KLU Sports Scholarship Holders Thrill Fans of All Ages at SV Bergstedt

Signing session at SV Bergstedt

On “Profitag 2021” (Pros Day 2021) at the sports club SV Bergstedt, Marie Jeltsch and Benedikt Schwarzhaupt put on a unique guest performance. The two internationals gave children from the club valuable tips & tricks on how to play hockey, and then found time for autographs, photos and a friendly match with some of the club’s older members.

KLU recently gained a bit of publicity through an unconventional campaign at the sports club SV Bergstedt. The hockey club, located in Hamburg’s Walddörfer and a KLU partner since 2018, is home to one of the largest youth athletics sections in Germany. As such, on the jointly organized “Profitag 2021” in early September, over 180 children aged 6 to 13 had the once-in-a-lifetime chance to train with two genuine international hockey players: Marie Jeltsch from the Club an der Alster and Benedikt Schwarzhaupt from the Uhlenhorster Hockey Club.

It was a unique experience for the two top athletes, as well: “It was really fun to see so many kids excited about hockey. I received a great deal of support when I was younger, and still do, so I’m very glad that, by sharing a tip or two, I can give something back today,” said Benedikt Schwarzhaupt, who, just like Marie Jeltsch, found time for plenty of autographs and photos at the end of the event.

The “Profitag” was followed by a closing highlight for young and old alike: the evening match between “Team Marie” and “Team Bene,” which countless members of the Bergstedt club ages 14 and up had applied for, and were selected by random drawing. In the spirited match, with an audience of ca. 150 looking on, Team Marie ultimately won 6 to 4. Marie Jeltsch later noted that the team was in “great shape” and that: “It was a lot of fun, and I’m very glad that I could do my part to make for a great Club Day at SV Bergstedt.”

KLU Sports Coordinator Johannes Dietz couldn’t agree more: “For children, Marie and Benedikt are definitely great and important role models, as the huge interest, especially from the SV Bergstedt’s youth athletics section, showed today.”

Marie Jeltsch and Benedikt Schwarzhaupt currently hold athletic scholarships at KLU. In addition to financial support in the form of reduced tuition, KLU also helps the two top athletes to organize and reconcile training, matches and their responsibilities as students. The program is based on a partnership with the Olympic Training Center Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein. “We enable athletes to successfully manage the delicate balancing act between competitive sports and education. In return, they help us gain a bit of publicity for KLU in places where perhaps not everyone knows our young university,” Dietz explains.

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