«Immensely Proud of My Daughter»: An Interview with the Mother of Irtysh Defender Valeria Kosareva

13-year-old Valeria Kosareva is one of the youngest participants in the League’s debut girls’ tournament. Despite her age, the young defender from Pavlodar has already been called up to the Kazakhstan U-17 national team – she took part in the training camp and friendly matches in Bishkek.

– At what age did your daughter decide to start playing football? How did it happen?

She started playing shortly after finishing first grade. As soon as she completed it – she jumped right in. She was 8 years old at the time.

I was really surprised when she said: «Mom, I want to play football!» It wasn’t easy to find a place for her to train – I started looking for clubs, but nothing worked out. One day, we stopped by a sports store to buy a ball, and the sales assistant – surprised that my daughter wanted to play football – gave us the contact of coach Kseniya Nikolaevna.

There were older kids in her group, so the coach referred us to Yuliya Yuryevna. At the time, there was a small girls’ section, but it eventually fell apart – the girls stopped coming, and my daughter ended up training with the boys for about a year and a half. That gave her tremendous experience – their style of play is completely different, and yet she managed to keep up and perform at their level.

Later on, over time, she joined a girls’ team. That’s when proper matches and away games started happening.

– Have you ever asked her what inspired her to start playing football?

– Yes, I have. We have neighbors who are close family friends. Their son is my daughter’s best friend – they grew up together since kindergarten, spent a lot of time playing outside. And he used to play with a ball all the time… I think that had a big influence on her.

– How did you feel about your daughter’s interest in football at the very beginning? And how do you feel about it now?

– Of course, I supported my child from the very beginning – I support her now and always will. But there was a time when I tried to talk her out of it. She’s very athletic – she did well in volleyball and basketball too. And back then, there seemed to be more opportunities for girls in those sports than in football. But none of my arguments worked. I had to come to terms with it.

– What worries you the most about your daughter playing football?

– The biggest concern, of course, is injuries. Football is a very injury-prone sport. Even when she’s not playing, I still worry. Just recently, she played for the Kazakhstan U-17 national team against Kyrgyzstan – and I got so nervous, I was completely drained afterward. She’s not even playing with her age group.

There were two games: she didn’t play in the first one, but in the second she played both halves. And she’s only 13, while the other girls were 16–17 years old – bigger, more mature. The level is completely different.



– Does she share her emotions and worries with you? Or does she keep them to herself?

– Of course, she does. Even when I watch the match broadcasts at home, I can see how nervous my child is. I feel it too. We, as mothers, always sense it. And, of course, we worry together – before the game, during, and afterward.

– What is your most vivid memory related to your daughter’s passion for football?

– The most vivid moment was the day she was invited to the national team. When I found out, I was sitting in the car – I saw the message and got very emotional and worried.

It was unexpected, and it was hard for me to accept. I understood that, age-wise, she didn’t quite fit in there, since the level was completely different.

But of course, I felt joy. My pride for my child is immense. And she performed very well.

And every game, every match, brings emotions. Especially when your child scores a beautiful goal… It fills you up completely – pride, happiness, emotions that words can’t describe.

– What does your daughter like to do in her free time when she’s not playing football? Does she have any hobbies?

– You know, I didn’t even think about it for a long time myself! Recently, when Lera was at a training camp in Kyrgyzstan, I decided to tidy up her desk a bit – and I saw that my child was drawing. And she draws amazingly! Honestly, I was shocked. Very beautiful drawings with deep meaning. I was genuinely surprised – where does she find the time for this?

Apart from that – she studies, socializes with friends, and goes out. She doesn’t really have any other hobbies besides football.

– What are your feelings ahead of the start of the very first Freedom QJ League tournament for girls?

– Only positive. It’s very important for our children to play and gain experience. We will be cheering for them!


The debut match of Freedom QJ League W will take place on June 7 in Pavlodar – Irtysh will host Shakhter. The locals can look forward to pre-match activities, a valuable prize draw, and a concert by the headliner, Miras Zhugunussov.

The event starts at 17:30. Tickets are available for purchase on Freedom Ticketon.