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German pupils dribble 3000 kilometres to Basel
„Fit on the ball“ reaches “Phase V”: Guinness world record attempt „Fit on the ball 3000“ starts in Leipzig 100 days before the European Championships / Awarded by „Germany – land of ideas“ for biggest school sport furtherance in Germany
„Fit on the ball – The School Cup of funny-frisch“ is Germany’s major campaigne in furthering physical education in schools. It was initiated and has been funded by the Cologne based potato crisps manufacturer “Intersnack”. The campaigne’s contents are due to the German Sports University, Cologne. „Fit on the ball“, founded in 2003: a unique success story!
In between 2003 and 2007 more than 50.000 pupils were supported on the basis of voluntary sport working groups. More than 250.000 pupils, parents and teachers are now familiar with the contents and intentions of “Fit on the ball”, a preventive project against overweight and adiposity, which is accompanied by extensive sociological basic research. The evaluation of the programme has produced pathbreaking achievements so far and even turned into an international campaigne: The University of Vienna adopted “Fit on the ball” for Austria.
Also in 2008 the pedagogical-practical furthering of sports and the concomitant sociological research in terms of causes for overweight children (responsible: Prof. Dr. Ulrich Oevermann, Frankfurt/Main) will be provided for about 1.500 schools. The main focus of this “Phase V” of “Fit on the ball” will be, however, the attraction of the public’s ear for the campaigne’s message: promoting a healthy lifestyle including doing sports on a regular base and a well-balanced nutrition. The title of the nationwide projekt is: “Fit on the ball 3000 – the dribble-world-record of funny-frisch”.
The idea of “Fit on the ball 3000”: 100 days before the European Championships’ kick-off, pupils will attempt to cover a distance of 3000 kilometres while dribbling one ball. Similar to the olympic torch-relay this football-relay intents to “project the euphoria of the last FIFA World Cup in Germany onto the following international football tournament, the European Championships”, explains project manager Prof. h. c. Dr. Jürgen Buschmann.
The world record-attempt begins on February 29, 2008 in Leipzig and finishes exactly 100 days later on June 7 at the opening ceremony for the European Championships in Basel. The track chosen for this attempt will touch all twelve venues of the FIFA World Cup 2006. The symbolic forerun was performed by a Cologne prep school in cooperation with football world champion Steffi Jones.
All schools that are interested in participating in the world record attempt are very welcome to apply on our homepage www.fitamball3000.de. Every school will have to cover a distance round about 15-20 kilometres in estimated four hours according to the official football rules and while dribbling, of course . The section in question will be chosen by the organisation office of “Fit on the ball 3000”. The teams have to consist of boys and girls from grades 3 to 6.
“Fit on the ball 3000” will submit itself under the strict testing-rules of “Guinness World Records”. If the attempt succeeds (3.000 kilometres of dribbling in 100 days) the distance will be extended for the next “Fit on the ball”-run prior to the next FIFA World Cup in South Africa 2010. This year’s forerun-team (pupils of the GGS Dellbrücker Hauptstraße), by the way, managed to cover the given distance of 13,86 kilometres in exactly 2:18 h (measurement: Garmin).
„Fit on the ball“ is a logo project of the nationwide initiative “platform nutrition and physical activity” and was awarded by the very renowned initiative “Germany – 365 places in the land of ideas” (under the patronage of federal president Horst Köhler). The prize was awarded on November 1, 2007 in line with the scientific forum FABCON 07 at the German Sports University, Cologne.
Link to the Homepage of "Fit on the ball 3000":
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