After the Bundesliga withdrawal: Freystadt attacks again – Freystadt

Badminton flagship offers many homegrown and few external aces –
1 hour ago

FREYSTADT – Despite the Bundesliga withdrawal, TSV Freystadt wants to maintain its role as the top regional address in badminton. The focus of the considerations for the regional league ambitions are self-made, which should be supported by external forces. On the first day of the match there will be a derby against ESV Nürnberg-Flügelrad.

One of the most time-consuming activities in the days before the games was putting together the final team, which could become more complicated at short notice depending on how some top international players did. “I had to keep an eye on the results of current tournaments and, if necessary, rebook a flight,” says Stephan Pistorius, giving an insight into the range of tasks as a volunteer manager of the former Bundesliga badminton club TSV Freystadt. “That was sometimes more than a 40-hour full-time job and hardly achievable.”

Of course, the now 63-year-old early retiree put some of the pressure on himself, which went hand in hand with the rapid rise of the figureheads he sponsored for his son Johannes. In order to be able to keep up with the sporting success of the former district league club, which slammed into the top German league within six years from 2010, the environment also had to grow. “For me as a functionary there is only 100 percent commitment, just as I would like to see him from the players on the field,” explains Pistorius, whose professional experience in the communication / event coordination sector made a significant contribution to the successful development of the small Bundesliga company. The futile search for a main sponsor, however, meant the abrupt end of a four-year dream in spring 2020.

“The stress is now on a different level”, reports Pistorius, who has decided to accompany the club’s youth more often and to enjoy sporting entertainment in external halls as a simple spectator. While the private plans have largely failed due to the restrictions on the fight against corona, the realignment of the flagship project once again required the increased attention of the strategist Pistorius. “It was a difficult decision” to play in the regional league only two floors below after the Bundesliga withdrawal. On the one hand, there were doubts about the competitiveness of a squad that had been massively weakened by departures; on the other, there was the risk of losing the next generation of their own, who recommended themselves with the league runner-up. “If we don’t offer this perspective, the next opportunity will come in five to six years at the earliest,” says Pistorius. So he put out feelers for external reinforcements and at the same time convinced a good dozen of the loyal advertising partners to extend their engagement.

Back in league 2 in the medium term

If TSV Freystadt, according to its own account, would have had to double its spending on remaining in the Bundesliga, whose middle-class clubs have up to 100,000 euros available, half of the previous budget in the low five-digit range would now be enough. From this financial basis – with similarly lower travel costs – it would even be possible to make the leap to the 2nd Bundesliga, as Pistorius confirms. Depending on the progress of the personnel consolidation, it is conceivable to present this as a medium-term goal.
For this reason, some of the standards that have proven themselves in previous years should be retained. This includes the carefully formulated training concept for youth players and the laying out of the special mat floors for home games in the multi-purpose hall. Instead of an electronic live ticker, which is mandatory at Bundesliga level, normal scoreboards are used again to display the results. Stephan Pistorius, who recently played a leading role in the organization of the Bavarian Youth Championship in Neumarkt, also delved into the intricacies of a hygiene concept.
Up to 100 spectators who register in person and distribute them to the seats in the grandstand at an appropriate distance are temporarily admitted, including reduced hospitality. “The atmosphere will certainly be more subtle,” suspects Pistorius, after all the supporting program, which is always entertaining, has regularly attracted more than 200 people to Allersberger Straße in the past. Even though, also for health reasons, the entry ceremony with children is not carried out, the hosts try to use tried and tested mood elements. The regular seats for the drums are reserved. “Especially in the current situation, we are motivated to present our sport in the best possible way,” says Pistorius, who cannot be denied participation in the front row as the hall spokesman.

On Sunday, October 18th, starting at 3 p.m., the Regionalliga Südost will kick off the neighborhood duel with the ESV Nürnberg-Flügelrad. The strengths of the guests lie in their male leadership around the two young national players Kilian Maurer and Matthias Schnabel. Ella Neve from Wolfstein is also considered a rough diamond. In contrast, the hosts offer their own Andreas Pistorius, Bennett Elstermann, Jacob Fuchs Christian Jochum and Stefanie Spies as well as the sisters Katharina and Friederike Rudert. The new Serbian top player Luca Milic, Bastian Keller (from TuS Geretsried) and the former Croatian former European youth champion Maja Pavlinic will make their debut for Freystadt.