As early as 2020, Prof. Dr. Markus Kurscheidt and Dr. Kristoff Reichel from the Sport Governance and Event Management research group at the University of Bayreuth, together with Vice President Christine Königes and Benjamin Freund from the Bavarian Gymnastics Association, had set up a joint working group. This informal initiative has since accompanied several joint projects and led to success. This year, for example, numerous Bayreuth students of sports economics once again helped organize the Landesturnfest, Bavaria's largest mass sports event. Other Bayreuth students have written their theses in collaboration with BTV in recent years or have been involved in innovative projects of the association - for example, in the conceptual development and implementation of the 160th anniversary of the Bavarian Gymnastics Association in 2021.
"The cooperation now agreed with the University of Bayreuth opens up new perspectives and opportunities for us to further advance gymnastics in Bavaria. The Bayreuth Center of Sport Science (BaySpo), with its interdisciplinary degree programmes in Sport, Business & Law (B.Sc. and M.Sc.), Sports Technology (M.Sc.), and Physical Education, is known beyond the state's borders and regularly sets new standards. In particular, the cooperation with the Chair of Sport Governance and Event Management is an ideal fit for Bavaria's second largest sports federation. As a regular organizer of major sporting events, we hope to be able to benefit from the existing expertise as well as to further develop our portfolio and, in return, to offer the students important insights into practice," says the president of the Bavarian Gymnastics Association, Dr. Alfons Hölzl.
"The long-term cooperation will enable Sport, Business & Law students to gain first-hand, practical insights into the work of a sports association. They will have the opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge to real projects and gain valuable experience in the field of sports and event management. We are convinced that this cooperation will be extremely fruitful for both sides," says Prof. Dr. Markus Kurscheidt. However, it is not only students of Sport, Business & Law who are to benefit from the cooperation with BTV in the future. An expansion to other departments at the University of Bayreuth is currently being planned.
About the Bavarian Gymnastics Association
Founded in 1861, the Bayerischer Turnverband e.V. (BTV) is the second largest sports association in Bavaria. It comprises 3,300 clubs and 900,000 members in the areas of gymnastics, fitness and health sports in Bavaria. In total, the BTV offers more than 20 sports and has sports programmes for different target groups, from young children to seniors.
