The aim of "Spiel' Dein Spiel" is to support clubs and institutions that offer children and young people meaningful exercise programmes. This time, the performance group of the Giessen-Upper Hesse section of the German Alpine Club benefited from the sponsorship programme of Stadtwerke Giessen.
Small holds, even smaller footholds and then a wall that overhangs - where laymen usually use the word "impossible", the fun is just beginning for sport climbers. Especially for those who compete in this attractive and challenging sport. A group of 15 children and young people aged between ten and 19 meet every Thursday for two hours at the climbing centre of the German Alpine Club section Gießen-Oberhessen (DAV) to prepare for this: They train for regional and national competitions, which usually take place indoors.
Strength, agility, coordination
Sport climbing presents the human body with various challenges. On the one hand, it requires strength - especially in the arms, but also in the torso and legs. Agility and a sense of balance are at least as important. Of course, young athletes also improve these fitness skills when climbing on the wall. But from a certain level, they can no longer do without targeted athletic training to compensate for individual deficits.
This sometimes very specific training requires various small pieces of equipment such as sling trainers, exercise balls, resistance bands, balance discs, kettlebells and a special abdominal muscle trainer. It would not be possible for the DAV to purchase these from its own resources. After all, the club has to invest every euro in the relatively new climbing centre. It's a good thing that trainer Maren Becker came up with the idea of formulating a corresponding wish in the application for funding from "Spiel' Dein Spiel". With this campaign, Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG) supports, among other things, clubs that work with young people - whether they are performance-orientated or focused on popular sports. "We were happy to fulfil the DAV's wish," explains Stephanie Orlik, who is responsible for the project at SWG. "Because the DAV creates the ideal conditions for young people to develop a love of exercise." In addition, the climbers learn from an early age to take responsibility for their mates. After all, they secure each other. And one must be able to rely on the other. To promote this aspect as well, the package also included safety gloves. They protect the climbers' already stressed hands from injuries caused by the safety rope.
"Thanks to the support from SWG, we can organise the training even more effectively," says Simone Paukstat, who supervises the group together with Maren Becker. With the new small equipment, the two can prepare their protégés even better for the physical demands of vertical climbing in future.
Further information on the SWG "Spiel' Dein Spiel" campaign and applications:www.swg-spieldeinspiel.de