Karen Leiding: “The relief in sport is immense”

Karen Leiding, managing director of the Solinger Sportbund, speaks about the new start in popular sport

By Andreas Tews

Ms. Leiding, after months of the Corona break, popular sport is starting again in the clubs. The relief must be great.

Karen Leiding: It’s immense! On the one hand, because the clubs are able to start their offers again after an endlessly long pandemic break. In addition, the members are happy to be able to go back to their usual and valuable sport. All of this is of course very important for club life. I am also thinking here of all the social components. Doing sports together and exchanging ideas has been made very difficult in recent months by the lockdown.

How did the clubs manage to stay in contact with the members?

Leiding: There were quite a few creative solutions. Online courses and online training sessions have taken place. Everyone tried to keep up with each other through online meetings. The clubs have packed little “exercise bags” for children to be remembered. They also organized many activities in nature. Even with indoor sports, they tried to move the sports lesson outside. For example, members were called to maintain contacts. So a lot has happened.

Children in particular have suffered from the lockdown. Do the clubs offer them something special now?

Leiding: At the moment the clubs don’t have to do anything special. It is a special highlight for the children when the normal activities take place again, for example when they can finally come back to football training and their first friendly matches take place.

With the easing, everything went very quickly. How do the clubs manage to ramp up their regular offers again?

Leiding: We can’t even speak of a completely normal training program. The openings are only made piece by piece. There are still little things to watch out for everywhere. The clubs respond very well to this. I can only express my respect for you. Implementing all of this, with the conditions changing every week, was a major feat. Fortunately, many questions could be clarified in cooperation with the City Service Sport and Leisure and the Public Order Office.

What are the main obstacles the clubs are facing now?

Leiding: Most of the regulations have now been lifted. That makes it easier for the clubs to organize sports. But I believe that many clubs will maintain hygiene measures. As a sports association, for example, with the help of a donation, we have once again made it possible to distribute self-tests to the clubs. The demand is still great. The clubs prefer to test again.

So those responsible are more cautious.

Leiding: I would rather call it responsible. They assess the situation differently against the background of their respective sports activities, do not close their eyes and see that the pandemic is not over yet.

How does the Sportbund support the clubs?

Leiding: In the past few months we have tried to pass on the information on the respective new corona protection regulations. In this context, we spoke a lot with the regulatory authorities. Together, in close consultation with the city, it was possible to see what can be done in Solingen and what needs to be considered.

“The task now is to keep the trainers or to win new ones.”

Are all the trainers available again in the clubs?

Leiding: Many trainers are highly motivated and are finally looking forward to returning to practice. They also missed the sport with their groups. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether all groups can start as usual. The long break and the fears that this pandemic brought with it did not leave the trainers unaffected. Accordingly, it is now important in the clubs to keep the trainers or, if necessary, to win new ones.

What kind of support does the Sportbund need itself?

Leiding: The main thing that comes to mind is that we definitely need a new federal volunteer for the period from August 1st. This is important to us because it supports us in the office, with projects or with the offers in the open all-day schools and kindergartens. Some clubs are also still looking for a young, committed young person who has the desire and fun to orientate himself in sport for a year.

Do you assume that there will be sporting games and competitions again after the summer vacation?

Leiding: I think so. The associations are planning. Everyone is scratching their feet to get back into play. Games started again last year after the summer vacation. I don’t see what should speak against it now.

Competitions are an important factor in sport.

Leiding: Exactly. It is important for the individual athletes to have goals again. That is why the competitions are an important building block. But perhaps one or the other has also questioned the way they have practiced their sport up to now.

What can sport learn from the pandemic?

Leiding: On the one hand, we saw that there are also various ways of getting together in sport. The online meetings have proven their worth. Of course, they will not be able to replace traditional practice. But maybe there will be some online offers that will continue. We also learned a lot in the area of ​​communication – including the fact that you have to communicate a lot with members and trainers. This may even have strengthened the feeling of togetherness. The local connection to standard sports halls could also experience a change. Some outdoor activities have already become part of normality.

To person

Profession: Karen Leiding is the managing director of the Solingen Sports Association. The qualified social pedagogue has been employed there since 2003.

Private: Leiding is 42 years old, married and has two children.

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