The strictly organized sporting system or the kinds of sports to try in Germany

Sport is not just the way to keep fit, lose weight or even to spend time with the closest, but the occupation to unite the whole nation. Lots of modern citizens prefer doing it as a part of their life, and while talking about the Germans, it seems to be a reality. Therefore we know numerous legendary athletes from our dear Motherland, let’s dig into the peculiarities: what the attitude we have to it and which physical activities we prefer.

Germany is the place of conscious sport fitters

Thus today we focus on keeping fit and training, you must acknowledge that many Germans (according to official data, about 30% of the population) are involved through their membership in various professional and amateur associations. Sport in Germany has one distinctive feature: it’s absolutely autonomous and independent, the associations conduct their own affairs, and the state can only promote them. The German Olympic Sports Federation is in charge, to which all other clubs (by the way, about 90,000) belong.

The culture of physical activity in the country has deep roots. In the early 19th century, sport became an obligatory part of school curricula in preparation for military service and has since then occupied an increasingly important place in German life. Friedrich Jahn, a well-known officer, educator and politician of the 18th century. He is considered the father of national gymnastics. Exactly this noble man invented and designed special training equipment, brought gymnastics into the mainstream, and so at the beginning of the 20th century Germany became the leading estate in this discipline. He believed that training should include various aspects, including the game, and be accessible to all people, regardless of their age or other factors.

The kinds of sports to be most popular

The number one in Germany is, of course, football thus there is no wonder that the National Football League, the Bundesliga, is known all over the world. The most successful football teams to take part there, such as FC Bayern and FC Borussia Dortmund are pretty well-known too. It’s considered to believe that the German football players are successful thanks to their incredibly well-coordinated and managed game. But how did football appear in the country? The discipline was first regulated by Konrad Koch in 1874. Surprisingly, football was initially unpopular, as it was thought to be a meaningless occupation for studip and badly-educated people. But, fortunately, there were other points of view, and football began to grow in its popularity more and more. As a result, in 1900 the German Football Federation was founded, which exists and functions to the present day. By the way, in the 1920s, football was already declared a national sport.

Besides football, tennis, one of the oldest sports in the country, is also highly developed here. The Tennis Federation is the second largest with the most members. It’s very interesting that the Germans prefer to play alone rather than watch the competition on TV. The country is considered to be the Motherland of the best tennis players in the world.
Racing has also become a brand of the estate, and even those who are not interested in tennis may not know it yet, but the names of Formula 1 champions Schumacher and Vettel are familiar to everyone.

Even more popular than football in small towns is handball, a game in which participants of two teams pass the ball with their hands and try to attack the opponent’s goal. Historically, this discipline, as we know it today, originated exactly in Germany. While the National Handball League is considered to be prominent, the national team does not seem to make it on the world stage.
Skiing is something natural for inhabitants – the climate and the weather facilitate the development of the discipline. Many of us spend the winter holidays skiing in the Alps. The country is also one of the best-reputed in professional swimming, biathlon, athletics and figure skating too.

Don’t forget that ice hockey is hardly popular with the Germans; the association has fewer members than the Chess Federation. Instead, hockey is more popular with the audience.
In addition, almost all Germans have a bicycle, you must know, and many enjoy outdoor disciplines.
Mind also that sports here are becoming less and less classic or so-called non-olympic. It is difficult to give an exact reason for the effect, but sports that are not represented at the Olympics Games, such as football and golf, are becoming more and more widespread.

More key points as for development of sports in universities and colleges

One way or another, sports are still part of everyday life. For instance, in universities it’s possible to choose any discipline, especially football, to try your hand in. Although it’s not obligatory, colleges and universities offer so many possible courses of study that young people are happy to choose it. The program is extensive: capoeira, animation, Japanese sword fencing, juggling, equestrian sports, diving, underwater rugby, windsurfing, yoga, Zen meditation. And more conservative areas: badminton, football, basketball, aerobics and pilates, are widespread too. It has been scientifically proven that sport increases concentration and brain function, so that students who actively spend their free time have a better chance of being successful in their studies as well, thus there is no wonder why it’s commonly popular here. Keeping fit is an essential part of life of every German student and is one of the few subjects for which an entrance examination is required. The sport is therefore taken very seriously here.

To sum up, sport is the heart of German nation

As you can see, we are fans of keeping fit and watching it. Our country is full of enthusiasts to lead a physically active life. And really, it’s much more than entertainment, this is the thing to unite each of us.