Dürr says she has been doing this since the first run of Sport in the Park in 2016. "Energy Dance really gives you energy," is her explanation for why the course is well received by participants every year. Between 40 and 60 people attend each of her classes, Dürr says. She still enjoys leading the class, too. "Because it's so much fun to develop the concepts for it," she explains. In Energy Dance, the instructor demonstrates a dance to the rhythm of the music, and the participants mimic her movements. To make sure everyone follows along, each movement is repeated. Then the movement is modified to fit the music, says Dürr. There are no steps or choreography in this type of dancing, she says. "This way, you can let yourself fall completely into the music," says the instructor.

Bringing inner peace and movement together is also the aim of the courses that Kerstin Sprungk leads for the Godesberg club. She has been active at Sport in the Park as a yoga and fitness instructor since 2018. Sometimes there are five, sometimes 30 people, as Sprungk explains. The number of participants is not so important to her, she says. "Those who come are motivated," she has discovered. It's best to bring a towel to the yoga classes, but otherwise the rule for all classes is: "You're there. You're up for it. So join in.”

Going to do sports or swimming without signing up in advance, without feeling obligated, and without paying. The concept of the sports program of the sports association, the city and their partners ensures a high level of motivation among participants, Sprungk reports on her experiences from four years of Sport in the Park. That motivation is just one reason Sprungk decided to be an exercise instructor exclusively at Sport im Park, she says: "I just don't like dusty gyms." Of course, she admits, a fixed group in a regular course gives instructors a certain amount of security. But she also explains that yoga and fitness in general are always about adapting the concept to the needs of the participants - which is why the unfamiliar faces and fluctuating participants at outdoor classes are not a problem for Sprungk. "I'm used to adaptation in my work," she says.

What else do instructors bring to Sport in the Park? "At Sport in the Park, it's best for the exercise leader to have several concepts in mind, depending on the audience," explains Bernd Seibert, managing director of the organizing Bonn sports association Stadtsportbund Bonn (SSB). Not everyone who comes to the courses is at the same level, or comes in suitable work-out clothes, he adds. "People have also joined in wearing jeans," he recalls. That's why it's important for the fitness instructors to be prepared for different scenarios. The courses should be low-threshold, i.e., manageable for everyone, regardless of age, physical abilities and other factors.

It's for sure an advantage to be able to instruct well, regardless of the course size, explains Babsi Geschwandtner, sports organizer from the Godesberg club: "A good exercise instructor knows what to do with three, 30 or 60 people." She also says that a relatively strong voice is an advantage: although every instructor wears a headset during outdoor courses, a certain vocal volume still helps.

"Exercise instructors at Sport in the Park should appear confident in public and handle conflicts with poise," says Sandra Horschel, a speaker at the SSB. This is particularly important, she says, to counteract any feelings of insecurity among participants and to be able to intervene if problems arise. Horschel is convinced that all of them have this quality: "Anyone who doesn't have the confidence doesn’t do this.”

As for Spungk, Sport in the Park is an attractive job for many exercise instructors: "It's easier for us to find people for this than for our regular range of courses," says Heinfried Wege from the Duisdorf Gymnastics and Weight Training Club, which also offers courses for Sport in the Park. “It doesn’t work without the exercise instructors," is also the opinion of Fabian Welt from the Swimming and Sports Friends Bonn. His club is also participating in the program this year. Unfortunately, the lack of instructors outside of these courses in the park continues to be a major issue, Welt says.

According to the organizers, the continuity of the exercise leaders is also important. If participants like a course leader, they are happy to come back. "We're always happy to have new exercise instructors join us. But I also want to give our existing exercise instructors a lot of credit for their work," Geschwandtner says. Many have been with Sport in the Park for a long time, he said. Gradually, he says, the fitness trainers in the courses of the summer program have also brought participants permanently to the club, not only at Godesberg Turnverein, but also at the other participating clubs. This is not only good for the clubs, he says, but also gives the fitness instructors good feedback. Through this interaction, Sport in the Park not only provides an opportunity for the public to find a way to participate in sports, but it’s also an advocacy for local sports clubs.

(Orig. text: Franziska Klaes / Translation: Carol Kloeppel)