The FtK year 2021/22 was eventful, intense and full of fun for the children supported in Stuttgart. From a contemplative Christmas party to a wide range of cultural activities and the final cross-FtK tournament in June – there was plenty on offer.
After a very complicated time for the children and everyone involved, which was mainly characterized by the pandemic-related restrictions, the FtK school year 2021/22 was able to start again with many support offers. The program included team-building measures, a Christmas party, cultural and sporting activities, the FtK Club Challenge and, of course, the big final tournament in Frankfurt in June 2022. Below we have collected a few impressions of selected highlights from the season:
KuBUS and visit to the art museum
The 3rd graders at Lerchenrain School were able to go on a two-part excursion in their first FtK year. On 05.04.2022, the Kubus (short for art bus) came to the school. The kids were allowed to give free rein to their creativity in the “Pure Chance” workshop. The children had great fun tracing different patterns and reassembling small pieces of paper. The kids loved the station with colors, balloons and balls and created beautiful works of art. When it came to drawing portraits, all you could hear was a general giggle. The following week, we went on a guided tour of the Stuttgart Art Museum. Despite initial complaints, the mood in the art museum improved considerably. And the works of art were viewed with varying degrees of interest. One child even had a little drawing book with her to sketch all the artworks for her friends. This meant that the excursion could still be recounted in pictures the next day. And on the way home, there were still lively discussions about the art.
Climbing in Cityrock
On 04.05.2022, the FtK kids from Eichendorff School put on their sports gear, packed their drinks and headed off to climb at Cityrock. A little late, but still highly motivated, the excursion could be started. Once we arrived at Cityrock, we started straight away. To warm up, everyone was allowed to climb along the lower end of the climbing wall. This allowed the kids to get a feel for what was to come. This was immediately followed by a team-building task in which the kids had to imagine transporting materials over a large mountain range. Of course, everyone mastered the task brilliantly and almost all of the climbing equipment was transported over the mountain in the end.
The FtK final tournament
Even on the day before the tournament, the kids’ anticipation was palpable and they were already talking about the cool time ahead on the bus. On the day of the tournament, the Stuttgart FtK group set up in their pavilion and the spectacle could begin. After a slight delay, the first game started at 09:30. The kids were highly motivated, the coach highly concentrated and the rest were simply in a good mood and excited. The Stuttgart kids had a total of five games to play. The other teams in the group were strong, but the group still put up a good fight and managed to win one game after a number of scoring chances. Unfortunately, they had to concede defeat to their opponents in two games, while two other games ended in a well-deserved draw.
© LitCam / Witters / Jörg Halisch
After every game, the Stuttgart kids clapped their opponents off with a smile on their faces and thanked them for a great game. The children survived the tournament without any major injuries or heatstroke. The tournament matches themselves were not the only highlights – towards the afternoon, the ambassador of “Fußball trifft Kultur” Ridle Baku dropped by. Ridle is a professional player for VfL Wolfsburg and a German international, making him a magnet for the kids. The Stuttgart kids spotted him first and got his autograph straight away. The picture that was taken later even ended up on social media and his 132,000 followers caught a glimpse of the enthusiastic Stuttgart kids.
After two very exhausting, but exciting and enjoyable days, the children slowly had to say goodbye. They will certainly remember the great time they had. It was a very relaxed atmosphere, many experiences were made as a large team and the children had a unique time. To sum up, the tournament was a special highlight of the “Fußball trifft Kultur” year.
By LitCam