Our

Story

Hannah

&

Stefanie

Hannah (Young Coach): My name is Hannah. I play for the “FSH Soccerteam Essen” at DJK Franz Sales Haus e.V. and I am the team captain. I often take on coaching duties and am also passionately involved in children’s football.

Stefanie (Tandem Partner): I’m Stefanie, and I’ve been active in the club for six years. I originally got involved as a mother, later took on supervisory responsibilities, and eventually had the opportunity to help coach teams. On the field, I play as a goalkeeper or defender.

Hannah: Stefanie and I met through the club, as I played in the same team as her son.

Stefanie: We decided to take part in the Tandem Young Coach programme together to share our experience and dedication in a more targeted way. We are particularly committed to promoting women’s and girls’ presence in inclusive sports and encouraging players to confidently take their place on the field.

Hannah: We want to motivate more children, teenagers, and young adults in women’s football and show them that playing football for people with disabilities is not a weakness. It’s especially important to us to respond to individual needs and create an environment where everyone feels welcome. As a tandem, our focus is on players who are just starting out or need extra support. We accept these young players as they are, and provide targeted encouragement.

Stefanie: The wonderful thing about the Tandem Young Coach Education is that it not only helped us grow professionally but also opened up new perspectives. The hands-on experience during the training sessions was particularly formative. There, we could apply our knowledge, try out new ideas, and experience firsthand the impact our engagement has on the players.

Hannah: Feeling that impact was my personal highlight. We were able to put our newly acquired knowledge directly into practice and see how the participants responded with smiles, genuine joy, and motivation. That feeling is priceless. The memories will stay with me forever – no one can take them away. It confirmed for me that I had made the right decision.

Stefanie: Experiencing the players’ enthusiasm was simply wonderful. It was amazing to see how much fun they were having. No matter which training session we conducted, they were full of energy and motivation and eager to join in.