Philosophy

Our mission statement is a framework of orientation for us, which should serve as helpful support for our staff, trainers and volunteers in their daily work. At the same time, it shows what others can expect from us. On the one hand, it takes stock of our current work, transparently communicates the values that apply to us in our dealings with each other and with our participants, members and business partners and, on the other hand, shows ways for future development opportunities. 

Our philosophy  

Discover sport as a part of your life!

Our self-image

In association with the university, we are THE leisure & health sports provider for everyone in Jena with an extensive and trend-conscious range of sports in club-owned and external sports facilities at a good price-performance ratio.

Through the possibilities of university sports, the university sports club, our cooperation partners and networks, we are able to bring together and move not only students and employees of the FSU Jena, but the entire population of Jena.

With the aim of discovering sport as a part of life, our qualified trainers convey fun and health awareness as well as modern and traditional values.

Our institutional basis

The University Sports Centre is a service institution of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, whose legitimacy is based on federal and state legislation. It provides all university members with a voluntary exercise-oriented offer based on the semester rhythm as a balance for everyday university life.

The University Sports Association is a non-profit association with legal capacity with the purpose of promoting sports, in particular sports at the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena. For its members, it creates the conditions for year-round, broad-based sports activities with practice, training and competition and organises sporting events.

Both are supported by their numerous network partners such as the Jena City Sports Association, the Thuringian State Sports Association, the Thuringian University and Technical College Sports Association, the General German University Sports Association and the German Olympic Sports Association.

Our guiding motif

Our guiding motto is "Diverse. Live. Move." Diversity in this sense stands for us as:

Diversity in movement
Diversity in the intention to move
Diversity in the function of movement
Diversity in society and thus for tolerance and respect towards other cultures and lifestyles.

Our understanding of sport

As a member of the umbrella organisation of Thuringian sports organisations, the Landessportbund Thüringen, we identify with its understanding of sport (cf. LSB Thüringen mission statement, p. 7). According to this, the core of our understanding of sport includes

• the joy of physical activity and performance
• the need for individual development and comparison
• the identity-forming effect of competitive sport
• the positive effects on the health and well-being of the individual
• the promotion of social cohesion

Our offer

up to 7,500 places in about 400 courses per semester and sports opportunities for our more than 3,000 club members of all ages in 28 departments
from classic sports such as football, handball, athletics, rowing and judo to established modern forms of exercise such as yoga, aerobics, beach volleyball, fitness training, jazz dance and trendy and exotic sports such as Zumba, climbing, juggling and slacklining.
Offers ranging from getting to know a sport for the first time to preparing for competitions
Balancing sport, learning and/or performance-oriented offers, health sport in the sense of §20 SGB VII
Day events, weekend workshops, courses, sports trips, semester and year-round sports courses
exercise opportunities for all ages
a social meeting place for all ages, across cultures
opportunities for personal development by taking on responsible tasks in the coordination and/or organisation of sport.

Our principles

Quality awareness

In accordance with the quality standards of the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, we attach great importance to the high quality of our sports offer.

The continuous qualification of our staff is as much a matter of course for us as the implementation and regular monitoring of uniform quality standards.

We specifically promote the training and further education of our exercise instructors and our volunteers as well as communication among and with them.

We place great value not only on professional but also on personal development.

But we also attach great importance to ensuring that our sports facilities meet safety standards and are well-maintained. This applies both to our own club and to the university and municipal sports facilities we use. The importance of this aspect for Jena University Sports is also reflected in the assumption of responsibility for the operation, renovation and modernisation of numerous university sports facilities in 2012.

With all these measures, we create the conditions for a quality-conscious working atmosphere that extends to all facets of our sports offerings.

Promoting social cohesion

University sport is not only a sporting but also a social meeting place for the city and the University of Jena. It offers a platform for getting to know each other and exchanging ideas. It sees itself as a motor for integration, because university sport moves everyone - without asking about age, religion, social affiliation, skin colour or ability. In this way, it overcomes cultural and social boundaries in a playful way, in the truest sense of the word. It brings people together through sport - not virtually, but directly and immediately.

Acting responsibly towards people, society and the environment

Society

We are clearly committed to upholding the basic democratic order, co-determination and participation, ethical principles and the rejection of violence, extremism, doping and manipulation in sport.

People

For us, a value-based way of dealing with and among each other is the basis of any good cooperation.

Therefore, we consider it an important task to convey values such as respect, tolerance, reliability, appreciation, trust, helpfulness and a sense of responsibility with sport, through sport and also outside of sport.

The aspect of fairness plays a special role in sport. In addition to adherence to and recognition of rules, fairness is also about treating opponents with respect, developing team spirit and breaking down prejudices, but also about keeping one's composure after victory and defeat.

Environment

We attach great importance to the conscious and economical use of resources. This is expressed not only through the solar panels on our club buildings or the environmentally friendly planning of building and renovation measures, but also in the way we treat people and materials. Respect for one another and the conscious use of sports facilities and materials teaches all sportspeople, even in small ways, about the careful use of limited resources.

Motivation to do sport

We are convinced that regular physical exercise is a central element of a healthy lifestyle. From this conviction we draw our motivation to inspire all those who take advantage of our sports programme to take part in lifelong sports. Creating positive experiences, conveying the joy of movement, consciously perceiving and reflecting on the physiological and psychological effects of movement on one's own body are therefore guiding aspects for us in the implementation of our sports programme.