The "Entsetzlinge" have been taking off at TSV 1911 Albach e. V. since the start of the new school year. Their sport - jugger - is as original as their name. Stadtwerke Gießen is supporting the team as part of the "Play your game" campaign.
Giessen. Two teams compete against each other on a rectangular field with padded weapons and try to get the ball into a pocket - that's jugger. Around eight to ten children and young people between the ages of ten and sixteen play this very creative but still largely unknown sport at TSV 1911 Albach e. V. and compete under the name "Entsetzlinge". Of course, they need the right equipment for this. This is exactly what Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG) recently provided as part of its "Play your game" campaign. "We are very happy about the twelve new jerseys, the two new marks and the jugg," explains Jürgen Krug, 1st Chairman of TSV Albach.
Post-apocalyptic fun
Jugg? That's the name of the playing device that has to be brought into the opponent's mark and gives a clue to the origin of the sport: the 1989 end-time film "The Juggers - Battle of the Best". In the Australian production, roving gangs play in competitions for their livelihood and for the amusement of the elites - similar to the gladiators in ancient Rome. Which sounds dangerous at first. But: "Although there are minor injuries from time to time, injuries are the exception," reassures Jürgen Krug.
And this is how jugger works: two teams of five face each other on a 40 x 20 metre field with sloping corners. Their aim is to place the jug in the opponent's goal as often as possible, which scores a point. Four players per team are equipped with different, but always well-padded weapons. In duels, they try to touch their opponents with them and thus temporarily take them out of the game. "Anyone who is hit has to freeze for five or eight seconds and is not allowed to take part in the game," explains Jürgen Krug. The length of the mandatory breaks depends on the weapon used. But no matter how long the players sit out, they always create space for the fifth player, the runner. His task is to capture the jugg, put it in the paint and score points. This requires agility and an overview. Without any defence of his own, he is dependent on his team because the opponents can also attack him in order to get to the latex and foam ball and score points. A special feature of jugger is the composition of the teams. They are not separated by gender.
Regular training
In order to learn and practise how to use the various foam weapons, the "Entsetzlinge" meet every Wednesday evening at 6 pm in the sports hall during the winter months. In their weekly training sessions, they hone their technique and strategy under the guidance of Viviane Ringelsteter, Katharina Richter and Rudolf Münder. Of course, they also use the new materials. "We are delighted to support TSV Albach, a club that is breaking new ground in offering children and young people attractive exercise programmes," says Stephanie Orlik, responsible for sponsorship at SWG, explaining the jury's decision.
The jugger department has existed in Albach since 2017, when "Lahnveilchen Gießen", which was founded in 2014, joined the club. And just one year later, the Fernwald district became the centre of the Hessian jugger scene: TSV Albach hosted the tenth and eleventh Hessian championships in 2018 and 2019.
Further information on the SWG "Spiel' Dein Spiel" campaign and applications:
www.swg-spieldeinspiel.de