Minnesota United defender Jérôme Thiesson had the chance to brush up on his German when he stopped by the Twin Cities German Immersion School’s end of year school picnic. Thiesson, who is also fluent in French and Italian, is currently the only German-speaking player for Minnesota.

MNUFC vs. FC DALLAS TICKETS – June 29

The Twin Cities German Immersion School is a public charter school in the Como Park neighborhood of St. Paul. Located close to Allianz Field, the school has grown from 46 students in 2005 to over 500 students in 2018 in grades K through eighth.

Soccer is without a doubt a major part of the German culture, with the German National team looking to repeat as champions at this year’s World Cup. “Kids play soccer at lunch every day, and it’s a real big part of the daily life of a lot of our kids,” said Ted Anderson, TCGIS’s Executive Director. “Connecting with Minnesota United is just really a natural fit for our school.”

Thiesson nurtured shy students who spoke in broken German and encouraged friendly conversations throughout the event. Accompanied by PK, Thiesson offered a unique way for students to connect with the German language. What better way is there to continue to learn a language than speaking that language with a Minnesota United player?