Poland’s largest football project for young players is back. On 15 April, registration opened for the third edition of the tournament From Orlik pitch to the Stadium, organised as part of the government’s Active School programme. It offers young players not only an opportunity to experience great emotions on sports pitches but also to win access to the finals to be held at a professional football stadium. The main prize desired by all young footballers is the participation in a training camp in a football club abroad.

From Orlik pitch to the Stadium has become a permanent event in the country’s calendar of main football projects. In the previous edition, around 2,700 local tournaments were held, which gathered about 72,000 children representing over 8,000 teams.

The aim of the project is to select the most talented players from across the country. The matches are held in three age categories: U-13, U-14 and U-15. To ensure a level playing field, the competitions are divided into two categories: Junior (for schools and amateur teams) and Junior Pro (for football clubs and academies).

Team registrations are accepted until 31 May via the official website >>

The road to a professional stadium

This year’s tournament will start in September. The schedule includes four key stages: the local stage to be held in September on pitches across the country; the regional and macro-regional stages in October (in 16 Polish cities); and the Grand Finals in November when 96 top teams from all over the country, from all the categories, will meet at a professional football stadium to compete for victory.

120 best players, apart from the title of champion of Poland in their respective age category, will have the opportunity to attend a training camp at a prestigious football club abroad. The winners of last year’s edition spent a week in Barcelona where they trained at the famous La Masia football academy under the guidance of the club’s coaches. This was the most attractive prize in the history of Polish youth football tournaments.

The winners to promote the next edition

The third edition will unveil the new visual identity of the tournament. Its faces will be the players - last year’s edition winners aged 14-15. Nine teenagers from four teams: Prime Team Tomaszów Mazowiecki, UKKS Katowice, Girls Mieścisko and SP Wilczyn took part in a professional photo session. Their participation in it emphasizes the tournament’s mission: to place young talents in the spotlight and prove that it is possible to get from a local pitch to a professional one.

About the programme

The tournament From Orlik pitch to the Stadium is organised by the Orły Sportu [Eagles of Sport] Foundation as part of the national-level Active School programme. The project is financed from the state budget’s part administered by the Minister of Sport and Tourism. The strategic partner of the tournament is ORLEN.

Recruitment for organisers of the tournament’s first stages is still open. Since the beginning of March, applications have been accepted from candidates for organisers of local tournaments to be held within the project From Orlik pitch to the Stadium. Anyone with experience in organising sports events for young people may become an organiser.

A local tournament within the project may be registered by a teacher running activities within the Active School programme, a physical education teacher, a football coach, a representative of a sports club or a person involved in organising sports events, e.g. an employee of a Sports and Recreation Centre.  More information is available here >>