During my time in Germany, I have had a few opportunities to experience the sport culture. Last week, I attended my second professional basketball game here in Heidelberg (proud to report that the Heidelberg Academics won both times that I was present), and in October I attended a professional soccer (or, football, as you would say here) match in Berlin. Though Berlin was on a much larger scale, the atmosphere in both cases was intense and enthusiastic, with the fan sections constantly engaged. There was never a moment of silence: chants, songs, clapping, and drums (lots of drums!) can be heard at all times. 

Football, especially, is taken very seriously in Germany. Everyone has some sort of allegiance to one team or another, and it is not hard to guess when a match is occurring in the area. One weekend, when I was making a day trip with friends, we saw hundreds of people in the train station and on the trains themselves wearing football kits and scarves. The scarves are especially prominent and important among sports fans here. They are waved or spun in the air to show support or even used in attempts to distract the opposing team. Rivalries between teams are also very intense here. While in Cologne for a weekend, Köln played against Leverkusen, and we witnessed heavy police presence dispatched to ensure that tensions between opposing fans did not escalate too far. 

Aside from professional sports, one major difference in the sport culture here compared to in the US is the lack of school and collegiate sports. High schools and even universities in Germany do not have their own school-sponsored and affiliated teams. Sports are played predominantly through local clubs or sport associations that are not connected to any academic institution. As a result, the sense of school pride and loyalty is not nearly as strong as in the US.

That being said, there still are a number of sport and exercise class offerings specifically for university students in Heidelberg. The Sports Center at the University of Heidelberg offers heavily discounted classes including tennis, basketball, volleyball, martial arts, dance, yoga, rowing, paddle boarding, workouts, and much more. Another organization specifically for students, regardless of which university they attend in Heidelberg (there are a couple smaller ones aside from Universität Heidelberg), offers workshops in yoga, pilates, and certain styles of dance. 

This semester, I am taking three such weekly workshops and courses: salsa, kayaking, and modern Latin American dance. While these classes are not for any credit and do not include teams or competitions, they are a lot of fun and a good way to stay healthy as well as to balance academic responsibilities with social activities (and therefore practice my German skills in different contexts!). I grew up dancing ballet and became involved with ballroom and Latin dance during my first year at Pitt, so being able to continue dancing on a weekly basis was really important and helpful for me during the beginning of my time abroad. Now that the weather is increasingly nicer, kayaking is also a highlight of every week. Furthermore, through these classes, I have made good friends and drastically increased my confidence while navigating social interactions in German. 

While there are certainly differences in the sport culture, a lot of it is very similar and, above all else, fun.