Football is one of the most popular sports in the world and has enormous membership numbers. Children can already go to football training in the "Bambini" age group. The goal of improving performance and the knowledge that attention must be paid to the physical development characteristics in the individual age groups is often given. However, a holistic development of the children is to be aimed for, which does not stop at the physical level, but also continues on the mental development. A sport that is socially responsible not only aims to give disadvantaged children access to sport and enables inclusion through school and social integration of children from different backgrounds. It is also about the social impact of physical activity and how to develop social and personal skills.

Given the enormous reach and influence of the sport of football, there is a certain amount of responsibility associated with it. Emotions are part of the sport, but where the limits lie is often not clear or is easily forgotten. However, if values are taught at an early age, they can be internalised and used to oppose various behaviour patterns. Sport in general is one of the most effective ways of attracting children and young people into a social environment. Sport can thus serve as a source of hope and anchor. It is not only the parents who have the responsibility to educate their children, but also the coaches and trainers.

Social and personal skills can be taught in a playful way. It is extremely important to take responsibility for personality development, as certain values are not always conveyed "at home". It should be clear to every trainer and instructor that in addition to physical health, mental health should also be focused on. Therefore the training should not only focus on the technical, tactical and physical aspects but also on the personal and social aspects. In the best case this is not only done by talking, but also by experiencing and reflecting. It is important not only to focus on this next to the court, but also to emphasise it during the training.

Difficulties lie in the fact that there is often a lack of knowledge about which aspects should be considered and how they can be integrated into the training. Mental and personality training are complex and involve a lot of responsibility, which is why this problem needs to be dealt with much more intensively. Giving feedback is of great importance. It should not only be possible to follow orders , but also to act on their own behalf. In this way it is possible to convey social and personal skills in a sustainable way.

Below is a list of social and personal competences that should be taken into account in the training process. The imparting of these competences is to be seen as a learning process. It can be assumed that the individual aspects are differently developed. Therefore the trainer's patience is also required.

Social skills

•  Respect and tolerance

•  Ability to work in a team and cooperation

•  Empathy

•  Trust

•  Gratitude

•  Solidarity and helpfulness

•  Responsibility for other people

•  Communication

•  Motivating others

Personal skills

•  self-awareness

•  Self-confidence

•  Self-reflection

•  Motivation (goals)

•  Personal responsibility

•  Discipline and self-control

•  Assertiveness

•  Dealing with pressure situations

•  Creativity

•  Concentration

In order to gain a sufficient understanding of the topic, further research and training is necessary.

References

Bradish, C., & Cronin, J. J. (2009). Corporate social responsibility in sport. Journal of Sport Management, 23(6), 691-697.

Godfrey, P. C. (2009). Corporate social responsibility in sport: An overview and key issues. Journal of sport management, 23(6), 698-716.

Smith, A. C., & Westerbeek, H. M. (2007). Sport as a vehicle for deploying corporate social responsibility. Journal of corporate citizenship, (25), 43-54.

Vaihinger, P., & Hofmann, J. (2020). Vermittlung sozialer und persönlicher Kompetenzen durch Fußball: Handbuch Home of Goals. tredition.

Walters, G. (2009). Corporate social responsibility through sport. The Journal of Corporate Citizenship, 35, 81-94.