Bächingen: Small but nice: This is how badminton is played at VfB Bächingen

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Birgit Altmann has headed the badminton department at VfB Bächingen since the beginning of 2020. In the past four decades of its existence, the small division was on the verge of collapse.

Since it was founded in 1978, shuttlecocks have been hit over the net at high speed in the badminton department of VfB Bächingen. Shuttlecock is English and means the playground equipment
Badminton. The German word badminton should be avoided as much as possible when describing the fast-paced sport of badminton. In terms of speed, stamina, dexterity and coordination of movements, the latter has little to do with recreational badminton. Serve, net drop, praise, smash, forehand and backhand – all these hits are made in quick succession in badminton. And with the aim of playing off the opponent as quickly as possible. Quite the opposite of badminton in the garden at home or on the holiday beach, where it is about long rallies.

VfB Bächingen: Badminton department was already facing the end

The small VfB department with just under 50 members was already on the brink of collapse in the past four decades, was able to fight itself out again and again and celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2018. Provides within the county
Bächingen a good badminton address. The figurehead is
TV Dillingen. And TV Lauingen also has a regional badminton department.

Birgit Altmann has been head of department since January 2020 and took over the office from her predecessor Gerhard Bühringer, who had headed the division since 1998. The 53-year-old still plays the natural balls over the net in the second team and explains her enthusiasm: “The special thing about badminton is the mix of tactics, agility and speed. Then there is the mix of young and old. Active people of all ages will have fun with this game. ”The rapid learning progress keeps the motivation high:“ This is how badminton always remains attractive. ”

The social aspect is important

The play ball made of natural feathers can reach a top speed of up to 300 kilometers per hour. In tennis, for comparison, the felt ball goes over the net at a top speed of up to 200 kilometers per hour. It can therefore be concluded that badminton is one of the fastest, if not the fastest, setback sports.

The social aspect is also important to Birgit Altmann. After every match, the team goes out to eat together. In addition to sport, the department organizes numerous leisure activities, such as participation in the curling tournament for everyone or a club excursion lasting several days to the Altmühltal.

“We are the youngest and smallest division at VfB Bächingen, but we can currently send two teams with twelve men and six women in the district league B-North to the points race,” says Altmann. The first team was in first place in the table before the Corona season ended and thus as a climber to the A-class. However, it is not yet certain whether VfB will ultimately achieve the fifth rise in the club’s history. There are a few students in the team who cannot come to training during the week. Then no doubles can be trained. In order to be able to play at the A-class level, you should also train this regularly.

Training has resumed

The club had become champions in the B-class for the first time in the 1981/82 season, the most recent title win including promotion was twelve years ago and was achieved in the 2007/08 season. The final matchday of the most recent 2019/20 season could no longer be carried out due to the corona crisis. Because of the pandemic, the VfB badminton players also had to leave the community hall. The training has since been resumed under certain conditions.

Department head Altmann hopes that training operations can be resumed as soon as possible in the form that was used before the Corona era – and that the new season can begin in September. That is of course still in the stars. Meanwhile, Birgit Altmann is making the best of the situation and says: “Since we are a small department, we are particularly looking forward to young players. Badminton is something for young and old. Anyone who is interested in our sport is welcome to stop by the hall on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 p.m. and get a taste of it. Our trainer Torsten Klee is looking forward to every new face. “

Series: That Coronavirus Still has a strong impact on club life. Especially in such extraordinary times, the following applies: Some “ordinary”, even apparently so self-evident things are only really appreciated when they suddenly no longer have them. For example the local club. In our series “Small but nice – my club”, people tell us what they like so much about their sports or shooting club.

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