At my first DVV scouting at the age of 14, I came into contact with the then national coach of the U18 national team. The squad scouting took place at the Olympic training center in Kienbaum. We didn't have much time to talk at that point, though, because all we had on the agenda was training, training and more training. Talented players from all over Germany who had previously been scouted at various youth championships and national cups of the regional associations are invited to the DVV scouting. For me personally, it was just very exciting to play volleyball with so many girls my age and to get to know them. The squad scouting lasted four days in total. Various technical units, various tests in the area of athletics and also fun games in small groups awaited us. We had a lot of fun and got to know each other better and better. At the end of the day, we fell into bed completely exhausted due to the unusually high training load for us.
At the end of the course, the nomination for the youth national team was on the agenda. I was completely excited and tense as I followed the PowerPoint presentation that the national coach gave us. We were shown pictures and videos of a possible career path. These impressions stuck in my head so much that I seriously considered actually going through a national training center. At the end, the select group of players who had made it into the junior squad were presented. And what can I say: I was there!
Which familiar faces were present at the DVV screening in 2008?
Anna Pogany (SSC Palmberg Schwerin)
Lena Stigrot (Cuneo Granda Volley)
Sandra Ittlinger (beach volleyball)
Leonie Schwertmann (most recently Ladies in Black Aachen)
Denise Imoudu (most recently SSC Palmberg Schwerin)
Juliane Schröder (née Langgemach) (most recently USC Münster)
Nele Barber (most recently USC Münster)
Magda Gryka (most recently Nancy Volley Ball)
Nadja Glenzke (beach volleyball)
We took the train home, overjoyed. Exhausted and satisfied, my parents picked me up from the station. My two best friends were there too. I had a lot to talk about, but I was still dead tired. From then on, I knew one thing: I wanted to play volleyball. I wanted to go to Berlin and start my training at VCO Berlin. After I finished secondary school in 2010, I was actually going to go to Berlin.
An exciting journey
At the beginning of August 2010, shortly before school started, I went to Berlin. Countless suitcases and bags were packed in the car and of course my Dutch bike was a must. Together with my parents, we drove a good six hours to Berlin. Our chaotic journey ended with an unwanted city tour through Berlin's districts of Neukölln, Lichtenberg and Hohenschönhausen. A lot of impressions rained down on us. After countless traffic lights and large intersections, we reached the sports center in Berlin-Hohenschönhausen.
In total, the athletes in the sports center have four large, multi-story buildings, also known as the Athletes' House, at their disposal. Depending on their age and squad status, each athlete was assigned a room. I was given a room in House 3 (see video from minute 1:52). There, each athlete had their own room including a bathroom. A total of 12 square meters included a bed, desk, closet, wardrobe and shelf. Washing machines and dryers were also on our floor. Right next to it was the large communal kitchen. Here, everyone had their own small refrigerator and a section on the shelf to store snacks and drinks. On weekends or during school breaks, you could also prepare food here. On the upper floor there was a large room with a TV and couches, which was often used for film or game nights. Our contacts in the house were three educators who looked after us throughout the day to ensure that nothing got out of control. The cafeteria was also not far away. We could have breakfast and dinner here on foot. At the time I was there, the school was not yet on the sports forum grounds, so we later had to cycle about three kilometers every day.
After a few days at the boarding school and city tours through Berlin, my parents said goodbye to me... And yes, there I was, 16 years old, in big Berlin. With mixed feelings and full of excitement, I lay in bed and looked forward to my first day of school at the SLZB - the elite school for sports.
boarding school tour at the SLZB
Source: SLZB Berlin (2023)