Joy of the game, youthful energy and football emotions – this is what Mielec will be filled with on 8 May, where the Ekstraklasa Foundation together with FKS Stal Mielec will conduct one of the events of the jubilee edition of the Ekstra Class Academy. This is a project involving the organisation of football competitions for children with the support of each of the Ekstraklasa clubs. The main highlight of the event is a football tournament for U11 players, while a Funino tournament is organised for slightly younger U9 players.
This year’s Ekstra Class Academy tournaments are already the tenth edition of this project – the organiser of the event is the Ekstraklasa Foundation, and the project itself is financed by Ekstraklasa and the Ministry of Sport and Tourism. Over the course of three weeks, the organisers will visit each Ekstraklasa club – on each successive day being present in a different location. The first tournament will be played on Monday 5 May with the participation of Motor Lublin – the 2025 Ekstraklasa Academies will conclude on 25 May at the facilities of Legia Warsaw. The main objective of the project is to promote sport among children and young people, shape an active lifestyle and encourage the development of football skills.
All clubs are inviting their befriended academies from neighbouring towns or partner centres to play together. The oldest participants of the Ekstra Class Academy are players born in 2014, who play matches against each other in a tournament format. The matches take place on a 60×40 m playing field with 5×2 m goals – there can be seven players (6 1 goalkeeper) per team on the pitch. The tournament usually involves 8 teams divided into two groups, playing matches “every man for himself”. The most important information, however, is that no score tables are kept during the tournament.
On the other hand, players up to the age of nine can enjoy playing football by participating in a Funino tournament. In line with the idea behind this methodology, the aim of the game is above all to encourage sportsmanship, develop football skills and stimulate the creativity needed both on the pitch and in everyday life. During such matches, there are three players per team on the pitch and the players try to score a point by placing the ball in one of the two goals. Most importantly, there are no referees in this tournament and no score tables are kept here either.
Pre-school children are also invited to take part in the fun, and they can spend an active time on the prepared obstacle courses or during animation games. The whole event is in fact a sporting family picnic, frequented not only by the competitors, but also their parents or carers.
During each of the events, additional attractions await the participants. As in previous years, there will be Teqball demonstrations by Poland’s representatives in this discipline. This will be a great opportunity to get to know this fascinating sport and try your hand at the game. Another of the prepared attractions is the Fitlight and Reaction Time zone – all the participants of the Extra Class Academy project will get a chance to try their hand at competitions using special equipment, allowing them to verify their reflexes and improve their coordination. The organisers have also taken care to prepare a multitude of inflatables (table football, football dart) or pitches enabling 1-on-1 play. Both younger and older participants are sure to find additional activities to enjoy even more at the Ekstra Class Academies.
Each player taking part in the Ekstra Class Academies can look forward to a number of gifts. First and foremost, all young athletes will receive their prizes for participating in the tournament from the coaches and invited guests on a grand stage in a festive setting. All participants receive a commemorative diploma, in addition to which the youngest athletes can enjoy a medal. Their older counterparts, meanwhile, win a cup for their participation in the U11 tournament.
This year’s edition of the Ekstra Class Academy will be organised in cooperation with FKS Stal Mielec S.A. at the MOSiR sports fields on Sportowa Street. The event is scheduled to begin at 10:00 , when the opening ceremony will take place, guaranteeing plenty of activities and games. The organisers invite the youngest from the entire region to participate!
