Thomas Schmid: New Chairman of the Bayreuth City Sports Association!

Thomas Schmid: New Chairman of the Bayreuth City Sports Association!

The Bayreuth City Sports Association has a new first chairman: Thomas Schmid, 37 years old, will direct the association's fortunes and is the successor to Wolfgang Lüdtke, who played a formative role in the association over two decades. Schmid, who is also active as district chairman of the DLRG Bayreuth, prevailed in an exciting battle vote with 26:12 votes against Patrick Lindthaler from the Bayreuth sports bowlers. These elections mark a generational change at the top of the association, which has only had three chairmen in the last 60 years: Erwin Schindler, Manfred Kreitmeier and Wolfgang Lüdtke.

Together with Schmid, Bernd Meier, managing director of the Bayreuth Gymnastics Association, was elected as second chairman, also in an exciting election with 26:11 votes against Lindthaler. Martin Fraß remains in office as sports director, despite initial thoughts of retirement. Mario Schrödel also appeared unexpectedly and declared himself ready as an opposing candidate for the position of sports director. Herbert Guth from the Bayreuther Turnerschaft was elected unopposed as managing director, while Roland “Duffy” Dörfler was able to benefit as the new cashier, replacing Horst Auernheimer. In addition, Dinah Kretschmer and Siegfried Zerrenner were appointed as auditors, and the team also includes co-opted members such as lawyer Peter Popp and press spokesman Hans Wunder.

Big events in sports

An important milestone in the region's sports calendar are the Bayreuth City Championships, which celebrated their 34th edition this year. These took place from December 27th to 30th, 2024 and attracted 5,200 spectators, which is 200 fewer than the previous year. The viewer numbers show that the championships generated a good level of interest despite a certain amount of disruption caused by the absence of SpVgg Bayreuth. Martin Fraß, sports director of the city sports association, called the event a “bombshell success” and points to the brightness of the organizers, which brought together 30 club members and up to 80 stewards.

However, there was also a critical discussion about the tournament, especially regarding the high level of aggression in indoor football. Henrik Schödel, the head of the youth performance center, expressed concerns about excessive duels and turmoil that occurred particularly among the B juniors.

The role of sports clubs in everyday life

In general, sports clubs are very popular in Germany: In 2024, around 85,900 sports clubs were registered nationwide, with North Rhine-Westphalia having the largest contingent with over 20 percent of the national share. More than 36 percent of men and over 23 percent of women are members of a sports club. While general interest in sport remains high, it has shown signs of waning somewhat in recent years. The clubs are not only crucial for access to sports facilities and equipment, but also shape social interaction and community building in the regions.

The coming weeks and months could be crucial for the Bayreuth City Sports Association and all sports-loving citizens in the region. With the new leadership under Thomas Schmid, many expect a breath of fresh air and new impulses for sport in Bayreuth and beyond.