Bobic and Prinz team up as Laureus KICKFORMORE expands into new areas
Football stars and Laureus Ambassadors Fredi Bobic and Birgit Prinz have made a special visit to a school in Speyer to mark the extension of the Laureus KICKFORMORE project into the Rhein-Neckar region of Germany.
Socially disadvantaged children and adolescents taking part in the project play what is called ‘street football for tolerance’, learning values such as teamwork, fairness, respect and discipline which helps them in their daily lives.
Project patron Fredi Bobic, who played 37 times for Germany, as well as having long spells with VFB Stuttgart, Borussia Dortmund and Hertha Berlin, said: "I am very pleased that now here in Speyer young people have the opportunity to benefit from this project. In KICKFORMORE it’s not just about being fair and tolerant on the football field but in everyday life.
“In the project the children and young people learn to take responsibility and to support each other. It's like in football: alone you don’t get far; only together we are strong."
KICKFORMORE, which operates by forming joint ventures with focus schools, was created and established in Baden-Württemberg and has been funded by the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation Germany since 2007. In the New Year, it will also open up in Ludwigshafen.
Bobic and Birgit Prinz, who played 214 times, scoring 128 goals for the German Women’s national team, watched as the young players took part in a special KICKFORMORE football tournament, incorporating pupils from schools in Speyer and Erlich and guest teams from other KICKFORMORE sites.
The extension of the Laureus project in the Rhein-Neckar region has been made possible by a donation of €3 million by the Dietmar Hopp Foundation. This support has also helped to create the Laureus Kicking Girls project, whose patron is Laureus Ambassador and former German national team goalkeeper Jens Lehmann.
