"Kegeln", or Kegeln bowling, is similar to bowling, but is played only with nine instead of ten pins and a smaller ball. It is primarily played in Europe, and has a long tradition in Germany. A short run-up, a swing and the ball zooms down the 35 cm narrow, slightly ascending, curved track towards the pins. And when Samuel Schlosser does it, it is likely that all nine pins will fall. After all, he has been training for 11 years, which has earned him a spot on the U18 national team.
When he was seven years old, he went along to try out "Kegeln" with a friend, as children often do. Since then, he was hooked. He also had a knack for it, and soon, he had his first successes. For more than six years Samuel has been participating in tournaments and can claim several titles to his name: District champion, state champion and German champion. And now, the world championship is waiting! At the "minor" championships, the national coaches are usually present to see who might be eligible for the national team. This is how Samuel managed to join the squad.
Strike!
Whether ten or nine pins - no pin should be left standing at the world championship. The aim was to be on the winners' podium at least once. Samuel far exceeded that goal and brought home three medals: Gold in pairs, Gold with the mixed team and Silver in singles. He and his team competed against Brazil, France, Belgium and Luxembourg. Of course he was nervous. But when Samuel realized things were going well for him and his team, it made him confident. If you add a bit of luck to talent, practice and strong nerves, you win medals. He is really proud of the first place with the mixed team. They competed against the U24 team and the match was decided for the German team only in the very last moment. Following this championship, Samuel will play in the U24 squad and will be part of the selection for the next World Cup in two years. You always have to keep your head in the game, that also applies to "Kegeln".
“Of course, I was nervous before the tournament. But once I realized things were going well for us, I gained confidence.”
Training at Grenzebach
At Grenzebach, he can pursue his hobby without having to justify himself all the time if he ever has extra training and has to put his training as an industrial clerk on hold for a short time. The training courses to prepare for the championship were on the weekend and for the tournament itself he got time off.
At the moment he is busy with logistics. He dispatches spare parts, takes care of packaging and the corresponding papers, prepares invoices. Trainees in their first year of training are already given a relatively high degree of responsibility. Every trainee also has a contact person, a sort of mentor, for all kinds of questions. But Grenzebach trusts their trainees and therefore supports the young people. This gives them more confidence and a sense of achievement, which in turn triggers a sort of positive spiral. These future professionals appreciate this kind of support, which also shows: many employees stay at Grenzebach for many years.
Samuel has been working in the service department beforehand, afterwards he will switch to the financial accounting department. "I've enjoyed the purchasing department the most so far," he says. "The atmosphere among colleagues was great". The training plan also includes human resources, marketing and sales. Samuel enjoys change and is curious about the different departments. By the end of the apprenticeship, as an industrial clerk, he will have gained a broad knowledge of how a company works - from material flows to finance and human resources to customer service.
Grenzebach's Youth and Trainee Representation always holds special days for its trainees. On such field trip days, all trainees spend time together. Last year, for example, they went bowling. This adds extra fun and promotes team spirit.
Samuel received the idea for this training from the Federal Employment Agency. There, he told them about his interests in mathematics and natural sciences, whereupon not only was the industrial clerk suggested to him, but also Grenzebach. On their website, he informed himself about Grenzebach. He liked what he read there, and so he sent in an application right away, and after the introductory interview he was offered a training position. Since that time, Samuel has been driving 30 km every day from Heringen (Werra) to his place of work in Bad Hersfeld.
