Ice hockey alert! Cuts endanger young talent in Bremerhaven!

Ice hockey alert! Cuts endanger young talent in Bremerhaven!

With a hearty “Come on, let’s get on the ice!” In recent years, the Bremerhaven Roller and Ice Sports Club (REV) has not only conquered the hearts of many ice hockey enthusiasts, but also those of the youngest people in the city. But there are currently serious concerns among those responsible. How buten and within reports, youth and amateur sports in Bremerhaven are in danger of stumbling due to massive cuts in the Bremen state budget. The planned reduction in sports funding by around 20 percent could have fatal financial consequences for the REV.

The association's estimates show that this means an annual loss of 120,000 euros. At the moment, the operations of the ice hockey departments are secured until the end of the year, but what comes after that remains uncertain. “If no solution is found, youth and amateur sports could be put on hold for the time being,” said those responsible.

Families have to rethink

The planned measures to compensate for this financial gap could become unsustainable for many families in Bremerhaven. In order for the contributions to be increased to around 90 euros per month, parents have to dress warmly. Many simply couldn't afford it. And these cuts could also lead to problems for professional sports, especially for the Fischtown Pinguins, who are active in the DEL and Champions League. The licensing requirements of the German Ice Hockey Association stipulate that the promotion of young talent is maintained. Cuts here could result in high fines and damage the Bremerhaven location in the long term.

Despite this bleak outlook, there are positive developments in the field of ice hockey training. This is how the energy and telecommunications service provider is committed swb has been a sponsoring partner of the Fischtown Pinguins for over 27 years and also supports the REV's youth work. As part of the “Ice Hockey and School” project, 25 students experience the exciting sport on the ice every week.

The participants belong to the sports group, which comes from school children from the Pestalozzi School and the New Lehe Elementary School. In addition to playful skills, coordination skills are also trained here, as Florian Müller, the first chairman of the REV, emphasizes. Nadine Porwoll, headmaster of the New Lehe Primary School, is pleased about the enthusiasm among the students and mentions the lottery process to select the participants, while Karina Becker, headmaster of the Pestalozzi School, speaks of the high demand.

On a funding journey together

There has been cooperation between the schools and the REV for over 20 years, and everyone involved agrees: setting up a primary school ice hockey league in Bremerhaven is going in the right direction. “Sport not only brings joy, but also promotes solidarity and teamwork,” explains Axel Siemsen, Managing Director of swb Bremerhaven, underlining the company’s social commitment.

Ice hockey remains an exciting topic in Bremerhaven - both for the club members and for the students who take part in the weekly units. Whether REV's financial woes can ultimately be resolved remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: the love of ice hockey continues to captivate everyone, and the REV is determined to fight for the young and big talents in the city.