To take up its social responsibility in every area of sport – that goal has come increasingly into focus at Deutsche Telekom in recent times. This can also be seen is in the Group's commitment to disabled sports.
Deutsche Telekom has been involved in disabled sports since October 2006., when the Group entered into a partnership with Germany's National Paralympic Committee (DBS).
Telekom's commitment focuses on supporting Team Germany Paralympics. With its commitment, Telekom is helping to secure and develop disabled sports in Germany. Telekom's central concern is to continuously improve the framework conditions in Germany for the sport of people with disabilities and to anchor the sport of people with disabilities in society on an equal footing. Supporting top-level sport and its Paralympic athletes plays a key role in this. This support makes a lasting contribution to raising public awareness in dealing with people with disabilities and their daily challenges.
"We see the athletes as role models whom we are happy to support in the long term," says Stephan Althoff, Head of Corporate Sponsoring at Deutsche Telekom. "With the help of this support, disabled sports can continue to develop.
In the funded project "Neue Sporterfahrung" ("New Sports Experience"), young people find out what life is like for people with disabilities. A number of training units within the realm of disabled sports strengthen team spirit and creativity, as well as mutual respect and understanding for people with disabilities.
Blind soccer
Blind trust in your feel for the ball and following the team's commands precisely? That's the challenge of the "blind soccer" training unit for junior clubs. An exciting experience that puts all your senses to the test – a truly "new sports experience".
Deutsche Telekom supports the Blindenfußball Bundesliga, Germany’s national blind soccer league, in cooperation with the Sepp Herberger Foundation. On the nationwide match days, this New Sports Experience module draws attention to the subject of inclusion.
The youth teams had the opportunity to live an entirely new adventure as part of the sponsorship project New sports experience. With the help of a number of disabled sportspeople, they completed a training session in blind football.
What's that rattling noise? Is there something wrong with the ball? No! A rattling ball is an essential ingredient of blind football.
Coaches, together with players from the German Blind Soccer League, show the ins and outs of blind soccer.
They use a variety of exercises to make participants familiar with their new situation and to sharpen their awareness of what it is like to play soccer without being able to see.
A good center forward is going to know where the goal is even without being able to see it. Here Bayern forward Thomas Müller shows that he can stay on target, even blindfolded.
Mit Mobile modules also at major events on site: At the DFB Fan Fest in Aachen in 2019, young and old experienced the "New Sporting Experience" in blind football.
Under the guidance of blind soccer player Daniel Hoß and seeing trainer Birk Gebauer, the baskets had a whole new sporting experience. And with a lot of fun. With opaque glasses the 16 basketball players started into different games and confidence exercises. Exercising sport in complete darkness is a big challenge for every single athlete. You have to trust each other blindly.
Wheelchair basketball
Since 2018, the "New Sports Experience" funding project has offered the spectacular Wheelchair Basketball unit for sports clubs to make the fast and passionate hunt for baskets on wheels more accessible to children and young people. The attractive sport teaches the correct handling of handicaps and strengthens the team spirit of the team.
Wheelchair basketball is an impressive game on wheels in which the idea of inclusion also plays a role. In this fast sport, even non-handicapped players can sit in a wheelchair and try to throw baskets. The discipline of the Paralympics is similar to the classic basketball with its rules and is only extended by the requirements of the wheelchair. The groups learn the basic techniques of wheelchair driving and the holistic playing experience in a team.
At the beginning of each training session, the trainer familiarises the participants with the sports wheelchair, because the wheelchair is a new piece of sports equipment for all participants.
Passing and throwing exercises follow in order to approach individual game situations and celebrate the first basket successes. The instructors explain the exercises and give tips.
"Jumping ball" during the follow-up match of a training session of the New Sports Experience, in order to put what you have learned into practice.
The learning effect and the joy of the participants are always great. No wonder: They will not experience such a training session again so quickly.
Responsible Gaming mit aufnehmen
Gaming - intriguing to teenagers and incomprehensible to most parents. It is probably one of the biggest discussions between the two generations - the constant "gambling" on the smartphone or the console. How can the credible hobby be credibly conveyed by a responsible approach? Starting in 2019, the "New Sports Experience" will offer workshops on exactly this challenge for the first time and will show support for young people and adults.
The participants of the workshops learn about the diversity of digital sports through gaming experts and media educators. The "Responsible Gaming" experience is divided into two individually tailored training courses for teens and adults.
Former initiatives of the New Sports experience
Football connects! The Blind Stadium Experience project brings visually impaired and sighted students together within the scope of Bundesliga and DFB Cup games, allowing them a "New Sporting Experience" with an inclusive character. For the duration of the game, the sighted students place themselves in the perspective of the visually impaired youth by wearing opaque glasses. This strengthens the shared approach and inclusive interaction among the young people.
Also the exclusive experience "Parkour meets school" belonged to the program of the new sports experience. Through the program, schoolchildren can gain the experience that physical strength and skill go hand in hand with courage and team spirit. By learning completely new movement sequences, "Parkour meets school" promotes the creativity and physical well-being of all children.
Telekom and the Sepp Herberger Foundation (officially known as the "DFB-Stiftung Sepp Herberger") renewed their cooperation agreement dating from 2017.
"We have been a committed sponsor of the Blind Football Bundesliga (DBFL) since early 2017, and we are proud to be able to continue our cooperation over the next two years," stated Stephan Althoff, Head of Corporate Sponsoring at Deutsche Telekom. "Our commitment contributes significantly to this fascinating sport's development by providing financial support, helping to honor the outstanding achievements of its athletes and promoting public awareness." In addition to providing funding for the league's operations, the company plans to integrate its "New Sports Experiences" ("Neue Sporterfahrung") event format within the context of blind football matches. "Deutsche Telekom's announcement of continued support for the Blind Football Bundesliga over the next two years sends an important signal. The company's commitment highlights the athletic excellence of the sport's players, and it helps us to acquaint the public with this fascinating brand of football," explained Tobias Wrzesinski, Managing Director of the Sepp Herberger Foundation.
The Blind Football Bundesliga founded the Sepp Herberger Foundation in 2008, in cooperation with Germany's National Paralympic Committee (Deutscher Behindertensportverband) and the German association for the blind and visually impaired (Deutscher Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverband). Since 2011, the DBFL has taken a portion of its matches on the road, in a city-tour format that allows especially large numbers of people to enjoy the amazing levels of playing skill that people with disabilities can achieve. In blind football, players use a special ball that contains rattles. Simply by hearing the rattles, players know exactly where the ball is located at any time during play.
