The small community of Poessneck in the Saale-Orla region, south of Jena in Eastern Germany also benefited during allocation of 1000 mini synthetic turf pitches from the profits of the Ladies Football World Championships 2006.
On August 25, 2008 the time arrived: Dr Theo Zwanziger, in his capacity as President of the German football association, DFB, inaugurated the 13x20 m football pitch. Also present along with Dr Zwanziger were the German national ladies league players Stephanie Milde and Sabrina Schwarz. The widespread hope was for a future German international to grow on this mini-playing field.
A total of 24 mini-playing fields were allocated to the German region of Thüringen in 2008, one of them to the Erich-Kästner school to the East of Poessneck. Frank Reichmann, regional youth worker of the German educational institute BLITZ e.V., lobbied strongly for allocation of a pitch to Poessneck and considers the mini-playing field to be an absolute win for the primary schools, sports clubs and associations, special schools and the local area as a whole. Bildungswerk BLITZ e.V. is a non-profit organisation recognised as youth welfare service which has been active since 1991 in the Saale-Holzland and Saale-Orla regions in the field of youth, social and cultural work as well as education. Frank Reichmann keeps a close eye on the facility and supervises the youngsters. He also organised the inauguration ceremony together with Dietmar Hupel, Major of Poessneck.
Originally it was intended to construct a synthetic pitch for the Prof. Franz Huth School but this was then outsourced. The vandalism-safe mini-pitch was intended to be available to a range of different youth groups and to be open in the evenings. The administration was consciously not given over to a club, but to a school. Focus was put on promotion of girls' football, exercise at school as well as naturally, integration through sport.
And now? What is the status quo 2012 in Poessneck? How has it developed?
According to Frank Reichmann the mini-pitch is used intensively by both neighbouring schools for PE lessons. In addition, girls' football, events organised by the DFB, amateur tournaments and training for junior teams all take place on this mini-playing ground. After school hours the pitch is open to all children and youngsters and is popular and well used well into the evening hours. Two supervisors, financed by the regional sport association, ensure that no trouble is caused but vandalism cannot be prevented 100% and unfortunately, a short time ago the nets were cut in several places. In Frank Reichmann's opinion, the mini-pitch is an absolute enrichment for Poessneck and the objectives (integration, promotion of exercise and sport) have been fully achieved.
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