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Honorable award: Carmen Berger leads SV Osterbach to success!
Carmen Berger is being honored for her many years of commitment to SV Osterbach. She has led the club since 2021 and ensures community.
Honorable award: Carmen Berger leads SV Osterbach to success!
A shining star of volunteerism illuminates the sports landscape in Osterbach: Carmen Berger, the first chairwoman of the Osterbach sports club, was recently awarded the state letter of honor. This high award was presented on September 17, 2025 and recognizes her dedicated work for the club, which she has played a key role in shaping since 1992. She previously served as deputy chair for 11 years before taking the helm in 2021.
Carmen Berger, who works full-time at the Kirchner Solar Group in Heinebach, not only organizes events, but also ensures that the members of SV Osterbach are well looked after. The successful preliminary team currently has 544 members and enjoys a stable club structure, even if they are still looking for trainers for children's gymnastics.
Honor and commitment
Carmen's honor represents not only a personal success, but also recognition for the club's work in general. The state letter of honor, presented by first district councilor Dirk Noll and Alheim's mayor Dr. Andreas Brethauer is a sign of the long-standing commitment to municipal and non-profit organizations. Berger holds the award with pride, even if she always remains modestly in the background while others take the stage.
But the chairwoman's commitment does not end with the sports club. Since 1996 she has also been a member of the Ellenbacher Musikanten, where she serves as second chairwoman. Despite health challenges, such as her rheumatism, she does not let herself be slowed down and remains a central figure in the organization of club activities, supported by her family, who are also active in the SVO.
Sustainability and volunteerism
SV Osterbach not only experiences community during the Christmas season, but also proves how important voluntary structures are. However, sports clubs face the challenges of a decline in volunteers. According to a study by move4sustainability, the sports sector in Germany lost around a million volunteers between 2014 and 2019. It is all the more important to address difficulties in mobilizing new volunteers through innovative approaches and sustainable concepts.
Sustainability plays an important role in sport. It can reduce costs and strengthen club identification, which can also attract new members. There are currently efforts to address these challenges, for example through flexible role offers, a welcoming culture and team-oriented approaches, which are propagated by Julia Wlasak, the founder of move4sustainability.
With her commitment, Carmen Berger exemplifies the need to develop and implement a sustainable, future-proof vision, even on a smaller scale in volunteer work. The resurrection of club structures that address both attendance management and innovative engagement methods is crucial to strengthening sport in general.
Overall, Carmen Berger's award reflects the high value that voluntary work has in sport. That is exactly what holds the community together and shapes the future of SV Osterbach.
We look forward to continuing to hear about Carmen Bergers and her great work SV Osterbach to hear from you and wish you all the best for the future.