“Thank you very much!” The Volunteer Award goes to the final

They are nine of the 200,000 volunteers in the state: Today the Linzer, Welser and Steyrer newspapers present nominees for the honorary work prize of the OÖ Nachrichten and the Sportland Oberösterreich. The campaign is a thank you for the great commitment and active help of the members of the sports clubs in the state.

There is still a week to vote before the winners will be determined. So until September 10th you still have the opportunity to all those “Thank you very much!” to say, who work day after day and year after year for our children and youth and make sports club life in the country possible in the first place.

You can vote for the nominated candidates in a total of 16 regions – each regional winner receives 1000 euros in prize money. The three state winners will also receive 1000, 500 and 250 euros respectively. The winners will be chosen on September 25th.

All nominations and information on nachrichten.at/ehrenamt

Trainer with a lot of feeling

Nina Steinhauser, coach ASKÖ Wilhering Gymnastics

Nina Steinhauser is a committed young trainer with a lot of feeling for young gymnasts. The 23-year-old did gymnastics herself until she was 18. Since then she has led the training twice a week. She inspires everyone with her ideas and her passion. She couldn’t imagine it without her club, which is no wonder, since she’s known it since childhood. “As soon as we could walk, we joined the gymnastics club,” she says. This is also due to the fact that the association has been a family affair for generations, grandmother, mother, aunt, cousins ​​- everyone is committed to ASKÖ Wilhering, which has around 300 members. There is also a lot to organize outside of the training, from the children’s Olympics to exhibition gymnastics and competitions.

Role model for volunteering

Jovica Ristic, youth leader and coach Union Babenberg

The 35-year-old Jovica Ristic has been a youth coach at Union Babenberg for two years and is considered exemplary for his commitment. As a youth leader, he is responsible for 200 children of all ages. He is particularly motivated by the fact that his own son is among them. He also trains the U12s twice a week, and most games are played on the weekends. “I do it for the children,” says Ristic, the many positive responses give him strength for the time-consuming commitment. Now, just before the start of the season, he spends five to six days a week on the football field, for example to draw up the game plan. The club is like family to him. “From the trainer to the official: everyone is there for everyone, and everyone does it voluntarily,” says Ristic.

The late calling

Manfred Kogler, President of the Upper Austrian State Fencing Club

The 63-year-old registered nurse is a late entrant. He came to fencing 22 years ago through his son – as a senior. The son now lives elsewhere, the father has stayed with the club. Not only that: He was actively involved. For 16 years he has been President of the traditional Upper Austrian State Fencing Club (founded in 1902) and has formed a modern and professional club with a lot of commitment and love. “It’s just a great sport, dealing with each other, this politeness, that fascinated me, as did the technology,” says Kogler. There is a lot to do right now, because the club is organizing a big international tournament in Linz in November. Everyone has to help.

The jack of all trades

Stefan Hochreiter, Deputy Head of section, SK Bad Wimsbach 1933

For more than 25 years, Hochreiter has been a volunteer in his home club, currently as deputy. Head of section: “My tasks range from the website of the association to groundskeeper and caretaker activities,” says the 46-year-old. “When I started, we were in the second grade, now we’re in the national league,” says the Bad Wimsbacher. The sporting highlight for him was winning the state cup in 2016. Hochreiter, who is also involved with the football association, has been involved in a lot in the club: “Since I’ve been here, we’ve expanded to four sports fields and expanded the changing rooms.” His work is never boring : “There is always something new to experience. I really appreciate the exchange, especially with the young people.”

use for the children

Katharina Doppelbauer Head of Gymnastics Section, Sportunion Bad Schallerbach

Doppelbauer’s involvement in the gymnastics club began at the age of fourteen as a gymnast, at seventeen she took over her first gymnastics group: “I take care of organizational matters, accompany the children to competitions and train with the performance group every Friday,” says the 25-year-old. Giving the children the opportunity to move is very important to her: “I simply enjoy motivating the children to learn new exercises with them and to see the joy of success,” says the nurse. She is an open ear for the next generation, friend and big sister at the same time: “It’s a great feeling to be involved in the lives of so many young people.”

For the joy of sport

Harald Huemer, Sports Director, ASKÖ Tennis Club Wels

Huemer has dedicated himself to tennis for more than 30 years, also on a voluntary basis for the past six years: “As sporting director, I take care of new club members and the youth team and make sure that you can play tennis with us at all times of the year. I’m the first point of contact in the club for everything to do with tennis,” says the 41-year-old. He sees the founding of the hobby group, where beginners can meet weekly for training, as one of his greatest successes. “For me, the best thing is to see new people coming to tennis and enjoying it. It’s great when the players make progress and you can see the development of the youngsters in particular,” says Lambacher.

Together we are strong

Daniela Märzinger, event manager at SV Reichraming

Daniela Märzinger grew up with SV Reichraming. Dad was already the head of the section – Daniela played football actively, but also worked as an assistant referee and head of the section. She currently acts as event manager and deputy secretary. She looks back on 20 years on the board. She also met her husband through football and guided him to SV Reichraming. Meanwhile, a son already kicks in the offspring. This is an incentive for Märzinger, who appreciates the cohesion in the club and says: “Together we are strong.”

Where running is fun

Roland Brandner, Chairman ASKÖ Laufwunder Steyr

Together with four like-minded people, Roland Brandner founded the LG Laufwunder Steyr in 2000. Of the founding members, he is the only one still on board, but the joy of playing sports together has remained. Today, 45 members are active in the ASKÖ Laufwunder and celebrate great sporting successes in competitions throughout Austria, from glacier marathons to 24-hour competitions. The ultra run in the Stadtgut, which Brandner launched with others in 2008 and organized for the first time, is well-known far beyond Steyr.

Joy is contagious

Jürgen Feichtl, head of the archery club Pyhrn-Priel

Jürgen Feichtl has been indulging in his passion – archery – for ten years. As a trainer and youth coach, he is happy to pass on his skills week after week in training sessions for children and adults. “We spend a lot of time out in the woods on a 3D archery course,” says Feichtl. This is a great balance to school for children and young people. According to the trainer, the training sessions are well attended and people are very curious about archery. “The joy of the children in particular when they try the sport for the first time is huge and I find it contagious. I just like doing it.”