Waßmann: "TuS is my home, my community and my club"

Created: 10/05/2022, 2:30 p.m

Sports badge organizer Gerrit Waßmann (left) was awarded the TuS Geretsried golden badge of honor by CEO Mirko Naumann.

© dengler

Gerrit Waßmann was awarded the Golden Badge of Honor for his many years of commitment as a sports badge organizer at TuS Geretsried.

Geretsried – Gerrit Waßmann has been a member of TuS Geretsried for more than 50 years – a veteran of the association.

For his commitment and his numerous services to the club, he was now awarded the Golden Badge of Honor at the Sports Badge Day in the Isarau Stadium (see report above).

“It was great to be honored in this context.

That touched me very much,” explained Waßmann after his award.

For the Geretsrieder it was by far not the first time that he was honored for his services.

In 1973, at the age of 22, he received the badge of honor from the German Gymnastics Association.

Over time, he collected a whole series of badges of merit and badges of honor from the city, the BLSV and the TuS.

However, he made it clear that his commitment was never about honors.

"It's even more valuable to look into the beaming eyes of children when they receive their sports badge from the mayor," he explained as an example.

The parents were already successful gymnasts

He was born with a love of sport because his parents were successful gymnasts.

At the age of six he moved to Geretsried with his family, who immediately joined the TuS.

At 14, he assisted in gymnastics as a practice assistant to "share his passion with others."

However, this was only the beginning of his TuS commitment, which continues to this day and was only interrupted during his student days in Stuttgart between 1978 and 1984.

Initiator of the Christmas gymnastics

Waßmann, who describes gymnastics as "my sport", was among other things the initiator of Christmas gymnastics, which still takes place annually.

For years he worked as senior gymnastics supervisor and head of department in gymnastics and athletics.

He has also carried the club's flag for more than 50 years and helped organize the 1972 Olympic torch relay.

He also ran a section from the Högl crossing to the Petrus church himself.

Over the years, the TuS has become something of a second family for the enthusiastic athlete and coach.

"TuS is simply my home, my community and my club," Waßmann clarified, whose family is now the fourth generation to work in the club.

Weekly training with the sports badge group

Even after more than 50 years of membership, he can still be found in the stadium weekly, where he coaches the sports badge group.

Waßmann has been an examiner since 1969 and a consultant at the BLV since 2016.

For the Geretsrieder it is still something special to prepare his group, which consists of all age groups, for the badge: "My main motivation is to inspire children and adults for the sport and to make them happy.

It's nice that everyone has a goal with the sports badge and can celebrate personal successes."

At the so-called "Sports Badge Day" last year, almost 100 people completed the German Sports Badge.

Among them, of course, was Waßmann himself, who won the badge (in gold, of course) for the 43rd time.

DOMINIK HAGER