Most of the things you already know from us:

We love sports!

We prefer to move in the fresh air!

We keep the neighborhood fun and fit!

But how did it all begin?

An interview with the founder Samuel Bisrat

For myself, sports have always been more than just a daily fun factor. The daily challenge was an outlet and support for me. As a child and teenager I had not only rosy times, and especially then sport, I played soccer, was indispensable. At the same time, team sport enabled me to make many social contacts, some of which I can still maintain today. Many of my childhood friends didn’t choose such a healthy, productive way to deal with problems, and it pains me to know that. I’ve always been very sporty and the successes have given me a lot. I was also able to develop many positive characteristics in sport, such as a fighter’s mentality and discipline, which still accompany me today and enable me to make my way. The idea of Outdoorkids ultimately arose from the desire to enable as many children as possible to follow a similar path.

The first course started in 2016. I already had the idea for the company in my head, but at the time I was still a driver for Foodora, the food delivery service. After my shift, I went to the bridge playground to talk to a few interested parents there – albeit in a Foodora T-shirt and with this huge bag. I just wanted to jump in at the deep end, but I didn’t necessarily want it to be immediately obvious that I work for Foodora. So I hid the bag and my bike behind bushes at the edge of the park.

Our vision is to constantly expand and further develop the range. We want to reach more children by constantly staying on the move and trying out new, creative approaches. Standing still is a step backwards, and this is especially true when working with children. We always want to bring a breath of fresh air into our programs and also consider children from socially disadvantaged families. Sport, health and care are urgently needed in these contexts in particular. We already work with charity organizations such as ‘Mainlichtblick’ and plan to invest 1% of our annual turnover in social projects for children in the future. This is an important part of our identity. As we grow, so does our social impact.

I would say first half of the second half. It’s an exciting phase in which a lot is happening, also for me personally. The game is running and there are always moments when I have to adapt my tactics and those of the team. It is crucial that everyone in the team is good and knows their job. Each individual must be committed and enjoy their work. That’s how growth works for us. We have achieved a certain degree of regional recognition, but nothing can be taken for granted yet. Every day demands attention, organizational talent and motivation. But honestly, we’re doing all of that pretty well right now. At the moment I feel myself and my team invincible until the final whistle!