The oldest American football team in Ukraine, founded almost 30 years ago, is older than independent Ukraine itself.
But more than a quarter of a century after gridiron came to Ukraine, the game is still struggling. While there are now 25 teams nationwide, soccer is still the dominant form of football here.
Fans and players of the game in Ukraine now hope the sport gets a boost with the formation of a Ukrainian national American football team to compete with teams from abroad.
Ukrainian league
The Ukrainian government officially supports the sport, with the Ministry of Youth and Sports funding the National Federation of American Football in Ukraine.
The federation used to organize annual championships, but last year 24 Ukrainian teams left the federation, which they claimed was ineffective, to form their own organization – the Ukrainian League of American Football.
The league is now trying to attract more sponsors to develop the sport. The championship is financed by advertisers, sponsors, and the teams themselves, which recently paid for an international referee to come to Ukraine to train league referees.
Apart from that, the league works with women’s and children’s flag football (a contactless version of American football) teams and cheerleaders.
The newly founded league is registered as a public union that includes teams from all over Ukraine, including the Kyiv Bandits and Slavs, the Kharkiv Atlantes and Tigers, the Lviv Lions, the Vinnytsia Wolves, and the Mariupol Azov Dolphins.
Maksym Shylo, the league president, used to play American football and founded the Kyiv Bulldogs team. Now he is focused on developing the sport countrywide, and taking Ukraine to the international level.
In early June, the league became a member of International Federation of American Football, which a Ukrainian national team will be able to take part in international championships. The league plans to hold trials with the players this autumn, see how they play together, and create the Ukrainian team. The first game, a friendly match with Belarus, is already penciled in for October.
The league is also negotiating with military units, including a paratroopers unit in Zhytomyr and the National Guard of Ukraine, about creating their own American football teams. The teams will be semi-professional and will be able to compete in the national championship.
Apart from being useful physical training for the military, the league hopes the formation of military American football teams in Ukraine will open up more chances for to cooperate with the United States, where the military also has its own teams, competing in their own league.
The championship
This year’s season, the second one held by the league, started in spring and will end in autumn. The teams are divided into three divisions according to their level. Games are held in the cities where the teams are based, at soccer stadiums.
Shylo says that’s not a problem, as they don’t need specialized fields at this point.
Like soccer, American football is played by two teams of 11 players. But according to Yuriy Hundych, the co-founder and captain of local team the Kyiv Patriots, unlike soccer, the age, height, and weight of players is less restricted in gridiron – there can be a place on the team for all types. For instance, Hundych himself is 36, and he still plays.
The majority of the players are Ukrainians, but some teams have foreigners from Europe and the United States. According to Hundych, foreigners not only play well but also teach less experienced players. There are also curerntly five U.S. coaches training the teams.
The league teams play by U.S. college rules, which are slightly different from those used by the professional leagues in the United States.
Sports weekend
As in the United States, an American football game in Ukraine is more than just the game – its family entertainment and a day out with friends or family. Apart from watching the game, spectators can get a burger or a hot dog at the food court, watch cheerleading performances and take part in other events and competitions. A ticket to a game costs Hr 30-50 depending on the hosting city.
The league also invites commentators to explain to those new to the sport what’s going on on the field.
“We want spectators to have a good time,” Shylo says.
While the game itself involves aggression and is very physical, Shylo says that the sort is family friendly – there are no football hooligans, drunks, or fights at the stadiums during American football games in Ukraine, he says.
“The security guards are bored at our games, and ask why we need them,” he adds.
For those who prefer to watch their football from the sofa at home, the Ukrainian League has reached agreements with several TV channels to broadcast Ukrainian games, including Sport 1, Sport 2, Xsport, and Most Video TV.
To check the schedule of the upcoming games, go to www.ulafua.com/en/kalendar-2.htm. The website is in Russian, but the League plans to roll out an English version soon.
