FC Bayern/Markus Weise
Silence descends on the artificial pitch of the FC Bayern Campus, interrupted only by the soft jingling of a ball. Ten young people, blindfolded, listen to the instructions of Katharina Kühnlein from FC Bayern's sustainability section, who is a former blind footballer in the Bundesliga. Equipped with blindfolds, the day is an opportunity to experience what it's like to rely solely on hearing and team spirit.
Workshop participants at the FC Bayern Campus: The aim was to offer young people an opportunity to experience the concept of inclusion not only in theory but also in practice. | FC Bayern/Markus Weise
FC Bayern and the ‘Learning with a Kick' initiative have long been working together to teach children and young people about social values. Only recently, FCB's anti-discrimination initiative ‘Red against Racism’ stopped by with a specially created interactive workshop, in June they organised a cybersecurity day for 100 girls and boys – and this time, in collaboration with the fan and fan club support division, the focus was on the inclusion of people with disabilities and self-determined participation.
Experiencing inclusion
The aim was to offer young people an opportunity to experience the concept of inclusion not only in theory but also in practice. They were accompanied by Moritz Janke from ‘Learning with a Kick’ and Kim Krämer, FC Bayern's disabled fans' representative and chairman of the 'Rollwagerl' fan club, which campaigns for the interests of fans with disabilities. The meeting with Krämer, who uses a wheelchair himself, aroused curiosity and many questions: "Why are you in a wheelchair?", "How do you drive?" and "What can your assistance dog do?" Krämer answered every question openly and vividly explained the importance of inclusion and accessibility in everyday life and especially in the stadium. He also told the students about barrier-free access to the Allianz Arena, the wheelchair pick-up services, and the audio description and sign language line-ups for men's and women's football and basketball. Bayern is consistently committed to inclusion, he said, adding: "I want to turn the young people here into brand ambassadors for accessibility who help to raise awareness of the issue."
As part of the workshop on the FC Bayern Campus, the youngsters were able to gain their own experience of blind football. | FC Bayern/Markus Weise
After a final group football match, in which everyone played without blindfolds this time, it was back to the meeting room for a feedback session. The young people reflected on what they had learnt and experienced that day. At the end, all participants received an FC Bayern drinks bottle as a memento of a day full of new insights and experiences, the message of which, according to Krämer, should be remembered: "Accessibility and inclusion are much more than structural measures – they mean that everyone can belong with all their abilities and specialities. We didn't just want to make barriers visible today, we wanted to make them surmountable." With fun, team spirit and, among other things, the quiet jingling of a blind football in the silence.
About 'Learning with a Kick'
‘Learning with a Kick’ is a free service offered by the non-profit organisation AWO München Stadt and is part of the nationwide Lernort Stadion e.V. network, in which a total of 27 German professional clubs are organised. It's also financially supported by the DFL Foundation. The idea is to use the stadium as a special place of learning to talk to pupils from eighth grade to vocational school about socially relevant, sometimes political topics,
In October, the FCB initiative 'Red against Racism' held its own interactive workshop with youngsters:
