100 Years of fistball: from martin beuther to the top in the world
The segnitz fistballers have a reason to celebrate. No, this time no further championship, this time a birthday: the department becomes 100 years old. With its first fistball team in 1919, TV segnitz laid the foundation stone for a success story that has made the town famous not only in the fistball world.
Fistball was certainly already being played in segnitz when the club was founded in 1899. Martin beuther, however, was the one who introduced competitive fistball to the gymnastics club in 1919. He is responsible for the fact that segnitz took part in the association games in the gymnastics district of kitzingen for the first time in 1919.
The marktbreiter anzeiger soon reports that the segnitzer fistball team "chivalrously forced their way up into the strong A-class". Unfortunately, the participation at district level did not last too long. Already two years later, it was written in the club minutes: "with regard to fistball, it was decided, because of the high costs, to play only in the district".
Success story
Such problems do not have the fistball players today any more. Since the 1950s, this sport has experienced a steady upswing at TVS, which has led the club to the top of the german fistball league. Several national titles, promotion to the highest divisions, european and world championship titles fill the annals and the trophy barrier of the club. With around 15 teams each, TV segnitz can even feel like a european fistball stronghold with both mass and class.
After all, the club is represented in most age and performance categories, from the minis to the men's and women's classes. With all this, the appointment of segnitz talents to the various selection teams is not omitted. Appointments to the bavarian selection or even to the national team have been the order of the day for many years. The reward for the intensive (junior) work: several world and european championship titles.
The major breakthrough at supra-regional level occurred at the beginning of the 1970s. After the second district title – the first was in 1956 – by the manner in 1971 and a third place for the schoolboys on the bavarian level, things went steeply uphill.
In 1975, a school team was formed that was to write more than just club history in the course of its career. Among their achievements were southern german championship titles in the school and youth divisions, three years of 1. Bundesliga and the german title in the mannerklasse 40. Parallel to the upswing among the men, women's fistball also developed. After an unsuccessful attempt to gain a foothold in korbball, the gymnastics club fielded a school girls' team for the first time in 1975. Golden times followed for the segnitz fistball with top rankings on all levels, especially with the german indoor title of the female youth in the year 2000.
No worries about new blood
With numerous lower franconian, northern bavarian, bavarian, southern german and german championship titles to date, the success record of the segnitz fistballers is impressive. Even on the highest league level the name segnitz is not unknown. In the field season, segnitz is with the women in the 1. Bundesliga and with the men in the 2. Represented in the national league.
Rough hopes lie on the new generation of fistball players. The german championship title of the male youth 12 in 2012 and 2014, the national title of the male youth 16 in 2018 and currently eight junior teams let the segnitz fistballers look to the future with confidence. The strong attendance at the training sessions of the children's, mini- and youth groups continues unabated. The gymnastics club can therefore celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding. Birthday celebration.