Coaching Boys into Men (CBIM) is a program developed in the United States by Futures Without Violence organization in 2008. In Ukraine, this program was first piloted and tested by the United Nations Population Fund in 2019. Coaches from Come On, Let’s Play project of FC Shakhtar and physical education teachers from Ivano-Frankivsk were among the training participants.

Its goal is to prevent violence and discrimination in sports, teach young athletes to respect themselves and others, in particular women and girls.

Did you know that in Ukraine, almost half of the population experienced violence in childhood? 66% of those who faced violence have low self-esteem, and 57% will reproduce such behavior in the future. In addition, 41% of children who have experienced violence have difficulty communicating with their peers.

Become a coach who will teach boys not to use violence to resolve conflicts, but to respect and appreciate others in the team, on the field, and in life.

The Coaching Boys Into Men (CBIM) course provides you with the tools you need to help your athletes ensure gender equality and build responsible relationships that are based on respect rather than violence.

Using effective strategies and interactive exercises for just 15 minutes a week, you will teach boys that there is no excuse for violence and there are many other tools for resolving conflicts peacefully. 

Being authorities and role models for boy athletes, the coaches have a unique opportunity to convey and implement the CBIM program’s ideas.

Athletes often see their coach as a father and friend, and they often look to you for inspiration and support.

Therefore, they will be able to talk to you calmly and openly about respect in the relationship and to seek help to combat harassment, bullying, and sexual violence in all its forms.

Do not turn away from this opportunity! Use it to convey the values and benefits of gender equality and mutual respect. In doing so, you will help children build strong friendships and family relations in the future.

In addition, the implementation of gender equality and mutual respect in your classes and teams will help unleash the potential of girls and encourage them to participate in sports, which, in turn, can bring you professional recognition in the future. So it is obvious that absolutely everyone will benefit from equality and justice! 

Gender equality, mutual respect, absence of violence, and discrimination on any grounds - this should become the core principles of modern sport. And it is you who can bring these values to the hearts of your students, and the Coaching Boys Into Men (CBIM) program will help you do that.

So let the following words of sports star David Beckham inspire you and give you more strength as you go along this way: "Sport can be a great way to prevent discrimination, racism, and violence. We need to teach children that respect for other people is always the best answer.”

To download the brochure and trainer’s guide, click here.

To watch an inspiring video about overcoming stereotypes in sports, click here.

This initiative contributes to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality. The ‘Sustainable Development Goals: Ukraine’ national report (2019) is available here