German football team teaches Vietnamese teacher how to play football, developing community football

Teachers practice soccer on the training ground.

Promoting social values through football

From September 23 to 27, 2024, the training course "Football and Advanced Life Skills" co-organized by the German SV Club Werder Bremen, the project "Community Football in Vietnam" (FFAV), the Common Goal movement and the Department of Education and Training of Ha Giang province gathered 18 female teachers from Can Tho, Quang Tri, Cao Bang and Ha Giang. The goal of the course is to train teachers to become "core" in the mission of replicating the FFAV model in Vietnam.

The initiative aims to increase women’s leadership in football and promote social values such as gender equality, creating safe spaces for girls. In addition to gender equality, the training also focuses on raising awareness and skills on climate change and the environment, thereby being able to effectively engage with young players on this issue.

Last season, SV Werder Bremen organized two training courses in Vietnam as part of its football development program. From these courses, two Vietnamese coaches were selected to travel to Ha Giang on behalf of the club to provide basic football knowledge to 18 female teachers with the aim of improving football skills and using sport as a tool for social change.

Female teachers and students attend a fun football festival in Ha Giang

According to FFAV, teachers are not only trained in coaching skills but also leadership skills. The program’s goals include teaching advanced coaching methods, promoting leadership, environmentaleducation and developing practical soccer skills.

Teachers will soon apply their newly acquired knowledge to the organisation of 18 fun football days for young people with a focus on climate change advocacy, and in regular football and life skills sessions at the school football club. These fun football days, sponsored by Werder Bremen, will take place from September to December 2024 in Can Tho and Ha Giang and in early 2025 in Quang Tri and Cao Bang.

Women empowerment

Werder Bremen’s participation in this training course underlines the club’s commitment to using football as a tool for social change and women’s empowerment in Vietnam, as football can be a “significant driving force” in promoting social issues, according to Dominik Kupilas, Head of Fan and Business Development at SV Werder Bremen.

Closing ceremony of the fun football festival, a model expected to continue to be implemented in many provinces and cities in the near future

"Initiated in 2001, selected by the Vietnam Football Federation and the Ministry of Education and Training to expand nationwide in 2015, FFAV has expanded its model to more than 15 provinces and cities in Vietnam with the goal of enhancing women's leadership in football and promoting social values such as gender equality, creating a safe space for girls," said Mr. Nguyen Hoang Phuong, Director of FFAV.

Thomas Preiss, co-founder and Head of Football Industry Relations at Common Goal, said: “We are delighted to see two close partners, Werder Bremen and FFAV, working together to find innovative solutions to social issues. Collaborations like this really highlight the potential of football as a tool for social change – with organisations with different goals coming together to create real change in their communities.”

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-bong-duc-day-co-giao-viet-cach-da-bong-phat-trien-bong-da-cong-dong-185241010102702579.htm