Bayern star Kimmich launches his own football academy | OneFootball

For years, Joshua Kimmich has been one of the defining faces of German football. Now, the national player wants to pass on his experiences to the next generation.

The 30-year-old Bayern star is opening his own football academy in his birthplace, Rottweil in the Black Forest. The program is aimed at children between the ages of six and 14, who are to be professionally supported without having to change clubs or relocate. The starting signal will be given this Sunday with an already fully booked camp, in which 120 children will participate.

“I have experienced myself how important it is to have the right conditions to develop – both athletically and personally,” Kimmich explains in a statement. The goal of the academy is to provide young talents in the region with a professional environment, “without having to leave their familiar surroundings.”

The facility offers not only holiday camps but also targeted group training, individual support, and tournaments. In the long term, its own select team is expected to regularly compete against youth teams from all over Germany. According to the academy, the project is intended as a regional supplement to existing support programs.

Kimmich wants to impart values

“From the Black Forest to the Bundesliga. Of course, it would be nice if we could contribute to that as an academy,” says Kimmich. Particularly important to him is the imparting of values: “The children should believe in themselves, be courageous, not be afraid of making mistakes, and not lose the joy of football.”

With local partners backing him, Kimmich aims to create a long-term offering that strengthens young talents, especially in their familiar social environment. “That is the power of football, with which I also want to give something back to the region that has shaped me,” says the 102-time national player.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.