I was able to learn how sports unite people when I was a youngster playing competitive and recreational sports with Frankfurt am Main. I have tried to pass on these experiences as a trainer and mentor of young people throughout my life. I have experienced how sport overcomes barriers. Professionally, I have worked independently with my company for 25 years in the USA and internationally in the field of recycling and upcycling.
When many people had to flee to Germany in 2015, I had the desire to help bring people together through sports. Open and low-threshold sports opportunities are best suited for this purpose. So in August 2016, I left the USA and my company to lead the integration and recreation program at ALBA Jugend and plan the covered basketball court at Jahn Sportpark. In May 2018, I then took over the sports management and coordination in Hangar 1 of Tempelhof Airport and worked there in particular on building a community. Since December 2019 I have been volunteering at TiB 1848 e.V. active. In order to implement the vision of spOrt365 Community and since November 2020 I am taking over the project management full-time.
Moments when very different sports and cultural practices are pursued at our events, side by side and with each other – swing dancing next to basketball, young next to old, Arabic next to Bavarian – make me realize again and again what I want to continue to put all my energy towards.
BARBORa
CO-LEAD sport 365
In my role as co-director of spOrt365, I am mostly found in the office. I was born in the Czech Republic and grew up in Germany. In my youth, I played basketball intensively and was able to get to know and love all aspects of the sport as a coach, player and referee. I completed my Bachelor's degree in International Relations in Prague and the Master's degree of the same name in Berlin. I speak German, English, French and Czech fluently. Since 2016 I have been working in the field of integration, one year of it as a primary school teacher for sports in the hotspot district Wedding-Gesundbrunnen. Another year I worked through ALBA Youth in the integration and recreation program and built up the locations Wedding, Marzahn and Tempelhof. From May 2018 to July 2019, I was instrumental in keeping Hangar 1 open to the public. Since August 2019, I have been working on setting up an ecological and public hall in Berlin. This is to provide a new home for the public, as well as schools and KITAS in the area. Sport is a medium without language and therefore it is ideal to get in direct contact with oneself as well as with other people. With the Gorlitzer Park we got a very demanding location – this challenge motivates me even more to create a multifaceted offer for all users and to connect them through sports.
Jamal
integrATIOn and events
I am on board as a trainee for youth, social affairs and integration/event management at spOrt365. You can find me on the grounds of Gorlitzer Park, recently more often in the office and of course at the events of spOrt365. As a streetballer, I was able to experience the connection between sports and culture/music early on. Nowadays I see sport and music as a means to reach people and to bring them together to work together as a community for a harmonious coexistence, free of any kind of discrimination.
spOrt365 offers a great platform for this, especially in Gorlitzer Park it is a big concern for me to make a difference.
Socially competent trainer
I work as a so-called "socially-competent trainer" as an interface between the club and its members. In addition, I am responsible for the supervision, implementation and planning of programs and events at all spOrt365 areas. In summer I can be found mainly at the sports park at the entrance Columbiadamm at Tempelhofer Feld .
I was born and raised in the south of Berlin. As a 10 year old I discovered my love for sports through club basketball. In the last 19 years I could gain experience and success in different basketball clubs. But also away from the club world I have a great passion for streetball and the related culture. As a teenager I spent the whole summers on the outdoor courts of Berlin. I participated in numerous 3×3 tournaments all over Germany and at the age of 17 I even won a German championship title in 3on3. Also during my education and work as a merchant I followed my passion and worked 5 years for a basketball retailer.
I appreciate the open and multicultural spirit of my hometown Berlin very much and would like to do my part to keep it alive. I have experienced basketball as a very open, diverse and social sport, where different people can meet each other.
Sport is a language that everyone understands! So in the future I am looking forward to sharing this language and the joys that come with it with spOrt365.
Robyn
Coach
I am currently doing a voluntary social year at spOrt365 and most of the time you can find me in the OSZ Handel 1, in the Gorlitzer Park or in the TiB. At spOrt365 I have the task to take care of the different locations, to recruit people for the community, to keep the attendance records etc.
I have been playing basketball for about 8 years and am generally very interested in sports and like to meet new people from all over the world, which is why I find my job at spOrt365 really cool.
Coach
I'm an instructor with a focus on basketball and my tasks are to welcome people at the check-in, help when there are questions, hand out balls and other equipment, create a good atmosphere (also with music) and of course shoot baskets with the guests and members, play games or give tips on how to protect the ball more effectively when dribbling for example.
I am mostly at the OSZ in Zeughofstrabe or soon again in Gorli.
I have been an avid basketball player since I was 9 years old and have played on several teams. Through training programs I have participated in myself (Germany and America) I also have a certain skills set, which I like to show and explain to motivated young players.
I want to share my love for basketball and show people how to connect anywhere in the world through basketball – It's never too early or too late to work on your skills and have fun while playing.
Farid
Craft / skateboarding
I am Farid Ulrich, born and raised in a comunal house project in the center of berlin. I started skateboarding when I was 11 years old and by the age of 17 I turned my hobby into a professional career.
After almost 20 years of skating I can say that I found a second family in the skateboarding scene. A multi cultural, intergenerational, global scene that has a place for everybody in it.
I see a big potential in skateparks and "fun sport parks" in general. They bring together and bind many diffrent kinds of people; they build networks of many individuals.
But since skateparks in berlin are mostly outdated or even weathered and therefore unusable, we're missing these kinds of spots. Out of necessity my friends and I started building skate ramps ourselfs. Our latest project became one of the biggest and most beloved skateparks in berlin without any budget or funding.
My goal is to build a new pivot point of skateboarding in berlin and set the way for youngsters to be able to compete on a global level.
ANgelo
Socially competent coach
You can find me at Gorli usually on the weekends taking care of people and supplies. I've always been interested in sports in general so my curiosity brought me on trying different activities like basketball, football, handball, table tennis, volleyball, frisbee, ice skating, skiing, snowboarding etc.. Then my interest moved on street sports like skateboarding, inline skating and bmx but I still enjoy any kind of sport. Nowdays football and frisbee are the one that tease me more. I think doing sport is something that comes so natural: If you give a child a ball, first thing he/she/they gonna do is kick it or throw it.
My other interests are screen printing and drawing, that actually are my main jobs, music and cinema.
Shane
Communication
I take care of the social media platforms of spOrt365 and manage our website. Additionally, I do content creation. I work in remote office.
Whether it's through my experience in founding and operating an international NGO, digital design, or baseball coaching, I offer a unique worldview and perspective coupled with a wide range of skills that are essential in both creating the culture and fulfilling the mission of spOrt365 Community.
We are in this together so lets build and have a blast doing!
I love coaching and playing baseball, have 4 beautiful daughters and a lovely wife, and a strong faith.
Karry
Coach
I am an exercise instructor at spOrt365 and manage the sports fields. Occasionally I am involved in events as a supervisor/coach. You can find me mainly in the Gorli and in the Ortwin Rau Cage on Tempelhofer Feld. Or even as a player in OSZ! I have been playing basketball for many years and am a sports enthusiast in general! I became part of spOrt365 because I am convinced of its intention! The bringing together of different cultures, people, interests through sports I find just great 🙂 For me it is also a chance to get to know the work with people. As I myself grew up in the Dominican Republic, the topic of racism and discrimination weighs heavily on me and I am super happy to be a part of a project that deals with it in a way that I find good! For me, my main task is to push women and girls in sports, so that the sports world simply gets more enthusiastic women! And I think since I grew up in the club world myself, I know how hard it can be as a woman sometimes (but also for other genders, including men). But what spurred me on were the free places, because I was always the only girl playing against all the men and I learned so much there! I hope to gain a lot of experience at spOrt365, which I can use for my future life, because I also want to work with people and have plans for South America in this regard.
I am always open for a fast game or 1 vs 1 especially in basketball but in other sports I am always happy to join!