Sports at Steinmühle: Strengthening Tradition, Breaking New Ground

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Horseback riding, rowing, team sports, and an ever-growing number of partnerships: The sports program at Steinmühle School & Boarding School has evolved significantly in recent years. Modernized facilities, a growing team, and numerous projects ensure that physical activity has a firm place in the students’ daily school life—and will continue to be expanded in the future.

 

Steinmühle has always been known for its wide range of sports programs: established equestrian programs, professional rowing instruction, and successes that have even led to Olympic participation. Tennis has long been played on the school’s own courts, ball sports—including beach volleyball—are played along the Lahn River, and strength training is offered even during the winter months. But even good things can be made even better, explains Marcel Kalb, head of school sports, organizer of many training sessions, and coordinator of partnerships with other clubs.

 

Modern Infrastructure

At this point, we’ve already reached a stage where things have expanded considerably compared to about ten to 15 years ago. Compared to back then, the infrastructure has been modernized and significantly expanded. A renovated boathouse, a large second sports hall, and a modernized existing hall are now available for rowing equipment and indoor sports. The selection of sports equipment is also being continuously expanded. The selection in the weight room already gives a good idea of what this looks like.

 

More People for Sports

The development of the sports program was a process—both in terms of infrastructure and staffing. The faculty in the Sports Department has now grown to 17 teachers, with one educator from the boarding school and three FSJ volunteers providing support in various roles. “We’re also in contact with the departments of Sports Science and Motology at Philipps University in Marburg,” reports Marcel Kalb.

 

No Grades in Physical Education for Grades 5–8

Promoting physical activity is a top priority at Steinmühle. For example, there are extracurricular programs such as rowing trips and ski trips, and students have the option to choose the sports track in 11th grade—the so-called “E-Phase” of upper secondary school. One unique feature is also worth mentioning: In grades 5 through 8, no numerical grades are given in physical education. “We believe that a numerical grade cannot reflect the diversity of sports and the associated assessment of student performance. For this reason, we strive to provide differentiated and meaningful feedback on performance in physical education classes,” explains the school’s physical education director.

 

Para-sports are part of the program

Thanks to partnerships with other clubs, the range of sports offered at Steinmühle School & Boarding School is virtually limitless. While some Steinmühle teachers offer sports such as fencing out of personal interest, traditional sports like volleyball, basketball, and soccer are already part of the regular program. The new, spacious sports hall enables Steinmühle—which is already a Paralympic training center for rowing—to now also offer wheelchair basketball as a team sport.

On Mondays, inclusive soccer is also held: A few years ago, the Unified Team began regular training in cooperation with the local sports club, SF Blau-Gelb Marburg. At the time, Egon Vaupel, chairman of the sponsoring association Steinmühle Marburg e. V., had been a particularly strong advocate for the formation of this team.

 

New School Structure Model Opens Up Opportunities

According to Kalb, the school’s athletic director, the school is seeking further partnerships with other clubs. He has in mind extracurricular activities such as track and field, gymnastics, and swimming. “The new school restructuring model set to be implemented in the future will open up great opportunities in this regard.”

 

Keeping an eye on competitive sports

Marcel Kalb also keeps an eye on competitive sports and cites, for example, the volleyball club and the elective volleyball classes (WU) for grades 5 and 6, as well as the gymnastics program offered as part of “Youth Training for the Olympics,” in which five female students performed exceptionally well. His credo: “Sports and achievement go hand in hand. And that’s what we encourage.”

In addition, a two-hour-per-week upper-school sports program is offered to students across all grade levels. Marcel Kalb oversees the program, but the students also organize many activities on their own, thereby creating self-directed spaces for physical activity and training.

 

Getting to know each other in two ways

For several years now, Steinmühle has also been holding sports project days during the last week of school, says Kalb, who has been working at Steinmühle for seven years. The additional sports days in May are for grades 5 through 10 and include rowing, running finals, and other disciplines. In addition, Steinmühle has held—and plans to continue holding—a sports festival during the last week of school. Partnering sports clubs and physical education students from the university are also invited to this event. In addition to promoting physical activity, the festival serves as an opportunity for participants to get to know one another—both among the athletes themselves and through exposure to other sports programs.

 

Fitness Programs for Faculty

“Our day-to-day work is becoming increasingly complex, so we also need to ensure that our staff gets enough exercise,” adds Marcel Kalb. At this point, he brings up the “StoneFIT” program—an initiative designed to promote physical activity specifically for employees.

“We can be proud of the opportunities we have,” Marcel Kalb sums up. But he adds that they haven’t reached the finish line yet: “… there’s still more to come.”

He also mentions the lively break in the gym that comes with the cell phone ban. Led by a volunteer doing a year of voluntary social service (FSJ), grades 5 and 6 are active during the first long break, and grades 7 and 8 during the second long break. “If you curb the urge to play digital games, you have to offer other alternatives—ones that promote health through sports and physical activity.”

 

Sports are part of school culture

Steinmühle does not see its future as limited to its own offerings. “We also like to take a look at what public schools are doing and try to adopt the best practices.”

This makes it clear: At Steinmühle, physical education is much more than just a school subject. It is part of the school’s culture—driven by dedication, collaboration, and the shared goal of sustainably promoting physical activity, health, team spirit, and a drive to excel.

(Angela Heinemann/Photos: Steinmühle Archive)

 

Round Square: An Opportunity to Connect with Young People Around the World

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As part of the international Round Square school network, Steinmühle offers its students new and additional opportunities for personal development as well as for education both inside and outside of school. “Round Square promotes intercultural learning and provides our students with great opportunities to engage with young people around the world,” summarizes Theresa Großer, head of the lower secondary school and the international high school program at Steinmühle.

 

What does Round Square stand for?

 

Round Square’s approximately 260 selected member schools worldwide form an international network committed to shared educational goals and values. Round Square sees itself as a pioneer in tolerance, community, and global learning. Member schools in the network are encouraged to incorporate the 6 IDEALS (Internationalism, Democracy, Environmentalism, Adventure, Leadership, Service)—which guide the network’s collective actions—into their school programs. This results in a comprehensive educational program that prepares students for life in a global world.

 

Customized Exchange Opportunities

 

For students at Steinmühle, the network offers excellent opportunities to experience international learning and gain insights into a foreign culture. This takes place in various ways. First, individual exchange opportunities are organized through Round Square for students in grades 8–10. The exchange programs typically last 2 to 10 weeks. The students live locally, some in boarding schools and others with host families. Regardless of where the young people are housed, a Round Square exchange requires full commitment from the participating schools and families, ensuring that a warm welcome and diverse experiences are an integral part of the exchange.

There’s also a wide range of countries to choose from: from Australia to the U.S., from Colombia to Okinawa and Bermuda—the global network welcomes its students on nearly every continent. The costs for the exchanges remain manageable: the only expenses are flights to the destination country, on-site activities, and a placement fee of €500.

 

For students in 8th grade and above

 

Students in 8th grade and above are eligible to participate in a Round Square exchange. It’s important to note that anyone interested must also host an exchange partner—typically for the same length of time that they themselves were able to spend abroad. While Round Square exchanges are generally individual, it is often possible to travel to a school as a small group (2–3 people) at the same time.

 

Information Session on March 24

 

“We are delighted by the keen interest in participating in a Round Square exchange and by our students’ openness to experiencing new countries and cultures,” says Theresa Großer. With about 40 exchange programs, the school year is off to a good start in terms of interest in Round Square exchanges.

 

Those interested can contact Linda Hörner and Theresa Großer by email at Roundsquare.exchange@steinmuehle.net. Information about Round Square is also available on the Parent Cloud.

An information session will be held on March 24 at 7:30 p.m. The application deadline for the following school year is April 30.

 

What else does Round Square offer?

 

In addition to exchange opportunities, Round Square hosts international student conferences and organizes social projects in developing countries. We are also considering participating in these initiatives in the future. Furthermore, membership enriches daily classroom life by facilitating authentic interactions with students abroad through joint online meetings and projects. In addition, the school offers an elective course in which students take care of our guests from abroad, plan excursions, conduct interviews, and much more, all to ensure that every guest has a wonderful time at Steinmühle.

 

Our photos show Matilda, a 11th grader, during her stay in Colombia at the Colegio Anglo Colombiano.

(Theresa Großer/Angela Heinemann)

 

 

 

Diplomacy Up Close: Simulation Game Challenged This Year’s 13th-Grade Class

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Why can’t international conflicts simply be resolved at the negotiating table? The 13th-grade students at Steinmühle once again explored this question. Following the successful premiere two years ago, this year’s collaboration with Philipps University of Marburg once again demonstrated just how challenging diplomatic negotiations actually are. The event was largely facilitated by conflict researcher Dr. Stéphane Voell, who led the simulation and guided the participants through the challenging simulation exercise.

 

Informal discussions as a first step

During the event, the students took on the roles of delegates from various fictional countries. Each with their own interests, political goals, and territorial claims, they first engaged in informal discussions before gathering at a roundtable to try to develop a joint solution to the conflict. To give the simulation as authentic and official a character as possible, the participants were instructed to consistently address one another formally during the negotiations. It quickly became clear how difficult it is to negotiate compromises when national interests, economic interdependencies, and security considerations clash.

 

Caught between conflicting interests

Not every delegation was willing to compromise. Some vigorously defended their positions, while others sought dialogue—a tension that significantly shaped the course of the negotiations. The participants gained firsthand experience of just how challenging international diplomacy can be and why even well-intentioned solutions often fail due to conflicting interests.

 

A Keener Perspective on Real-World Conflicts

During the concluding reflection session, many students described how intensely they had experienced their respective roles. Terms like “frustrating” or “complicated” came up repeatedly, yet it also became clear that these very experiences had sharpened their perspective on real-world political conflicts. Together with Stéphane Voell, the dynamics of the negotiations were analyzed, and the simulation’s framework was finally revealed: The scenario was broadly based on the Transnistria conflict between the Republic of Moldova and the self-proclaimed Transnistrian Republic, with Russia’s involvement.

 

Experience the partnership with the university firsthand

For Bernd Hülsbeck, a subject teacher and head of the social sciences division within the Politics and Economics Department, the event is a successful example of close collaboration between the school and the university. It allows students to experience firsthand the long-standing partnership with Philipps University of Marburg. At the same time, the simulation adds a practical perspective to the 13th-grade curriculum, which is currently covering international relations.

 

A Wide Range of Career Opportunities

The Peace and Conflict Studies program at the University of Marburg offers graduates a wide range of career opportunities—including positions in international organizations such as the United Nations, as well as in the academic analysis and resolution of international conflicts. The simulation, held once again, impressively demonstrated just how complex peace processes are and how important dialogue, negotiation skills, and mutual understanding remain for sustainable solutions.

(Angela Heinemann)

 

 

Social Roles and Aspects of Toxic Masculinity

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When is a man a man? Herbert Grönemeyer asked this very question back in 1984 in his song “Männer.” The topic has lost none of its relevance. Over the weekend, a workshop on “Masculinity & Role Models” took place at the Steinmühle boarding school, led by two guest speakers from ProFamilia.

Overall, the program was very well received by the young men, reports program director Marlon Welsch. Most of them engaged openly and enthusiastically with the content and discussions. In the workshop, they explored societal role models, aspects of toxic masculinity, and their own ideas about relationships and how to shape them.

What makes a man a man?

The discussion about what “makes a man” for them personally was particularly valuable. Many participants were able to take away concrete ideas and food for thought to apply to their daily lives—especially with regard to self-reflection, interacting with one another, and building respectful relationships.

 

The workshop provided a safe space for honest conversations and was generally considered an enriching experience.

 

(Heinm/Photo: KI)

 

Practical tips and first-hand information at the Career Information Day

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For a full 28 years now, Steinmühle has been hosting its Career Information Day every November—a successful event organized in cooperation with the Rotary Club Marburg-Schloss. Once again, we owe our thanks not only to the organizers: Steinmühle teacher Dr. Claudia Röder and Hans-Heinrich Bähr from the Rotary Vocational Service. We would also like to thank the representatives of the many different professions who so enthusiastically answered questions and provided information to our upper-level students.

 

Information, Inspiration, and Insights

The event, opened by Principal Björn Gemmer, featured presentations on the following professions and fields during three sessions that evening: Attorney, Business Administration (Operations Management), Dentist, Physician, Psychologist, Software Company, Tax Consultant/Certified Public Accountant, Finance/Savings Banks/Banks, Social Service Year, Police Service, Pilot, German Armed Forces, Dual Degree Program at THM, Journalist, Political Scientist, Materials Science, Physics, Advertising Agency/Media, Architecture.

Our students certainly went home with some valuable information, a few ideas, or a new insight into their future career aspirations.

Dear business owners and their representatives: Thank you for enriching the information evening for the young people! Our photos show a selection of participants.

Good Water Sets a Precedent: A Drinking Water Fountain for Steinmühle

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With support from the LandesEnergieAgentur Hessen (LEA) and the Rotary Clubs’ nonprofit initiative “gesundekids e.V.,” the Rotary Club Marburg der Steinmühle has now donated a drinking water fountain worth just under 3,000 euros. Immediately after its installation, the students began eagerly using the water dispenser.

 

Reduce Health Risks

“The LEA (Hesse State Energy Agency) supports this project in light of the growing impacts of climate change and the resulting need for action. “The free provision of drinking water is important for public health, as staying hydrated reduces the risk of heat- and drought-related health problems,” according to a statement on the matter.

Carl-Eugen Bitzer, a member of the board of gesundekids e.V. from Langen in southern Hesse, who also serves as the Rotary district representative for gesundekids, arranged for the official handover by Steinmühlen School Principal Björn Gemmer, a member of the Rotary Club of Marburg, to the school community, represented by student body presidents Niclas Peters and Anna Reinhardt.

According to reports, the drinking fountain continues to be very popular, and Steinmühle would like to express its heartfelt thanks!

 

Learning by Watching: Sports Class Meets the German Basketball Bundesliga

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Last Saturday, Benedikt Hohmann’s three-hour introductory sports course was hosted at the Blue Dolphins Marburg’s home game against the Saarlouis Royals. A total of 17 12th-grade students made their way together to the small Georg-Gaßmann-Halle—invited by BC Marburg, whom we would like to sincerely thank here.

And the trip was well worth it: From the very first minute, there was a genuine Bundesliga atmosphere—fast-paced plays, loud cheers, and a crowd that passionately supported its team. The game itself was exciting right up to the end: Despite trailing by a wide margin in the first half, the Dolphins fought passionately, but ultimately fell just short against the strong Saarlouis Royals, losing 57–61. The disappointment over the loss quickly gave way to excitement over the intense, high-level game, which many of us were able to experience live for the first time, reports Benedikt Hohmann.

 

Inspiration Just Before the Practical Basketball Exam

Perfect timing, by the way: The practical basketball exam for the course starts in just a few days. So the evening wasn’t just a great experience, but also an inspiring way to get in the right mindset for our own game—truly in the spirit of “learning by watching.”

A big thank you to BC Marburg for the invitation and to the Blue Dolphins for an exciting, athletic evening full of emotion!

Intercultural Family Festival in Cappel: Together We Are ONE

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The tables were beautifully decorated, the buffet was constantly being restocked, and the stage was still closed off. Hanging on the walls were works of art by children and teenagers from the two neighborhood schools—the Steinmühle and the Erich Kästner School—as well as from the shared housing facility on Raiffeisenstraße. These paintings and sculptures reflected a wide spectrum—not only because they were created by people of different ages, but also because they came from very different backgrounds and had diverse life experiences.

The Intercultural Family Festival was opened by City Councilwoman Kirsten Dinnebier and Local Council Member Michael Korte, representing Local Council Chairman Peter Hesse. Cappel’s neighborhood manager, Vanessa Binzen, who organized the festival, guided the audience through the program. Clown Gina Ginella then took the stage—there were squeals, rumbling sounds, and things falling down—just the right kind of entertainment for the preschool- and elementary-school-aged children in attendance. And for us adults, she always struck just the right (off-key) note to amuse her audience. There were more than three rounds of hearty laughter. With delicious treats on our plates and in our cups, we came together and struck up conversations. It was a lovely afternoon.

Katrin Reichel

 

At the event, the Steinmühle displayed various exhibits on the topic. The artwork was created by Ella, Paul, Hannah, Josephine, Arvid (formerly LK 13, Rado), and Cilia (now LK 13 Vielhaben).

 
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Do you have questions about the school?

School Administration & Management

Björn Gemmer & Dirk Konnertz
Phone: 06421 408-20

schule@steinmuehle.de

Do you have questions about the boarding school?

Boarding School Administration & Management

Anke Muszynski & Dirk Konnertz
Phone: 06421 408-0

internat@steinmuehle.de

Do you have questions about the school?

School Administration & Management

Björn Gemmer & Dirk Konnertz
Phone: 06421 408-20

schule@steinmuehle.de

Do you have questions about the boarding school?

Boarding School Administration & Management

Anke Muszynski & Dirk Konnertz
Phone: 06421 408-0

internat@steinmuehle.de

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