Gold reserve of the hinterland: how to grow future champions in Krasnopol district

When it comes to big sports victories and achievements, the imagination draws huge modern complexes and training bases. However, the history of world sports often proves that real diamonds should be found in the outback. A vivid example of this is the Krasnopolsky district of the Mogilev region, which gave the country Evgeny Zolotoy, silver medalist of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris in academic rowing. The correspondent of “People’s newspaper” looked at the conditions for the development of children’s sports in the homeland of the champion.

The first point of the route is the Krasnopol district sports and health club, which a few years ago significantly changed the life of the whole region. Modern halls, a swimming pool with aquazone, necessary sports equipment, accessible sections and groups for all ages are the material basis, without which talents go unnoticed, says the director of the institution Yuri Larionov:

- Opened in 2017, the sports facility has become a real center of attraction for young people, because there are all conditions for game sports, athletics, swimming, strength training. Among our visitors there are many non-residents, Russians also come: the border is closer than to Mogilev. Last year, there were more than 350,000 visitors, not bad for a district center with a population of just over 8,200.

Yuri Larionov. The fitness club is not only circles and sections, but also large sports festivals that introduce children to new opportunities and directions. One of them just took place on the day of our arrival: an interdepartmental action united more than a hundred schoolchildren – high school students participated in military-patriotic competitions, and younger students with excitement overcame all stages of sportsland.

Together with friends, 10-year-old Ivan Razgonov joined the sports championship, who studies at the Krasnopol district state gymnasium. He is very fond of football, this year he even played in the national team of the district. By the way, his team took the third place in the region at the republican competitions among children and adolescents "Leather Ball" for the prizes of the Presidential Sports Club. Sport and a healthy lifestyle are almost the same for him, a young resident of the district center smiles:

- I have been attending the football section since I was six years old: I like to learn new things, be athletic and enduring. This does not interfere with studying, on the contrary, he began to think faster in lessons, only good grades in the diary. I go to training three times a week, and in the future I plan to become a professional footballer, like my biggest idol Lionel Messi. Parents support, especially when he was a child, he also played football. He can still chase the ball with me at home and on the street.

Ivan Razgonov. Ivan runs to the next stage of the Spartakiad, and Yuri Larionov continues a tour of the fitness club. Stop in front of a huge poster with a photo of Yevgeny Zolotoy and the inscription “Olympians among us”, placed at the main entrance. All children know the honorary citizen of our district, who glorified Krasnopolye throughout the world, the head proudly notes:

Yevgeny is a unique athlete who made himself. Of course, there was no section on academic rowing in Krasnopolye, but there were enthusiastic teachers who instilled a love for sports in the future champion. His example proves that talented children are everywhere, the main thing is to notice and develop them in time. To raise a second Golden, several factors must come together: from the good sports characteristics of the child and his great desire to achieve results to the unconditional support of parents. Everything else – a good base and staff – is already available. Yuri Larionov emphasizes that the state invests a lot of money in the comprehensive development of children – intellectual and physical, so the modern generation has the opportunity to realize any dreams in sports, education, creativity. And institutions such as fitness clubs provide an excellent base that equalizes the opportunities of young residents of cities and districts, and also sets the direction in which the child can realize:

- Sports today are available to every child at the place of residence and study. Our students go to competitions of various levels, receive prizes and awards. They are noticed and invited to the leading centers of the Olympic reserve of the country. This is important and necessary: the sports future of Krasnopol children, including the image of the district and the region. But the most important thing is that we engage children in the right way of life, strengthen their health and close the need for physical development. And this is a huge plus, given that the sport of high achievements will not happen in everyone’s life.

Who lights the stars? The combat character of the guys themselves in tandem with the dedication of teachers and coaches becomes the very starting spring that gives the country new talents. In small areas, a coach for a child is not just an instructor, but a mentor, a senior friend and often the main motivator in life. Among such enthusiastic professionals is the teacher of physical education and health of Krasnopol high school Anatoly Ananyev, who has been coaching local children for almost 30 years.

On the way to the gym, Anatoly Leonidovich conducts a mini-excursion along the school corridors. We stop near the Board of Honor, where a portrait photo of the former pupil - Eugene Zolotoy is displayed. "Here's our Ghenka! My boyfriend has been driving it since elementary school. How much he ran in our gym and scored balls! – proudly notes the interlocutor.

Many years ago Anatoly Ananyev came to the profession thanks to the example of his teacher, who noticed the football talent of his young ward in time. To interest, and then to train and demand the result - this is our job, shares the teacher's wisdom education worker:

- I have been playing football all my life and I have loved this sport since early childhood. And now I instill excitement in my students, pass on many years of experience. I am glad that they come to training, do not hang on their phones, but strive to learn new things. But there is a big secret: when a teacher is interested, then the children pull up. And it's not just football. For example, in 22 years of work, the school only lost the district Spartakiad once, and then in the first year when I came to work. Conclusion: in your favorite business, you need to invest your soul, without it in any way.

The conversation is interrupted by a ball flying towards the coach: classes in the school football section are in full swing. More than a dozen fourth-graders are scattered around the gym - guys in sports shirts with the inscriptions "Messi" or "Ronaldo" with excitement chase a football projectile. Among them is the pink-cheeked Sasha Morozov, who in his 9 years already hits the goal well and circles the ball around the chips. The coach taught, with a gleam in his eyes, to engage in the conversation:

- I have been playing football for a year and a half. I used to go to a fitness club, and now I work right at school. Training is not difficult, everything works out. I want to be a great footballer, but it takes a lot of work. I do not miss physical education, and now I still resort to the gym after school - three times a week for two hours. With special persistence Anatoly Ananyev first of all trains the children’s breath and endurance: 90 minutes on the football field without proper preparation do not run away. And this is the case when the decisive role is not played by technology. By the way, in academic rowing without breathing, too, he notes:

Zhenya Golden was always a tall guy and also loved to run. Sent him to various competitions. I asked him to go skiing, and for him it was just a punishment. He said, “Leonidovich, I can’t go skiing, but it’s easy to run!” So they competed: everyone skated and he ran. Then he was taken to Mogilev. Zhenya did not want to, but I advised: try, if you do not succeed, you will return to our school. And there he had a sports career soared uphill - found his place in life! An experienced coach notes that it is often in the areas that the children form the same steel sports character. Provincial guys from childhood are accustomed to work, are not spoiled by an abundance of all kinds of entertainment, so they often come to sports sections and achieve victories with special persistence. It is here, on the ground, they know every child and can quickly see the future champion, directing his sports talent in the right direction.