The Youth Development Coach of Dortmund, Otto Addo has inspired hundreds of juvenile footballers in Ghana to balance playing football with education and pay more attention to reading and writing in order to help them realize their dreams.
According to the former Black Stars coach, the importance of education in modern day life can not be over emphasized to all especially to footballers as it is an important tool to help one remain a professional, disciplined and play at the highest level.
Addressing dozens of participants at the 10th edition of African Books and Boots project at the Kawukudi Park in Nima, Otto Addo charged the participants to pay extra attention to their education and balance it with hard work to help realize their dreams.
“We also have to beside do a little of education. It’s very important because it’s not everyone who can be a footballer and even if you want to be a footballer, after football, there is life after wards, so you have to do a lot of reading and a lot of learning. You have to work hard on the pitch but also off the pitch. So to become a good person, this is the most important thing and then everything else will fall in your hands”.
Books and Boots project which started exactly 10 years ago has given hope to countless number of footballers and individuals notable among them are, Ajax Amsterdam and Borussia Dortmund forward Kudus Mohamed, Majeed Ashimeru and goalkeeper Manaf Nurudeen.
The founder of Books and Boots, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah in an interview with Citi News expressed satisfaction with the work of his outfit in nurturing and developing talents over the past 10 years said the visit of the former Black Stars coach will go a long way to inspire the kids.
“I am sure if you will talk to some of the kids here, they will tell you how delighted they were when we told them Otto Addo is coming. They didn’t quite believe Otto Addo was coming and when he got here you could see the behaviour and their reaction. They are just delighted and thrilled that a whole Otto Addo will come and spend time with them and talk to them and even more significantly promised or pledged that whatever he can do to help, sustain and progress what we are doing, he will do”.
On her part the Founder of Active Minds Reading Club, Rita Agyen Takyi who noted the importance of active reading to the footballers at a younger age called on all parents to help their wards with the provision of books and also encouraged them to make use of books on the internet and frequently visit community libraries.
