Athletes and coaches are calling for their social security to be anchored in the planned elite sports funding law. In a joint statement, Athletes Germany and the Professional Association of Coaches in German Sport (BVTDS) appeal to the federal government, states and organized sport to make binding a collective agreement for coaches a prerequisite for state funding for the associations.
Insurance should be created for athletes in the event of parenthood, illness and injury, inability to work and excessive hardship at the end of their sporting career. “Socializing successes and returns, privatizing risks and grievances – this must come to an end,” the paper says. The Federal Ministry of the Interior submitted the draft bill for the law to the departmental vote amidst strong protests from the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB). It is expected to be submitted to the Bundestag this year.
In addition, athletes and coaches are demanding a seat and a vote on the supervisory bodies of the planned top sports agency for their independent organizations. So far, according to the draft, the DOSB will send the athlete representative to the board of trustees. The representation of trainers is not intended.
Athlete and coach representatives blame this on a “non-transparent agreement process” outside the responsible working group. “We do not want agreements to be made over the heads of those we represent,” they write, warning against jeopardizing the agency’s effective and independent performance of its mission and the credibility of reform efforts.