Stefan Schützenhofer, Kurt Kerschbaummair and Franz Waldhör have managed to do what was considered impossible in Katsdorf for decades: With the “Katsdorf Juniors” they created a joint football club in which all children and young people can train in a common club. Regardless of whether their families sympathize more with the Union or with ASKÖ. Because Katsdorf is one of the few communities in the Mühlviertel where both umbrella organizations are active in football.
“We have established the Katsdorf Juniors as an independent club. With its own logo, its own budget, its own website, but the full support of both clubs,” says Stefan Schützenhofer, who this year was named district winner on behalf of his team in the volunteer election of the sports state of Upper Austria.
“The Juniors are the best thing that could have happened to Katsdorfer Sport,” says Kurt Kerschbaummair. Of course you always have to keep the balance between the Union and ASKÖ Katsdorf. “It takes a lot of communication.” But in the meantime, the success of the “Katsdorf Juniors” project is right: more teams than ever before are active for Katsdorf in the most diverse junior classes. “Of course, that also has to do with the fact that we have a lot of newcomers in the community and more girls are playing soccer,” says Stefan Schützenhofer. But Katsdorf is convinced that the Juniors project also played a major part in this.
Thanks to the good connections to the football scene, the children were also able to take part in the international “Champions Trophy” as well as meet football professionals and star trainers like Marcel Koller. In the meantime, the first talents are already being used in the 1b eleven of the Katsdorf adult teams. Franz Waldhör: “But the most important thing is that we can spark enthusiasm for football in the children.”
Source: Nachrichten
