#ukrainian-football

#ukrainian-football

Artem Rakitin sits everyone down on the rubber mat for one last pep talk. He has known most of the young men for several years, working with them here twice a week and in effect acting as a mentor. It is a kind of physical and mental training, he explains: self-discipline; resisting vices; preparing oneself, if the moment comes, to defend his country. One of the main targets is for them not to become alcoholics, drug addicts or anything like that, he says. It's to put their energy in the right places, and to support the right team.