Sports clubs at the limit: urgently wanted volunteers

Sport in the club is obviously more popular than ever. According to a study by the German Olympic Sports Association DOSB, there are currently more than 28 million members in 86,000 sports clubs in Germany, and the trend is rising. The problem is, however, that many clubs cannot do the demand, are even completely at the limit, especially because they lack coaches and volunteers.

Triathlon for children from the age of six – quite unusual, but in Furth in the forest this is a complete success. Founded in 2019, the triathlon department of the TV Furth in the forest in the Upper Palatinate in Bavaria has already 100 members, around half of them.

Even the little ones have training three times a week – running, cycling and swimming – and playfully learn important skills for life: safe cycling and swimming.

Triathlon for children: success despite challenges

Families, parents and children are enthusiastic, the encouragement is huge, department head Franz Breu told ARD Radio research sport. But volunteers and more trained trainers are missing: “At the moment you have to say, we are actually at the limit. Because we have an average of 35 children in training with three caregivers, and of course it will be difficult. And that is already a big challenge at the moment, so that’s why we are already looking for it.”

Lack of coach in Hattingen: two teams, one trainer

Around 600 kilometers northeast in Hattingen in the Ruhr area in North Rhine-Westphalia A fairly similar picture: The handball club DJK Westfalia Welper with 650 members primarily has the problem of having to play in a dilapidated sports hall. In addition, there are too few trainers here.

Anke Krauss, who is also involved in the board of the association, is currently training two youth teams: “We are always looking for new people.” However, potential trainers would then cancel, especially for temporal and financial reasons.

Financial hurdles: volunteers urgently wanted

“We are such a small club, we give our trainers small trainers, but this is not somehow remarkable that you say you reduce your hours at work”so Krauss: “Plus: Otherwise it is all volunteer and some are shy away. The higher you play and then want qualified coaches, they now demand proper euros and then we are just out because we cannot pay it.”

DOSB study: every sixth club affected

Two examples, many of which are available in Germany. The results of the new sports development report of the DOSB are alarming. Compared to the last survey, much more clubs stated that they feel threatened in their existence because they do not find any volunteers. This obviously affects every sixth club.

“We take enormous growth, especially in the children’s and youth area. That is the potential where we can probe. But that also includes that we need well-qualified staff to naturally promote children and adolescents and discover talents”says DOSB director Michaela Röhrbein.

According to DOSB, more than 28 million people have more members than ever in sports clubs. In contrast, the number of trainers and volunteers stagnates or even decreases slightly. Almost two million volunteers are currently involved in the clubs.

Political measures: hope for sports clubs?

The DOSB refers to the many measures, programs and projects that it has already started. The umbrella organization has also made demands on politics. Some were actually included in the coalition agreement of the new federal government: volunteering in sport should become more attractive. More money, better payment for volunteers, trainers and trainers. Less bureaucracy for the clubs.

For Luca Wernert, board member of the German Sports Youth, the financial hurdles for potential volunteers and trainers must be reduced: “For me, it is a matter of course that if you continue to volunteer and qualify as a trainer or trainer, you will then be released from your work and get wage replacement is not the case in all countries.”

Continued wage at Exercise training – yes, sometimes no

Wernert gives two examples to emphasize the difference: “With regard to the exemptions, for example, the right to continue to pay wages in the state of Hesse is associated with this exemption, that is, the state of Hesse replaces the employer the failure. In Baden-Württemberg, where I come from, the right to exemption is regulated, but there is no continued payment in the area.”

In Bavaria, for example, there is a legal right to exemption for a working time of three weeks for voluntary work in youth sports every year. If you do training training during this time, you even get the unusual wages reimbursed.

A regulation that has obviously not reached all clubs in Bavaria. “Sounds interesting at first, yes. We haven’t dealt with that yet”says Franz Breu from TV Furth in the forest: “The question is, the employer participates.”

Membership fees increased to finance trainers

With the FT soccer players in Munich, you have reached a drastic measure: to get trainers and also offer you a good payment, you simply have the membership fee extremely high. From 156 euros to 420 euros a year.

“The beverage market or the petrol station next door, there is 15 euros an hour to earn and not with us. And that’s why it really makes really sense that we can pay these children or young people, so we can compete with these part -time jobs”says Michael Franke, Board of Directors of the FT.

More incentives and appreciation – but how?

In a rich city like Munich, this may still work through the increase in membership fees, but it looks different in structurally weak regions. Michael Franke wants targeted incentives and generally much more appreciation for volunteers and trainers in the sports clubs.

“Pension points would be great. It could also be free use of the MVV, i.e. public transport. Such things that would have had real added value. They would be useful and in the end it would also be recognized, because then it is no longer the Dödel who does it for free, but then there is also something behind it”says Franke.