Deutsch
Lara Götz from Nürnberg (Germany) spent one year working as Au Pair in the US. She is one of the lead persons, who made it possible to send a U18 Girls team to the WC for the first time in US-Fistball history. This is her story
Hello fistball fans worldwide! My name is Lara, I have been working as an Au Pair in the USA since July 2015, and I have been playing fistball for ten years at the TV Eibach 03 Club in Nuremberg, Germany. As soon as I was matched with my host family for this amazing year, I searched the internet to find the closest fistball club. As a result, I found the Swim and Sports Club in Flanders, NJ, which hosted the first Pan-American Fistball Games last August. When I showed up there for the first time I was warmly welcomed by everyone and made many new contacts that weekend. I was able to help out as a linesman in some exciting games. Unfortunately, there is no indoor season in the USA, therefore there was no more fistball after the Pan-Am Games. This was very shocking to me as we play both outdoors and indoors in Germany. Additionally, I told them that my home club will be hosting the Under 18 World Championship this coming July. So the USFA president and I along with an USFA coach decided to create an under 18 girls national team. After a few demonstrations and try-outs, nine girls with volleyball experience volunteered to learn how to play fistball in order to play at the Under 18 World Championship as the first USA girls national team.
The preparation for this big event is going well. In June the team played in a local tournament for the first time. With the help of sponsorships and fundraising, now the journey to Germany begins and I am very excited to be the assistant coach of the USA national team.
Good sportsmanship
Lara