From the Bavarian pond to Central Hesse: Curling has developed from a tradition into a competitive sport in which the TV 1905 Mainzlar e.V. has enjoyed many a success. Stadtwerke Gießen supports this commitment.
Curling is a popular winter pastime - and is now much more than that. What began on the frozen lakes in Bavaria has blossomed into a serious sport that competes in national and international championships. The fact that the game has become so widespread can also be attributed to the few, comparatively simple rules: The object is to bring the ice stick, a structure with a stick and base plate, as close as possible to the so-called "stave", a puck-like target. Each player decides on the length of the stick and the nature of the base plate. The latter differ in their surfaces and therefore also in their speeds: A blue plate stands for slow speed, a green plate allows the curling stick to glide faster over the ice.
No summer break
Curling is no longer limited to winter. Special summer rinks made of paving stone or tar make it possible to play in the warmer seasons. This requires special summer surfaces for the base plates. Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG) donated eight of these sliding surfaces worth a total of 600 euros as part of its "Spiel' Dein Spiel" ("Play your game") campaign, especially for the youngsters who train at TV 1905 Mainzlar e.V. "We are very happy about the donation from SWG. Because with the new boards, our youth team can now prepare even better for the next competitions," explains Björn Weil, responsible for sponsorship at TV Mainzlar and himself active in one of the Bundesliga teams.
Quick successes
Although the club's youth team has only been in existence for about a year, it can already look back on some very successful competitions. Take the German Youth and Junior Championships on ice in January this year, for example: the U16 team from TV 1905 finished in 7th place, the best result of all the teams based in the western region. The two target shooters were also in good form. The German Youth and Junior Championships on summer rinks on 7 and 8 September in Kühbach, Bavaria, ended with an excellent 3rd place in the regional ranking in the U16 age group. "The fact that the young curlers from TV Mainzlar quickly deliver such good results speaks volumes for their excellent youth work," says Stephanie Orlik, responsible for sponsorship at SWG. "Consequently, it was not difficult for us to respond favourably to the club's application in this case either."
If you're interested, you can come along to the training sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7.30 pm. Curling is also an attractive alternative for a company party. TV Mainzlar hires out its rink for this very purpose - in all seasons. Further information can be found at www.tv-mainzlar.de