Kiezkick

Football For The Community

Football For The Children

Sometime in 2001 a group of FC St.Pauli supporters had the idea to do something for the children in the neighbourhood (the "Kiez") of St.Pauli. The population in the district is both socially and ethnically very diverse. Thus the two main objectives were:
- To get children "off the street" by providing an attractive, alternative way of spending their spare time
- Bringing together children from all the different cultures and social backgrounds

What could be better suited for that than football, the "beautiful game" that builds bridges between cultural and social boundaries worldwide?

It needed a couple of months of planning but guidelines were clear right from the start:
- The targeted age group for the training is 7 to 17 years
- The project is open to anybody
- Both boys and girls should participate
- It is not performance-oriented
- It is fully financed by donations, no fees are charged
- It is not designed to compete with established football clubs. The organisers encourage kids who are motivated to join any of the ‘normal’ clubs.

Organised by the Fanladen, there are currently two training sessions each week, one open to anyone, the other "for girls only". In the summer, both take place on the gravel fields in the shadow of FC St.Pauli’s Millerntor stadium. In the winter special indoor training is provided. These training sessions continue to grow steadily in popularity.

Kiezkick is now firmly established in St.Pauli. Posters and handouts are on display in the schools and social institutions in the district and many kids can be seen roaming the streets in a Kiezkick T-shirt. Some of the young players can be found on the north stand of the Millerntor at FC St.Pauli matches, while some of the professional players visit the Kiezkick events to answer questions and sign autographs. This not only makes the Kiezkick training more popular, but it helps giving the pro players an insight into how deeply the club they play for is rooted in the neighbourhood.

All activities need to be financed by donations. When the project was started in July 2002 a football match between FC St.Pauli and a celebrity team took place and helped Kiezkick to get off the ground financially. But without ongoing donations from individuals, groups of fans, and companies the work that has become an important and joyful part of the lives of many children could not continue. The Fanladen appreciates any financial donation and can provide a contribution receipt.