New President Hans-Wilhelm Reiners brings a breath of fresh air to Mönchengladbach's sport!

New President Hans-Wilhelm Reiners brings a breath of fresh air to Mönchengladbach's sport!

Something is happening in the sports sector in Mönchengladbach! On June 12, 2025, the general meeting of the Mönchengladbach City Sports Association (SSB) met in the House of Sports. The meeting, which takes place every three years, was an important occasion to discuss both achievements and future plans. Mayor Felix Heinrichs particularly emphasized the role of sport as the social glue of our community, which not only ensures health but also good coexistence. Investments in modern sports infrastructure are being planned, which should further increase the attractiveness of sports in the city. The leading organization for sporting activities brings together an impressive 180 sports clubs and has a total of 151,613 members, of which 47,123 are actively involved in sport, an increase of 1,139 compared to the previous year.

How important sport is for the city of Mönchengladbach is also shown by the positive development in the children and youth sector. This is where the strongest growth is recorded. Another highlight of the event was the redesign of the multi-generation park at the Haus des Sports, which was realized with around 660,000 euros (financed by state funds, the city and own funds). The park is now a place that is available to all citizens and is actively used by various clubs and groups.

Changes in the Presidium

Elections were also a central point of the meeting. Hans-Wilhelm Reiners, former mayor, was elected as the new president and succeeds Wolfgang Rombey, who did not stand for election for reasons of age. Rombey had been on the executive board since 2013 and had held the office of president since 2015. In addition, Christiane Houben was elected vice president, while Wolfgang Rombey now serves as honorary president. Also new to the executive board are the committed personalities Gertrud van Ool for equal opportunities, Dr. Michael Graefenstedt for violence prevention and Kai Rehberg for youth sports.

These changes promise a breath of fresh air and new ideas for sport in Mönchengladbach. The importance of sports organizations is also highlighted by various reports highlighting the positive impact of sports on health and society. According to the 10th sports report of the Federal Republic of Germany, club sports are viewed as important for social integration and as a stabilizing institution. Sport brings people together, promotes a sense of community and conveys important values.

A look into the future

The developments in the SSB show that Mönchengladbach sees sport as an important part of the city's society. The current and planned investments indicate that they have a good hand here and want to further increase the attractiveness of club life. A strong range of sports not only contributes to the health of many citizens, but also to positive identification with the city.Further information about the Mönchengladbach City Sports Association can be found at onlinestreet.de.

All in all, the Mönchengladbach City Sports Association is optimistic about the future. The elected representatives and the plans to improve the sports infrastructure will provide new impetus that will further promote and revitalize sport in the region.