“Goal”, which is in English, a word with a double meaning. It is for the aim and – derived – at the same time for the goal. Bernd Steinhage plays with this ambiguity: The native of South Africa, the son of a Namibianerin and a German, founded close to the South African metropolis of Cape town in his home town of Somerset West is a football school. Their job is to give the following wording: “Give our kids a goal and direction in life” – children, a goal and a direction. Or a goal.

Because what drives Steinhage with his “Young Bafana Soccer Academy” since 2010, the combination of football and education. In the Townships that were established during the so-called racial separation in South Africa for the non-white population, there is still poverty; drug abuse, crime and HIV continue to be major problems. Football is Sport number one.

football is the “Sport of the poor”

The opposite of the well-to-do areas, those who have managed or were as White as a result of colonization and Apartheid have always been privileged. There, soccer is still considered a “Sport of the poor” decried, preferring to play Hockey, cricket or Rugby. Steinhage wanted to change it up a bit: “My goal was to spread football to the schools and to provide children from difficult social backgrounds a perspective.”

Prior to the founding of his Academy Steinhage had spent five years in Berlin: Here he studied, but especially the love for football took him, as he says, “” in the city. Actually, he should have a trial of the Karlsruher SC complete, at the invitation of a friend, he remained in Berlin to hang. “I thought to myself at the time: Berlin is always much more beautiful than a town in the South,” says Steinhage. His dormitory was located in the vicinity of the Mommsen stadium. Steinhage recommended for Tennis Borussia played in between 2003 and 2008, for the Purple-and-White, as well as for TuS Makkabi.

learn First, then play. Bernd Steinhage founded the “Young Bafana Soccer Academy”.Photos: promo

to work After his return home, he decided, as a football coach and teacher. He started his project first, with children from more affluent circumstances in his old school. The idea: ten players pay for their regular participation contributions, should allow a player from the Townships, and the Free participation. The project grew rapidly: driven by the Hype around the 2010 world Cup in South Africa, trained Steinhage soon 80 children and young people, the kilometer-long footpaths from the Townships were to participate in the Training.

Steinhage divided the Training into groups and promised the most ambitious kickers from the Townships, and also participation in the League, if you would commit to twice a week English lessons. “Children with the tools to help themselves,” says Steinhage. And it worked: “The Kids have all pulled right,” says the 34-Year-old. He bought a old VW Bus, and drove with his boys from game to game and in the end won the League championship.

NGO professional football

In the year of 2014, the project was so large that Steinhage founded an NGO to professionalise its football Academy. With the help of donations and sponsors, he was able to set now a teacher and coach. Support is also given by clubs, interns and Volunteers from Germany. The BFC Dynamo about conducts regular Shoe collective actions for the benefit of the Academy. In addition, Steinhage repeated by the appointment of a Board of aid for strategic alignment. “Eventually, I could no longer make the decisions alone,” he had detected.

learn Now and to teach about 120 children and adolescents between six and 18 years in the “Young Bafana Soccer Academy”. They are divided in six Teams, including three power teams in the age groups U 12, U 14 and U 18 are located next to the of the participants paid for school teams.

composed of talented players from the Townships that undertake the education programme. The includes now, in addition to English and mathematics lessons, the teaching of social and communicative skills. The players receive a full scholarship including Equipment, transportation, meals and medical care. “We get the guys from 15 to 20 hours,” says Steinhage. “This is really a long afternoon, after the were all still in school.”

keep Together: The “Young Bafana Soccer Academy” is not only to teach football skills.promo

train Four times a week, the games on the weekend. Two players have now signed contracts with the South African professional teams, another two were recommended for a scholarship at US Colleges. Steinhage speaks of the “many, many unpredictable success stories”.

most of the project infrastructure: The capacity limits are not reached, a girls team, there are about still, and also with the sports complex, the Academy is still run by local authorities and other Associations. “We need to teach people that football is a beautiful sport that civilized people operate,” says Steinhage.

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another goal: training camps for teams from abroad, especially from Germany. A first project for the next October was already “organized entirely by” how Steinhage told. There’s a U-16 selection of the Berlin football Association (BFV) should travel to Somerset West, there are training, a professional tournament contest and a cultural programme to enjoy. However, the BFV missed it, to do something about funding. Sometimes the objectives also fail to gates.