Promotion of winter sports in Saxony's schools and kindergartens

In future, winter sports are to be promoted more strongly in Saxony's schools and kindergartens. As part of the winter sports strategy, model regions are to be created for this purpose, as Interior Minister Armin Schuster (CDU) said on Wednesday following the winter sports summit in the State Chancellery.

Christian Dahms, Managing Director of the Saxony State Sports Association (LSB), also emphasized the importance of promoting sport at a young age. "We have noticed in ten years - we have tested 100,000 children - that the motor skills level has gone down," he said, referring to a corresponding LSB study. We also want to become more active at school.

Minister President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) hosted a winter sports summit in the State Chancellery on Wednesday. The topics were a review of Saxony as a winter sports state and the goals for the coming years. The summit took place for the fourth time.

Kretschmer emphasized the importance of winter sports for the people of Saxony and the impact of the Free State on the outside world. At the competitions in the state, he said, we have seen how the top athletes inspire the entire population - "from the young children who are in junior sports, to the parents, the coaches". "It's a huge movement that also ensures social cohesion." Competitive athletes are at the top of the pyramid, but the top is only created by the breadth of people working together.

Albrecht Pallas, sports policy spokesperson for the SPD parliamentary group, sees it similarly. The heart of Saxony as a sporting state is its people, he said in a press release. "The winter sports strategy therefore sets three priorities: Grassroots sport for the whole of society, commitment to grassroots and elite sport and sports facility infrastructure." In addition to good sports facilities and role models from elite sport, this also requires winter sports activities in daycare centers and schools.