At the end of 2023, four of our Dortmund coaches travelled to Dallas in the US state of Texas. In addition to the School of Excellence, a mentoring event with local coaches was also organised as part of the trip.

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The School of Excellence (SoE) is the cornerstone of the BVB International Academy's (BVB IA) holistic youth development programme, which supports and promotes talented young players from the age of four until after university. A total of 270 players born between 2006 and 2013 travelled from the 14 Black & Yellow locations in North America to the US metropolis. All participants were divided into age groups that will represent BVB at major US tournaments. The top talents, 18 girls and 18 boys, were selected by the coaches from Dortmund and the 40 coaches from the USA and Canada. They will visit us in Dortmund in March. Not only talent on the pitch was a factor in the selection process, but also the embodiment of BVB values off the pitch.

The visit to Dallas also included a three-day coaching course. In addition to the identity and beliefs of Borussia Dortmund, the career of a BVB IA North America player was also presented. As part of the SoE, the coaches were supported in identifying and developing talent. The course, which brought together ideas and football passions, also served to share knowledge and build the BVB community. The aim was to develop a sense of community among the coaches beyond the training sessions. More than 40 coaches and managers from the BVB training centres took part.

In January, our coach and team leader for international affairs, Florian Ingwersen, made another trip to the USA. He spoke at the United Soccer Coaches Convention in Anaheim on the topic of "The BVB Way: Making the Player flourish" and exchanged views on the topic of football with other participants in the event before returning home to Dortmund.