Interview with SW Havixbeck Judo Department Head Fabio Theissing: Challenges and Successes

After the death of the long-time department head Dr. Reinhard Hübers took over from Fabio Theissing in 2022 as the SW Havixbeck judoka. WN sports editor Johannes Oetz spoke to the 21-year-old, whose main job is training to become an IT specialist at the University of Münster, about the latest developments in the department.

Hello, Mr. Theissing. How are things going in your department at the moment?

Theissing: Thanks for asking. We are satisfied with the recent developments. We have recently gained five new club members. But I expect that there will be even more soon, because after our club championship that was just held in January, there was already a greater demand. We hope for the domino effect.

Why should I send my son or daughter to train with you?

Theissing: I could now list many reasons. Two are particularly important to me. In addition to physical development, the psychological development of children is also very important to us. We also want to pass on important values ​​to boys and girls. Respect, friendship, helpfulness and appreciation are such values.

What about trainers? Do you have enough in your department?

Theissing: We are well positioned with six coaches. Unfortunately, Sebastian Rotering recently stopped because he wanted to try out other sports. For this we have gained two new trainers, Maik Blömer and Pascal Kauler.

Is there actually a particularly successful judoka or a special talent in your department?

Theissing: I don’t have to think about it for long. We currently have Noah Ostendorp as a very hard-working and talented fighter. Noah is only eleven years old, but he is already taking part in adult training. He has already had some success in his age and weight class. At the district individual tournament in Bocholt, for example, he came first in his class. And he recently came second at the St. Nicholas tournament organized by the Münster Police Sports Club. You can see how he improves from competition to competition. In May he will also represent us at the district individual championships in Reken.

You have been a department head for two years now. I suspect that you may have encountered some problems during this time. Am I right?

Theissing: Yes, you do, although that is of course normal. In fact, we have a bigger problem with our mats. Many of them are heavily worn after three decades of intensive use. Some already had to be glued. In addition, other mats slip easily. This is a safety risk, so a replacement must be found.

Then why don’t you buy new ones?

Theissing (laughs): Because they’re not cheap. A mat costs around 65 euros. But you need 100 mats for a judo area. That’s 6500 euros. This amount cannot be raised through membership fees alone. For this reason, we have launched an appeal for donations on the Internet (www.havixbeck-judo.de, editor). We hope that many individuals and companies will take part.

In Germany, fewer and fewer people are volunteering. Why are you doing it?

Theissing: We live in fast-moving times, many do not want to take on responsibility and many leave their place of residence for professional reasons or to study. For me it is always a confirmation to look into the children’s eyes after training and to get a clear answer from them when I ask them whether they enjoyed the training. They literally scream at us coaches every time: “Yes!”

Are they allowed to shout “No!”?

Theissing: Of course they can! Ultimately, we want to offer girls and boys a safe space for their development and the feeling that no one is left behind. We want to make the children strong.

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2024-02-13 15:23:18
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