasta, rice, water and much more. These are organisations that have mobilised en masse to help Ukrainian refugees since the outbreak of the war and in this way they are doing their bit for the SIA Academy.
