The fourth “Great Vilnius Family Football Tournament” took place at the Pilaitė Football Arena over the weekend. This year, the sports festival organized by the Ataka Football Club and the Padėk Gatvės vaikams charity foundation brought together about 200 participants and as many as 40 of their teams, in which the whole family played – from children and their mothers and fathers to grandparents. The tournament was traditionally sponsored by EIKA Group – one of the largest real estate development companies in Lithuania.
According to Gediminas Tvarijonas, the tournament organizer and head of the charity foundation “Help the Street Children”, the idea to organize such football events came about back in 2018, when while working with children, they noticed a significant lack of family-friendly sports events.
“We wanted to create a space where children and parents could be a team not only in life, but also on the football field and work together: play, support, learn to cooperate. The “EIKA Great Vilnius Family Football Tournament” took place for the first time in 2022, so this year it was organized for the fourth time. This sporting event has become the culmination of the football season and a much-awaited summer holiday for families – registration places fill up in a few days, and every year we receive more people who want to participate than can fit on the football fields,” says G. Tvarijonas.
According to the event organizer, this year as many as 40 family teams participated in the tournament, with about 200 participants.
A competition where there are no losers
The football tournament has unique rules – at least one female player and one child under the age of 14 must play on the field. The competition is played in a 3-on-3 format, and goals scored by fathers do not count, thus encouraging children and mothers to express themselves more.
“We are consciously creating a game model in which children are not afraid to make mistakes, and parents become partners rather than leaders. In such situations, fundamental changes often occur: families learn to talk differently, hear better, and support each other more. Everyone wants to win, but the most important thing is to have a good time together. The atmosphere of the event was unique – full of joy, laughter, excitement, and sincere support. There was no pressure for the result or stress, just the real presence of families together,” says G. Tvarijonas.
The competition took place simultaneously on eight football fields. Although the results were not recorded, all tournament participants were awarded – the teams received medals and cups, as well as board games.
During breaks, tournament participants could also take part in additional sports workshops, where they developed their skills through target practice, agility and other fun team cooperation competitions with prizes. As every year, all participants were treated to healthy snacks. In addition, this year, for the first time, the football tournament completely abandoned disposable cups and glasses, and participants were invited to bring their own reusable water bottles.
Business also contributes to support
The tournament’s major partner for the fourth year in a row is EIKA Group. The company not only financially supports the event, but also purposefully chooses to contribute to the initiative that fosters a healthy, active and engaged city community.
„Matome aiškų ir prasmingą šio renginio tikslą, tai – ne tik sportas, bet ir vaikų ugdymas, jų emocinė gerovė. Vaikams labai svarbu pamatyti tėvus, kurie kartu žaidžia, klysta, laimi, padeda. Tai formuoja pasitikėjimą, augina atsakomybės jausmą. Tokias iniciatyvas remiame todėl, kad tikime – stipri visuomenė prasideda nuo stiprios šeimos. Taip pat jaučiame pareigą prisidėti prie pokyčių, kurie kuria ilgalaikę vertę. Labai džiaugiamės matydami, kad šis futbolo turnyras auga, plečiasi ir kasmet tampa vis aktualesnis“, – sako „EIKA Group“ generalinis direktorius Domas Dargis.
Organizatorių teigimu, verslo indėlis yra ne tik finansinis, bet ir vertybinis: „Tai – pavyzdys socialiai atsakingo verslo, kuris investuoja į bendruomenę, sveikas šeimas ir vaikų ugdymą per judėjimą. Be tokių partnerių mūsų turnyras tiesiog neįvyktų.“
Nors „EIKA Didysis Vilniaus šeimų futbolo turnyras“ baigėsi, bet jo dalyvių patirtys ir emocijos išliks dar ilgam. „Kiekviena šeima gavo daugiau nei medalį ar taurę – iš renginio jie išsinešė jausmą, kad yra tikra komanda. Kai kuriems tai buvo pirmas įmuštas įvartis, kitiems – pirmas kartas, kai apskritai dalyvavo tokiame sporto renginyje. Šie momentai kuria ne tik sportinę, bet ir stiprią emocinę vertę“, – turnyrą apibendrina G. Tvarijonas.