Initiatives that Move People

The non-profit organization "Anpfiff ins Leben" creates new perspectives for young people and sports clubs through its 360° support. Since it was founded by Dietmar Hopp and Anton Nagl in 2001, it has been supporting athletes in the areas of sport, school, work and social issues and preparing them for challenges off the sports field.

Sport is seen here as a driving force and motivator for the academic advancement, professional orientation and social development of young players. Through the work with young players at the clubs FC-Astoria Walldorf, Ludwigshafener SC, SG Heidelberg-Kirchheim, SV Gimbsheim, FC Speyer 09 and FC Union Heilbronn and many others, over 25,000 children have already been supported and encouraged to get moving. They are also educational partners of TSG Hoffenheim, Rhein-Neckar Löwen, Adler Mannheim and Golf Club St. Leon-Rot.

Over 60 full-time employees, 330 trainers and coaches and 120 learning guides prepare young people for their personal and professional future. The advice and qualification of over 200 sports clubs through the Anpfiff Vereinsberatung initiative also helps to promote sport and support the younger generation.

At ISPO Munich 2023, Anpfiff ins Leben will report on the most exciting experiences, challenges, trends and solutions from over 20 years of club work. Using specific club examples, the focus will be on the big question of how we can get people into regular activity, healthy habits and training. The vision: to turn the sports club into a modern place of education for young people in order to give children and young people the best prospects for life.

German skiing superstar Felix Neureuther established the foundation in January 2020 with the aim of promoting exercise and health for children, young people and adults. Felix Neureuther also wants to convey values such as humanity, sustainability, nature and family.

His "Beweg dich schlau!" project is a training, action and prevention program with many benefits: Promoting health, boosting mental and physical performance, strengthening the ability to concentrate, initiating additional thought and memory processes, teaching the ability to cope with stress and implementing a healthy lifestyle.

The program aims to motivate children in kindergarten, at school and in their free time to move more and, above all, to move properly and smartly. It was developed together with the Technical University of Munich and not only promotes coordinative and cognitive skills but also contributes to children's mental balance, receptiveness and performance.

The non-profit organization is passionately committed to the development of children and young people by actively awakening enthusiasm for the sport of handball. As a partner of the Bavarian Handball Association and the handball clubs in the Munich metropolitan region, it is an integral part of the handball scene and aims to provide every child with a tailor-made program. Why? Sport not only teaches children important values such as fairness and team spirit, but also provides them with a valuable toolbox for life. Whether it's motor skills, fitness, discipline, stamina or simply the feeling of being important to a team.

By working with 100 elementary school and organizing camps, courses and training sessions, HandballCampus Munich inspires over 10,000 children to get active.

At the GameChanger SportsHub at ISPO Munich, the MentalFitPath Germany will be presented alongside the digital sports station, which gets children moving in a playful way. The path consists of 8 sporting and 8 mental exercises and helps children to overcome their challenges in terms of fears, isolation and loneliness. They will be accompanied by personalities from top-class sport, space travel and many other areas.

Among others, Dominik Klein (handball world champion), Gela Allmann (RedBull extreme athlete) and Antonia Niedermeier (U23 world time trial champion) will be there.

In the world of virtual reality, it is possible to turn gamers into real athletes. The Active Esports Arena team believes passionately in this vision and has strong support from renowned Dutch organizations for sports innovation.

The mission is clear: to get people moving who might otherwise never find the motivation to take part in sport. They are currently using virtual reality in school competitions to convey an important message to pupils: Sport is of great importance.

Students are immersed in fascinating digital experiences and then asked if they are ready to improve and qualify for the final rounds. The key to this is participation in non-binding trial training sessions at local sports clubs. This is where the connection to the traditional world of sport is created. This bridge motivates people to get outside and experience new adventures.

What are the success factors for VR Sports Games?

Peter Kortenhoeven, CEO Active Esports Arena:

"As soon as the whole body actively comes into play, a whole new world of emotions opens up, which also captivates the spectator. The real magic lies in the fact that people immerse themselves so deeply in this experience that they feel completely safe and at the same time boost their self-confidence by mastering a game. They also get an intense physical workout. This technology can help people interact more with each other and even pave the way back to traditional sports in the 'real world'."

Almost all attractive and sought-after sports have restrictions and limits, be they geographical, financial or the physical constitution and risk tolerance of the athlete.

The company Simventure, founded by Norman Eisenköck in 2021, aims to simulate these sports in a fully immersive way and thus enable access for everyone who is enthusiastic about the respective sports, regardless of where they live, their age, financial means or physical condition.

"The professional sports simulator is a great alternative wherever there is little space, long distances have to be covered to exercise or the physiological condition no longer allows sport"

The integration of the whole body into the simulated experience opens up new possibilities in the area of training for popular and elite sport. We can also break completely new ground in the areas of rehabilitation, training, school, gaming and many more.

You can experience a first prototype of WingSim, the wingsuit simulator, at the GameChanger SportsHub at ISPO Munich 2023. Many other exciting questions will also be answered there:

• How can you bring full-body movement into VR and use professional technology to create "real" emotions in extreme sports?
• What is important in the professional implementation of a sports simulator?
• When do the boundaries between simulation and reality become blurred and what is the effect of immersion at this level?

The Austrian start-up in the field of SportsTech & VR has developed "Tennis Esports" - an authentic tennis application including realistic ball physics. Equipped with VR glasses, you can play tennis from the comfort of your own home - on a virtual tennis court, with virtual balls, against virtual or real opponents. You can take part in tournaments and compete against other players worldwide in the Tennis Esports Tour.

It also functions as an intelligent training tool. Based on the player's biomechanical data, the system calculates the optimum movement pattern. All body movements are precisely recorded and analyzed. Any deviation from relevant parameters such as posture, footwork, arm position, striking technique, etc. is made visible. Training in virtual reality optimizes posture, movement sequences, the way the player hits the ball, playing tactics and much more.

The software provides immediate feedback to improve every important variable and therefore quickly leads to perfect technique. An innovative way to optimize your tennis game and get the best out of yourself.

From October 2 to 22, 2023, the first VR tennis tournament in Europe was held with over 600 participants from 75 countries. International playing partners faced each other in 6195 matches. Participation was possible regardless of age or skill level. Both amateurs and professionals were allowed to compete. Only the technical requirements had to be met: approved VR glasses, the Tennis Esports app, an internet connection and a playing area of around nine square meters.

An inclusive opportunity to bring the fascination of tennis and the feeling of competition to life for everyone and to generate enthusiasm for the sport and exercise, whether online or offline.

VAons offers various virtual reality experiences that get you moving in a fun way. For example, the "VIRTUAL ARENA", in which 2 teams compete against each other and experience real action, just like in a laser tag or paintball game. Without heavy equipment and with full freedom of movement, the players experience unforgettable fun.

For example, a squash court is quickly transformed into a virtual reality arena. For VAons, social gaming with real movement is the new e-sport for young and old. The technology enables fast movements with real calorie consumption and without the so-called "motion sickness", as the virtual movement perfectly matches the real body movement.

What does social gaming mean? Quite simply, no noise-canceling headphones are used to isolate the players from each other. The players talk, laugh and move together.

The Sporterleben-Nordhorn e.V. association organizes sporting events of all kinds for a good cause. In addition to charity soccer matches, most recently in August 2023 together with Borussia Dortmund soccer club, they also auction off signed jerseys from top athletes at charity events to do good with the proceeds. They support people with shortened life expectancy and serious illnesses, particularly in the area of children's hospices.

Once a year, SportErLeben e.V. brings the legends teams of the Bundesliga teams to the province and thus the parents and soccer fans to the stands of S.V. Nordhorn. Children can get to know a wide variety of sports and e-sports topics at these exercise days. The proceeds from the events and other activities always go to voluntary causes. In this way, sport, exercise and the fascination of sport in society help to strengthen volunteering and cohesion.