As a kid, at some point in time when you were outside playing with the kids in the neighborhood, you probably imagined that you were your favorite athlete in the final minutes of the game. Whether it was basketball, football or soccer, your imagination probably ran wild while playing.
But, some kids around the world don’t have the opportunity to live out their imagination with the proper sports equipment. That is, until Tim Jahnigen created an invention that has changed the lives of millions of children around the globe.
The invention of the OneWorld Futbol is beginning to play a fundamental role in the solution to the long-term social development problems in struggling regions.
Sports are an essential part of human development because they teach indispensable lessons about conflict resolution, tolerance, team work and most of all, sports act as an escape from hardships that many people bear in their lives.
But, in places where an escape is needed most, like refugee camps and remote rural villages where children live and play, traditional soccer balls do not last.
The vision behind his OneWorld Futbol invention came when Jahnigen watched a documentary about kids who lived in war zones. With big ideas and a little amount of money, he turned to the connections that he had met along the way in his music endeavors. Ultimately, he would tell Sting about the idea, who ended up funding his research.
After he received funding, Jahnigen decided to put on his thinking cap and come up with a plan to invent a soccer ball that was indestructible. He envisioned a ball that was made of injection-molded, closed-cell foam that is a lot like the material used to make Crocs shoes. This material can endure harsh environments, cannot be deflated and won’t get waterlogged. Essentially, this soccer ball was made to survive.
Because of Janhigen’s invention, his company has given an estimated 21 million children the opportunity to play sports by distributing over 700,000 indestructible soccer balls in over 160 countries.
Jahnigen wanted to invent a soccer ball that was as durable as a kid’s spirit and we think he did just that. Take a look at this video to get a better look at this indestructible ball in action!
Copyright Davison 2014
Sources:
http://mashable.com/2014/01/13/indestructible-soccer-ball-oneworld-futbol/
http://www.oneworldfutbol.com/our-stories/about-the-ball/
Media:
http://www.oneworldfutbol.com/our-stories/about-the-ball/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fJxgcgHq9E