Brilliant opening: New athletics center delights senior shooters

Brilliant opening: New athletics center delights senior shooters

At the ceremonial opening of the new state school base for athletics at SMS Oberschützen, the children's eyes beamed with joy. Many teachers and guests of honor were also impressed by the positive atmosphere. State Sports Councilor Heinrich Dorner confirmed that this is a decisive step for the future of southern Burgenland. The organization of the sports middle school under the leadership of director Daniel Karacsonyi made it possible for numerous groups to train, led by trainer Yvonne Weinhandl. The aim is to get children and young people more enthusiastic about sport.

The interest in this new sports offering was enormous even before the official opening. There are currently 46 young athletes active at the base in Oberschützen, and the registrations are so numerous that they almost exceed the group boundaries. Among these 46, 17 children are in the training group at the sports middle school and another 25 are in the elementary school. Girls are also well represented, especially in the group aged 14 and over. The SMS Oberschützen is equipped with modern equipment and will probably be the largest base in the region - alongside others in St. Michael, Neusiedl am See and Kobersdorf.

A big step for athletics

Rolf Meixner, President of the Burgenland Athletics Association, expressed his delight at this new location, but also emphasized the need to actively introduce young people to this fascinating sport. The hope is that these talents will develop into future top athletes. “We not only want to reach the top, but also encourage others to become active in sport,” Meixner continued.

For director Daniel Karacsonyi, the athletics base represents significant added value for the school. He is committed to expanding the sports offering and making it more diverse. The specialist inspector for exercise and sport, Harald Ziniel, pointed out how important committed educators are in order to successfully implement such a project. The state school base should not only support the children, but also provide a healthy living environment.

Insight into the training concept

As part of the opening, sports coordinator Yvonne Weinhandl demonstrated endurance and speed training specially developed for the age group. This training was designed by the “Eisenstadt Athletics Academy” and “Leitsport Austria” and is intended to help young athletes increase their maximum oxygen intake - an important step for their long-term health.

In addition, Burgenland is well positioned to further support talented track and field athletes after they have completed secondary school. The upper level competitive sports schools, such as the Laufsport HTL Eisenstadt and the BSSM Oberschützen, also offer excellent support for young athletes. Both schools invite you to an open day on Friday, November 15th.

The Burgenland Athletics Association is currently looking for additional assistant trainers in order to be able to adequately look after the many new athletes. People who are interested in getting involved are invited to contact either the BLV or directly via SMS.

Further information on developments in this area can be found on www.meinkreis.at.