Playfully finding each other

This is precisely the aim of the inclusive soccer training session organized jointly by VfB Stuttgart and the Neckarsulm Disabled Sports Association (BSG): "We create encounters," explains Quien. "Adults, young people and children with and without disabilities play soccer together and break down prejudices in the process. The students learn that it’s fun to play and train with disabled people and that there doesn’t have to be any fear of contact."

And off they go: everyone grabs a ball and immediately there is a happy hustle and bustle. But before the real game begins, the program includes challenging exercises in teams of two: at first the pupils and students dribble around their own axis and then pass the ball to their partner, after that they throw a juggling ball and a soccer to each other, preferably without them falling down. Everyone is committed to the game and it isobvious how openly they interact with each other.

It all starts with understanding

"The main thing is to stay calm. Then you can understand people better and find a solution for every situation. Understanding is already 50 percent of the solution," Ayush Kumar is convinced. The Information Engineering Student at TUM Campus Heilbronn already has experience in inclusive sport: he is a member of the swimming section of BSG Neckarsulm. He is particularly impressed by the coach Daniela Potocean: "She takes care of everything and has taught us how to integrate handicapped children."

Other TUM students especially enjoy the exercise: "The event is great. It’s very interactive and engaging. It’s fun to play with other students and pupils," says Information Engineering student Anusha Mareddy. She can well imagine regularly taking part in the inclusive soccer training sessions offered by BSG Neckarsulm every week.

Timo Robrecht, also an Information Engineering student, has already been there. He was particularly impressed by the high level of motivation and team spirit. His aim is to set up a soccer team at the Heilbronn Bildungscampus. He has already made a start: He was the one who promoted KickInKlusiv among his fellow students and was able to motivate them to take part. "And now I can’t wait to throw them on the ground," he says and laughs.

A heart for inclusive sport

There will soon be an opportunity to do so, as soccer matches are next on the agenda. The participants compete against each other in small teams. Several students are assigned to each TUM student. And now is the opportunity for the students to demonstrate not only their empathy but also their leadership skills.

Meanwhile, Heike Acker, board member and soccer coach at BSG Neckarsulm, has plenty to do: she works tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that everything runs smoothly and that pizza is ready for the footballers at 12 noon on the dot. It’s immediately obvious to the likeable woman that her heart beats for inclusive sport: "Everyone is talking about inclusion and it’s enshrined in the Federal Participation Act, but it’s not being put into practice. For me, it’s important that we get to know each other better and simply understand each other better: What is my world and what is your world like?" She has high hopes for the cooperation with TUM: that at least some of the students will regularly take part in inclusive soccer training or other sports at the BSG. She would like to offer training courses on the topic of inclusive sport together with TUM. And when the State Summer Games take place in Heilbronn and Neckarsulm in 2025, her dream is to compete with a "unified team" made up of BSG athletes and TUM students.

Perhaps KickInKlusiv is the first step towards this big goal. No one expresses how much fun the students have at the event quite like Rozaliya K., a hearing-impaired student at Lindenparkschule and highly successful soccer player and swimmer at BSG Neckarsulm: "I was a bit scared at first because everything is different today than usual. But now it’s fun. I like it when it’s loud and I can laugh."