The flag football academy at the Hötting-West middle school in Innsbruck is celebrating sporting success: after winning the Tyrolean state championship, the team also won the national championship. Mayor Johannes Anzengruber and Deputy Mayor Elisabeth Mayr honored the team that successfully combines sport and education and for which further exciting challenges await.
INNSBRUCK. The Hötting-West middle school in Innsbruck has made a name for itself with its flag football academy. After winning the Tyrolean state championship title, the team also triumphed at the national championship in Hollabrunn in June, defeating Vienna 13:7. Mayor Johannes Anzengruber and Deputy Mayor Elisabeth Mayr honored the students in the town hall and praised the school as a role model for the combination of sport and education. The academy not only promotes sporting talent, but also team spirit and social skills. The students are now looking forward to an exciting school year and further sporting successes.
“In light of the unbelievable success of the Austrian flag football national teams at this year’s World Cup in Finland, the men became runners-up and the women came fourth, this national championship title has to be classified completely differently. We are all incredibly proud of the academic and sporting achievements of our Football Academy,”
says Daniel Dieplinger, head of the academy, happily.
From Hötting-West to Los Angeles
Next year, the Hötting-West middle school can defend its title on home soil: in 2025, the national flag football championship will be held as part of the “School Olympics” at the American Football Center in Innsbruck. Speaking of the Olympics: Flag football will be included in the Olympic program for the first time at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“Perhaps we will then see some of today’s MS Hötting-West students as future Olympic participants who have their roots in the Innsbruck Football Academy,”
says Mayor Johannes Anzengruber happily.
Combination of sport and education
The Football Academy in the New Hötting-West Middle School offers students a unique combination of high-quality school education and specialized sports training. Since the 2013/2014 school year, boys and girls have had the opportunity to choose between flag football and cheerleading. Supported by a team of professional trainers, they can develop their sporting skills and at the same time benefit from a high-quality school education. Experience so far shows that physical activity not only promotes enjoyment of exercise, but also has a positive effect on school performance. With this innovative approach, the school takes on a pioneering role throughout Austria.
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