Unfortunately, only relatively few participants found their way to the "Auf der Bein" sports facility for this year's "Sports Badge Day". The organizers and their volunteer supporters had once again gone to great lengths to prepare the facility for the various disciplines.
As always, the event was organized by the city of Idar-Oberstein in cooperation with the city association of sports clubs. Idarer TV, TV Oberstein, LG Idar-Oberstein, DLRG Bundeswehr and VfL Algenrodt also provided volunteers to ensure that the event ran smoothly.
In the best weather for sporting activities, the aspirants then competed in running, throwing and jumping. Only the proof of swimming ability cannot be provided on the "Bein" and must be taken separately. Meeting the requirements for the German Sports Badge, the highest award for amateur athletes, is not always easy. Especially in the youth sector, it is not immediately obvious what the sometimes very demanding requirements have to do with popular sport. One positive aspect, however, is that the performance requirements are graded in gold, silver and bronze, meaning that the badge can be achieved even without top performances. In the disciplines of strength, endurance, speed and coordination, one exercise must be completed to at least bronze level in order to earn the badge. In the individual categories, participants can then choose which exercises they would like to complete. The busy instructors also gave them some valuable tips, which the athletes gratefully accepted. Despite this, not everything went right first time, but the candidates now have some pointers for their future training.
The organizers and participants regretted that the "Auf der Bein" sports facility is only partially suitable for holding the sports badge day. There are currently hardly any suitable facilities for athletics disciplines in the city and the district. The use of the sports facilities and swimming pool at the Rilchenberg barracks, which used to be possible, is probably a thing of the past. One ray of hope at the moment is the Idar-Oberstein indoor swimming pool, where the supervisory staff are available at almost all times to supervise the swimming disciplines. Whether the low number of participants in the sports badge day and the poor condition of the sports facilities are connected remains to be seen.
Information on the requirements for the German Sports Badge can be found online at www.deutsches-sportabzeichen.de The deadline for successfully completing the required disciplines is December 31, 2024.