The TSG Reiskirchen U14 girls' team will also be recognisable as a unit off the pitch in future - with new hoodies donated by Stadtwerke Gießen.
Football is a team sport. When in doubt, presenting a united team can prove to be the deciding factor in a game. Uniform clothing is therefore more than just a nice accessory. It strengthens cohesion and creates the right team spirit - a sense of unity. The players of the TSG Reiskirchen U14 girls' football team have recently been given a piece of clothing that clearly identifies them as part of the team, not only on the pitch but also off it: As part of its "Play your game" campaign, Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG) donated 20 new hoodies to the team. "The effect of uniform clothing should not be underestimated, especially in popular sports. It simply brings people together - and not just visually," says Andreas Schön, head of the women's and girls' football department at TSG Reiskirchen and coach of the U14 girls' team. He remembers: "The joy about the new hoodies was huge."
Together to victory
Women's football has developed rapidly in recent years. And the trend continues. More and more girls are discovering football for themselves. At TSG Reiskirchen, on the other hand, girls and women playing football have been the norm for many years. Around 40 girls and 30 women currently play in teams of various age groups. "Football is a great sport for learning social skills and values such as team spirit and fair play at a young age," explains Andreas Schön. He himself has been involved in girls' and women's football at TSG Reiskirchen for 15 years, coaching young players and working at district and regional level.
In addition to weekend matches in the Gießen/Marburg district league, his U14 girls meet twice a week to refine their technique on the ball, practise dribbling, improve their tactical behaviour or compete with others in test matches. And between two seasons, they can be found at tournaments.
Encouraging fun with exercise
As a popular sports club, TSG Reiskirchen emphasises the joy of exercise. "The most important thing is that the kids have fun," emphasises the head of department. In order to get as many children and young people as possible interested in sport and exercise, TSG Reiskirchen regularly organises joint events with the Kirschberg School or the primary school in Reiskirchen. Here, boys and girls can simply give this popular sport a try. With success: after the last Sepp Herberger Day with a fair play football tournament, the national youth games and a sports action day at the school, twelve new girls from the 2012 and 2013 age groups alone joined the programme. "As a result, we have had a new beginners' group at the start since July."
Encouraging children's and boys' sport
With its "Spiel' Dein Spiel" initiative, SWG is pursuing a very similar but more general goal: to further promote children's and youth sport in the region. "TSG Reichskirchen and our "Spiel' Dein Spiel" campaign complement each other perfectly," says Stephanie Orlik, who is responsible for the project at SWG. As part of the campaign, Stadtwerke Gießen not only supports clubs, but also schools and other institutions that offer children and young people meaningful exercise programmes.
Further information on the SWG "Play your game" campaign and applications can be found at
www.swg-spieldeinspiel.de