In November, several international groups visited us at the BVB Evonik Football Academy to train with their teams under the guidance of the BVB coaches.

In addition to the Singapore-based CSR project FootballPlus, four other groups visited us in the period from 15 to 27 November 2023. Around 80 children travelled with their guardians and coaches from Denmark, Japan, Australia, Canada and the USA.

There was also an exciting Black and Yellow programme planned for the youngsters away from the football pitch. They visited the BORUSSEUM and SIGNAL IDUNA PARK, where they shared a meal in the hospitality area. During the tour of the Youth Performance Centre, some of the groups even got to try out the Footbonaut. Team building and life kinetics sessions were also on the agenda, as well as diagnostics sessions to identify particularly talented youngsters. The highlight was undoubtedly the visit to the stadium to watch BVB's thrilling victory against Borussia Mönchengladbach.

"I really liked getting to know players from different cultures and seeing the different playing styles. Even if we didn't speak the same language, football is a language we all understand," said Aiden, a player from BVB's International Academy in El Paso.

And the interests of the coaches were not neglected either. During a coaching workshop and the individual training sessions, the coaches who travelled to Dortmund were able to exchange ideas with the BVB Evonik Football Academy coaches and learn new coaching methods and exercises.

"It was really valuable to get an insight into the BVB Evonik Football Academy. Getting a different perspective of coaching at this level, learning through observation, interacting in sessions and then being able to discuss things was a fantastic coaching experience," said Rebecca Holt, Director of Coaching for the Wynnum Wolfes. "The access to and engagement with the players and the coaches at BVB was incredible. I can't wait to put things into practice and pass on what I've learned when I get home," she continued.

The visit to Dortmund's city centre and the surrounding area, as well as the German Football Museum, added further elements of cultural exchange to the international visit.

"We are happy and proud to offer our global partners and interested groups the opportunity to receive excellent training for youngsters with us and to experience the power of BVB, up close and personal," said Markus Pasdzior, team leader of international football activities at the BVB Evonik Football Academy. "An intercultural experience like this is very valuable for the footballing, as well as personal and character development of the young players," he said.