The season of sport is well underway. The Olympics have started, football didn’t come home, and we all know what happened at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. The country of tennis is organizing yet another international tournament – Belgrade Ladies Open. The donation of balls and the public practice announced the tournament in the best possible way.

Our founder Novak Djokovic is someone who lives his dream but also wants to inspire others to believe in themselves and their own dreams, follow them and fight for them. However, in most situations, dreams and wishes are not sufficient to succeed, because they must be supported by parents, teachers, and coaches, and all others that genuinely care about children at a young age. This donation of tennis balls will allow children all over Serbia to train and play in better conditions because sport at this age should be precisely that – play.

“We at the Novak Djokovic Foundation, and within our program Path of a Champion, are very proud and happy to donate kids’ tennis balls to clubs in Serbia who are actively working on the popularization of the sport. With their dedicated work, they confirm time and again that they are on the right path of a champion that leads to success through play. The enlargement of this donation to clubs in the neighboring countries encompasses Novak’s personal beliefs and values that sport connects people, overcomes differences, and transcends boundaries – while uniting them into one winning team on all world meridians, whether they are in our part of the world or, like Novak at the moment – in Tokyo!” – said Ana Jovanović, manager and author of the program Path of a Champion, and a former international of Serbia’s Fed Cup team.

You might be wondering what were our future champions doing during public practice. Well, they were jumping, collecting balls, running through drills, practiced forehand and backhand”¦ some may have tripped on clay or dirtied their clothes, so what? What matters is that we had fun and made new friends! Under the watchful eye of Kaća, Robi, Dragan, and other coaches at Novak Tennis Center, children from Kragujevac, Šid, Valjevo, and other cities trained and went home overjoyed.

 “It’s important for children to take up sports at the age of five in order to better understand teamwork and healthy competition. Up until they are ten, it’s essential that, through play, they experience as many sports as possible. Today we practiced on two courts divided into four drills. We developed kids’ motor skills and coordination, and we also explained different ways of movement on a tennis court. Kids learned contact, forehand and backhand. Some clubs from Serbia got new balls which is very important in their further development as it will give them an opportunity to practice according to the Tennis 10s standards.” – observed Katarina Vranić – Kaća, one of the wonderful coaches at Novak Tennis Center.

When asked what they liked best during practice, kids provided interesting answers: Vera, Lena, Nadja, and Misha fancied drills and running, whereas Andrea, Ray, Sasha, Moma, Andrej, and Andreja preferred hitting balls and perfecting their forehand and backhand. Tara, Luka, and Janko, our little diplomats, said that there was nothing that they didn’t like and that everything was super!

Why, thank you, lads and lassies, that’s what we like to hear!

Now, what are their dreams and what would they like to be when they grow up? Well, Ray is determined to become a tennis player, Andrea will be an actress, while Andreja will become a waiter! Wow, how cool is that!

For all our future athletes, pilots, seafarers, and astronauts who are paving their path of a champion, Novak Djokovic Foundation is actively working on providing valuable support to everyone in the children’s environment who wishes them well, just like us.

Novak’s sincere wish is to bring closer together and unite all people through sport while making it more accessible and affordable to a growing number of children. This donation of tennis balls does not end here, as it is about to continue in the neighboring countries as well.

Thank you for supporting our mission. Keep following the kids and the balls on their path of a champion!

The post From THE Champion to Future Champions: Novak Djokovic Foundation Continues to Encourage Children to Play Sports appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

The season of sport is well underway. The Olympics have started, football didn’t come home, and we all know what happened at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. The country of tennis is organizing yet another international tournament – Belgrade Ladies Open. The donation of balls and the public practice announced the tournament in the best possible way.

Our founder Novak Djokovic is someone who lives his dream but also wants to inspire others to believe in themselves and their own dreams, follow them and fight for them. However, in most situations, dreams and wishes are not sufficient to succeed, because they must be supported by parents, teachers, and coaches, and all others that genuinely care about children at a young age. This donation of tennis balls will allow children all over Serbia to train and play in better conditions because sport at this age should be precisely that – play.

“We at the Novak Djokovic Foundation, and within our program Path of a Champion, are very proud and happy to donate kids’ tennis balls to clubs in Serbia who are actively working on the popularization of the sport. With their dedicated work, they confirm time and again that they are on the right path of a champion that leads to success through play. The enlargement of this donation to clubs in the neighboring countries encompasses Novak’s personal beliefs and values that sport connects people, overcomes differences, and transcends boundaries – while uniting them into one winning team on all world meridians, whether they are in our part of the world or, like Novak at the moment – in Tokyo!” – said Ana Jovanović, manager and author of the program Path of a Champion, and a former international of Serbia’s Fed Cup team.

You might be wondering what were our future champions doing during public practice. Well, they were jumping, collecting balls, running through drills, practiced forehand and backhand”¦ some may have tripped on clay or dirtied their clothes, so what? What matters is that we had fun and made new friends! Under the watchful eye of Kaća, Robi, Dragan, and other coaches at Novak Tennis Center, children from Kragujevac, Šid, Valjevo, and other cities trained and went home overjoyed.

 “It’s important for children to take up sports at the age of five in order to better understand teamwork and healthy competition. Up until they are ten, it’s essential that, through play, they experience as many sports as possible. Today we practiced on two courts divided into four drills. We developed kids’ motor skills and coordination, and we also explained different ways of movement on a tennis court. Kids learned contact, forehand and backhand. Some clubs from Serbia got new balls which is very important in their further development as it will give them an opportunity to practice according to the Tennis 10s standards.” – observed Katarina Vranić – Kaća, one of the wonderful coaches at Novak Tennis Center.

When asked what they liked best during practice, kids provided interesting answers: Vera, Lena, Nadja, and Misha fancied drills and running, whereas Andrea, Ray, Sasha, Moma, Andrej, and Andreja preferred hitting balls and perfecting their forehand and backhand. Tara, Luka, and Janko, our little diplomats, said that there was nothing that they didn’t like and that everything was super!

Why, thank you, lads and lassies, that’s what we like to hear!

Now, what are their dreams and what would they like to be when they grow up? Well, Ray is determined to become a tennis player, Andrea will be an actress, while Andreja will become a waiter! Wow, how cool is that!

For all our future athletes, pilots, seafarers, and astronauts who are paving their path of a champion, Novak Djokovic Foundation is actively working on providing valuable support to everyone in the children’s environment who wishes them well, just like us.

Novak’s sincere wish is to bring closer together and unite all people through sport while making it more accessible and affordable to a growing number of children. This donation of tennis balls does not end here, as it is about to continue in the neighboring countries as well.

Thank you for supporting our mission. Keep following the kids and the balls on their path of a champion!

The post From THE Champion to Future Champions: Novak Djokovic Foundation Continues to Encourage Children to Play Sports appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

So many years ago, I was just a regular 6-year-old who only had a big dream and a relentless passion to see that dream come true. I was lucky enough to have a family who valued my dream and wanted to do anything to support it. I had friends who were with me every step of the way. I had an amazing coach and mentor in Jelena Gencic who nurtured both my mental strength and physical endurance. She continuously inspired me to be curious and embrace my love of learning.

Because of my strong foundation built early on, I was able to persist on my path to becoming World Number 1.

Do you know how many children in the world can say this for themselves?

– Very few.

This fact is why you’re reading this letter.

My passion and focus at NDF is to fight for each child in Serbia so they too can realize their wildest dreams. I truly believe this feat is possible – and possible in our lifetime.

A few years back, a wonderful girl named Malala said something that really stuck with me:

“One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.“

And I can’t agree more. Education can indeed change the world and through the work of my Novak Djokovic Foundation, that is exactly what we have set out to accomplish – create a better future, one child at a time.

Last year, we were bold and did something completely different – we raised $31k in one short week via my 31^st birthday – not through a gala dinner or traditional fundraiser, but online through the power of social media!

The outwardly loving responses from people blew me away. Because of that fundraiser, we equipped and opened two new preschools and gave generations of children a new future. Trust me when I say their smiles were worth it!

Last year’s campaign is why I’ve asked my team to once again dedicate my birthday to the people and children of Serbia.

My goal is to raise symbolical $32k. This way, together we will aim to open 1 more preschool. Let’s do it!

Join your hearts with mine on this endeavor!

Thank you in advance, my friends!

Love,
Novak

The post I’m turning 32 and I want to dedicate my birthday to the children of Serbia appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

Dear friends,

 

I am sorry that I cannot be there with you tonight. I have an exciting week ahead of me at the Miami Masters, so wish me good luck.

 

I am extremely happy and grateful to receive the news that you have recognized the Novak Djokovic Foundation as the best humanitarian organization, and me the humanitarian of the year.

 

Ever since I was little, I had many dreams and wishes – and I have achieved many of those dreams and wishes on the court. Winning trophies turned into a different kind of passion. My victories are no longer only mine. I use the means, the voice and influence I have to help those who need help the most. These are the children who are yet to achieve their potential and become successful individuals. Today, more than ever, we question our parenting skills, and we feel the need to learn about how to be real and honest support in the development of our children. I am also learning about this, and this is certainly one of the most valuable lessons for me.

 

Even though I am a singles player on the court, in life and in humanitarian actions I am by no means alone.

 

I would also like to touch on this award symbolically, and dedicate it to those who play matches on the court of humanity every day – my team at the Foundation, led by my wife, our partners, organizations that are working as passionately as we are on changing the statistics, all the wonderful teachers and lecturers, parents.

It makes me happy that you have recognized my team as trustworthy and I look forward to inviting you to join us on our projects and actively support our work.

 

Then we are all winners.

 

Today, Serbia has several hundred more facilities for preschool children, thanks to all of us who believe in the early development. In 20-30 years, someone will sit where we are now, instead of us. We should start thinking about that now. Let us be replaced by those who are better than us. Let’s believe in their dreams together.

 

 

Thank you,

 

Novak Djokovic

The post Novak Djokovic, Humanitarian of the year award: “Let’s believe in children’s dreams together” appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

Early Childhood Education (ECE) and Early Childhood Development (ECD) are consistently proven to be of unfathomable importance to a child’s developing brain. Students who begin school early, around three or four years of age, consistently and unambiguously perform better in school in subsequent years, and, as a result, for the rest of their lives. Their whole lives! This isn’t a matter of improving one or two years of a child’s life. Early education is much more vital than that: it sets a child up to be a successful and well-rounded adolescent, adult, professional, parent, and citizen. We’re hopped up on getting as many children into preschool and kindergarten as possible because these children deserve a lifetime of happiness and stability. We love them as the children they are and for the adults they deserve to be. And so, with your amazing and generous help, we’re building schools and classrooms to give as many children as possible the chance to thrive forever.

Our latest project is in the suburb of Medosevac, in the city of Nis, at a primary school known locally as Milan Rakic. The community of Medosevac rallied together, and the local government and existing primary school worked closely with the NDF to identify an old school building which, once refurbished, will be able to accommodate three preschool classrooms for one hundred children. One hundred children! Each year.

With an initial investment of EUR 62,000 from the NDF and an added contribution of EUR 24,000, as well as an additional EUR 26,000 from the city of NIS, a total of EUR 112,000 will be used to completely renovate the 250 m2 (2,690 ft2) space.

Everything about this space will be completely transformed. We will be replacing old windows and doors, plastering and painting internal walls and ceilings, laying new flooring, and installing new wiring, and a comprehensive fire protection system.

The preschool will meet all safety and health standards, and will include a modern kitchen, nursery room for unwell children, teacher’s office, bathrooms, as well as three well-appointed classrooms.  

And in order that the outside matches the inside, we’re going ahead and repairing the façade, glazing external entrances, so to meet energy efficiency requirements, and installing ramps for people with disabilities at the main facility entrance.

We’re so excited about this project.

Like really, really excited.

So we decided to hold a celebration at Milan Rakic with Novak Djokovic for the families and children who will enjoy the finished preschool facilities. And look at their faces! So much enthusiasm and playfulness and fun.

During the day, in between exploring with the children and chatting with moms and dads, Novak said:

It’s a great privilege for me and my foundation to be able to help those in need and support projects initiated by people willing to make great things happen in their communities. I’m glad we all share the same goal – to create a safe, caring and stimulating environment for the proper development and education of children and thus give them a good start in life. The fact that over 100 wonderful boys and girls will benefit from attending this preschool fills my heart with happiness. Here they will learn many new things, discover their hidden talents, master valuable skills, play and enjoy with their peers, forge new friendships and cultivate fond memories of that time. Kindergarten lays a vital foundation for later academic success and this new facility will provide children in Medosevac and nearby places the opportunity to enjoy high-quality preschool programs, which is extremely important for their early development.

We couldn’t have said it better, Novak. This project, this school, and all of the schools we’ve refurbished or built, and all of the schools we’ve yet to refurbish or rebuild, fill our hearts with the unspeakable happiness of knowing that the little ones we see with such clarity and affection will go on to have a life well lived. A life full of joy and love.

The kind of life they are so very worthy of. Don’t you agree?

The post How Novak Djokovic Spent a Day with Kids in Medosevac appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

Yesterday, at the annual 2016 Spring Conference at the World Bank in Washington D.C, the World Bank Group President Jim Kim, UNICEF Executive Director Tony Lake and a panel of experts launched a global movement to ensure all children around the world have equal opportunities to thrive and develop. Our founder, Novak Djokovic, joined them and in his heartfelt message, urged leaders around the world to recognize importance of investing into early childhood education and development.

In today’s day and age, I am saddened that nearly half of all 3 to 6 years olds don’t have access to pre-primary education and one quarter of them is chronically malnourished. These gaps harm their brain development and have lifelong adverse consequences.

I was fortunate to have a loving family and much support as a young child. Now, it is my mission in life to help children across the world to have the opportunities they deserve. For this reason, I have founded the Novak Djokovic Foundation and together with UNICEF and the World Bank, we are making great things happen. Let’s start a movement and ensure we hit the ECD targets for the Sustainable Development Goals, said Djokovic.

This conference on ECE and ECD is of a historical importance. It was organised to gather the world leaders and present to them the simple truth:

• In order for us to put a stop on childhood stunting, we need to treat this as a development and an economic emergency; we need to show the world that we need to unite behind a common goal: to deliver universal access to ECD services as quickly as possible – to as many children as possible.

We at NDF strongly believe that providing early childhood education and development is not only morally right but also economically smart: if we don’t invest in our youngest, we cannot count that our countries will have sustainable economic futures.

If we don’t help our children develop into caring and productive citizens of the world, issues pertaining to inequality, rising poverty and crime rates will continue to plague our societies.

Most importantly, if we do not recognize childhood stunting as a rising problem globally, our children will continue to learn less and less at schools and will underperform in all fields of life because We have failed to give them proper care and stimulation during their formative years.

Just like our founder – Novak Djokovic – the Foundation too remains committed to leading the way in promoting the optimal development of young children. Through number of our existing programs that range from building preschools and providing high quality ECE programs to ensuring professional development of our teachers, we support children’s most crucial years of early physical, emotional and intellectual development.

Talking about Early Childhood Education and Development and the leadership of the Novak Djokovic Foundation, World Bank President Kim recently said:

I’m so excited about Novak and Jelena taking up the early childhood development, because, in my view, one of the greatest sins that all of us are committing everyday is to allow the persistence of childhood stunting.

And to have someone like Novak Djokovic and Jelena – have the two of them – stand up and say, this is what we stand for – this is the most fundamental issue around poverty and inequality. I’m going to meetings all the time, and I’m saying: Novak Djokovic is committed to ending inequality in Early Childhood Education, what about you?

I think that if you’re not committed to ending childhood stunting, then you’re not really committed to addressing inequality.

The post Novak Djokovic Calls for Global Action on Tackling Early Childhood Education appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

To promote the values and potential of sport, 6 April was declared the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) by the UN General Assembly. Although, the UN has identified sport’s true potential in the promotion of peace and development, it wasn’t until August 23rd, 2013, that sport would get a worldwide recognition.

Having a unique power to attract, mobilize and to inspire, sport plays a significant role as a promoter of social integration and economic development and it is a powerful tool for strengthening social ties and networks. It promotes ideals of peace, fraternity, solidarity, tolerance, nonviolence, and justice.

The Novak Djokovic Foundation honors 6th of April every year either through video campaigns raising awareness of importance of sport or by organizing sporting events for children. Through an uncompromising global leadership  of our Founder, Novak Djokovic,  our goal is to teach children sporting values that can help them grow up and develop to their full potential.

Novak Djokovic’s Speech at the UN General Assembly

On a hot summer day of August 23, 2013  Novak Djokovic made his way to the international United Nations HQ on the East River, Manhattan. Because of the unparalleled game of tennis  in 2012/2013, Djokovic was invited to address the UN General Assembly on behalf of all the world’s athletes. His war-torn background marked him a true representative of how sport can help people overcome adversity and win the game of life.

It is a real honor to address the United Nations, and to be given the exceptional privilege to speak on behalf of the global family of athletes on this historic day.

I was born and raised in a small but proud country that has gone through difficult times in the last decades. It was during that period of hardship that sports became an integral part of my life: everything changed for me when I saw Pete Sampras triumph at Wimbledon. He became my idol. I dreamt of being just like him, the number one tennis player in the world.

It took me thirteen years to achieve my goal. It was a long journey, and it was not mine alone.

I hope this International Day will motivate each of us to invest, in every way possible, additional efforts in cultivating the intrinsic sporting values, such as fair-play, teamwork, and respect for opponents. These are universal. Every successful society is built on them. The more we instill respect and appreciation for these in ourselves, the better world we will be leaving to our successors, said Djokovic.

Sport Is Not about Winning, It Is about Being Part  of Something Great

For Djokovic, sport is not about winning. It is about participating and being part of something greater than he is. For the tennis No.1, sport is a source of well-being, connection and belonging.

When we play sport, we all feel that sense of belonging to the game we are playing and to one another. Nothing else but the game and the team we are playing for – exists. All those cultural, racial and gender boundaries are getting  broken down and what is left are the best possible human values at play: respect for the one another, acceptance of binding rules, teamwork and fair-play.

Editorial Credit: Leonard Zhukovsky / Shutterstock.com

By gaining importance in the world of economy and international politics, sport has become integral to everyday life. In a political and social context, sport has even more power. It reaches out to those most in need and helps them to overcome adversity by building and strengthening their character. Slowly but surely, sport has become an essential  part of customs and habits of each and every nation.

The founder of the Olympic Movement, Pierre de Coubertin, once said that “peace could be the product only of a better world; a better world could be brought about only by better individuals; and better individuals could be developed only by the give and take, [“¦] the stress and strain, of free competition.”

But competition is not only about besting one’s opponent; it’s not just about trophies and medals, either. It is a form of personal empowerment, an internal pursuit of excellence, and a healthy, wholesome way to discipline your mind and body. “– Novak Djokovic

Sport Prepares Us to Battle Obstacles in Our Own Lives

If we work hard and believe in ourselves, there is nothing we cannot achieve. When we fall down, sport teaches us how to get up, dust ourselves up, and move on because another obstacle will soon present itself and we need to be prepared to bounce back and overcome it.

We learn to always be ready to change our game, to adapt to the playing field and to anticipate what our opponents will do next so that we may counteract. Doesn’t that sound a lot like something we do every day, away from the sport field? Doesn’t that sound like life?

Through his philanthropic and global activism in Early Childhood Education and Development, Djokovic also recognizes the social benefits of sports for the children’s development and building of the positive character traits:

More and more children now have the chance to get a head start through access to pre-school education and sporting facilities, which unleashes their creative energy and channels it in a positive direction.

They also learn to work together for a common purpose; they get off the streets and away from drugs and crime, and their horizons begin to expand.

I’ve seen how fast they progress, and how they start believing in themselves. Their self-confidence grows by the day as they learn that improvement and success come only with hard work, and that they won’t get anywhere if they give up in the face of adversity.  – Novak Djokovic

Benefits of Sport for Child’s Development

• – Children’s characters and moral principles get formed through fair play.
• – They learn to view competitions on and off the field as opportunities to learn from their successes and failures.
• – They build positive images of themselves and others
• – They learn about unity and acceptance of others regardless of their nationality, religion, culture, or skin color.
• – They adopt healthy lifestyle from an early age
• – They are less likely to be on the streets if they play sports and are among others who promote good values

International Day of Sport for Development and Peace

The Novak Djokovic Foundation honors 6th of April every year either through video campaigns raising awareness of importance of sport or by organizing sporting events for children.

Novak Djokovic Foundation will commemorate this year’s International Day of Sport by organizing a series of workshops for preschool aged children where they will learn balance, ball play and proper coordination. They will also have the chance to meet other successful athletes who will teach them few tricks that helped them on the court.

Our goal in commemorating International Day of Sport is to teach children sporting values that can help them grow up and develop to their full potential. Follow our news and social media channels for updates on the event.

The post Why We Celebrate International Day of Sport? appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

When he woke up that morning, six-year old Boset did what he had been doing for the previous few weeks. He came out of the tent, stretched and sought a place where he could be alone with his thoughts.

It was at that moment that I met him. He was sitting on a damp bench looking at his hands, playing without toys. It was cold and, because of the proximity of the river and rain from the previous night, it was impossible to keep his clothes dry. Boset’s red jacket was streaked with damp from sleeping on the ground.

He imagined that his fingers were different shapes that seemed to be playing, chasing each other in an attempt to get warm. For a moment his hands were two dinosaurs fighting, then cars overtaking each other… Adults, in the process of growing up, lose their imaginations, and, looking at him, I was unable to recognise ‘what’ Boset was playing with, but I could see that he was far from the place where he actually was – a cold park near the Belgrade train and bus stations where hundreds of refugee and migrant children, with their parents, take a break from their perilous journeys – fleeing conflict in their countries of origin, and on their way to a safer and better future.

Editorial Credit: Procyk Radek / Shutterstock.com

Our conversation was interrupted by UNICEF-supported social workers who were informing the refugee and migrant families with children about the child-friendly space, established by the Government of Serbia, the City of Belgrade and UNICEF, less than a hundred meters away from their makeshift camp. They told Boset’s brother that the space offered a warm and safe place with toys where Boset could rest and play and be able to feel like a child again.

It was there that I met them a little later that day. Boset was playing with a ball, slightly bigger than a tennis ball. He bounced it off the floor, off the wall. He tried, like previously in the park, to imagine that he was playing with someone. It did not work, though. He needed a real playmate. He turned around, walked by a young man and threw him the ball. The young man caught it and returned it to him. Boset threw it again. The young man threw it back again, just a little faster. Boset caught it and laughed, possibly for the first time that morning, and threw the ball back to the young man faster than the previous time. Boset’s curve ball went a little to the side and the young man, although big and athletically built, was unable to catch it. The young man laughed, as if he had also, for a moment, forgotten where he was and what he was doing.

Novak Djokovic, UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassador, came that morning to visit the child-friendly space. Boset did not know who he was. Maybe that is why he beat him at their pretend tennis game. If he had known, he may have been intimidated.

I looked at Boset’s brother who was sitting a little apart from them; he also seemed to have forgotten where he was and what still lay ahead for his family. Mesmerised, he watched his younger brother play with the world tennis champion, smiling.

The image of the boy stayed in my mind. I thought I would never hear of and from him again. But a few days later, an unexpected text message arrived on my phone to say that Boset and his family arrived safely in Austria, one stop away from their final destination – Germany.

Boset will hopefully start going to school soon. And there, he will be able to tell his new friends the story of how he got warm in a cosy child-friendly space in Belgrade and how he beat the World No. 1 tennis player, Novak Djokovic.

For UNICEF: Vladimir Banic

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