The center of power measures less than 15 square meters and is simply functionally furnished. "That's enough," says the lady of the house. "I don't attach any importance to status symbols or large offices," says Julia Frauendorf, 32, board member of the German Volleyball Association (DVV).
Achim Dreis
Sports editor.
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She has been in office since February 2022. As sole decision-maker since the end of 2022. Prior to this, the DVV Executive Committee led by President René Hecht had decided to part ways with the second board member Bernd Janssen. The reason given was different ideas on the topics of finance and human resources. Since then, Frauendorf has been trying to restructure the association "sustainably" as a soloist. Which doesn't go down well everywhere.
"Change is tough and unpleasant," the former management consultant has recognized: "There is a lot of resistance from the old structures." The DVV is to become younger, more digital and faster "in order to be well positioned in the long term". It is understandable "that not everyone goes along with it," says Frauendorf, who in turn finds it personally exciting to be able to make an impact: "We have already achieved a lot."
Quite a few observers, however, see a risky concentration of power in their hands. "I'm facing up to my responsibility," she counters – but the second board position is to be filled again as soon as possible. It's not the only vacancy at the executive level. Both sporting directors are also absent. From Niclas Hildebrand, who was responsible for the beach area, the association separated in the summer in a dispute. The former successful coach Jürgen Wagner then resigned from his post as "Head of Beach". The contract with Christian Dünnes, who is responsible for the hall area, was terminated by mutual agreement – at his request.
Volunteering in the association
As a child and adolescent, Julia Frauendorf played volleyball herself, at a hobby level. She had a good time at Eintracht Wiesbaden: "Many friendships continue to this day." She is still working there, as head of department and coach of the U-14 boys. Honorary. "I want to give something to the next generation." The fact that she acted as a libera in the team was due to her height on the one hand, but according to her self-assessment, it also suited her personality: taking responsibility, acting in the background, communicating a lot, these are her strengths.
Critics complain that she lacks the vision for the development of volleyball. But she doesn't want to "presume" to "presume to make a sporting assessment," she says. The national coaches are responsible for this. Nevertheless, Frauendorf describes the organization of competitive sports as a "core business": visibility of the national teams, the organization of international matches and international success are measures of a sport that, with only 400,000 active participants, tries not to be left behind in the competition of disciplines.
The qualification of the indoor teams for Paris 2024 would be important. The last time the German men were at the Olympics was in 2012, the women even in 2004. And even in the traditionally strong beach area, the connection is in danger of being lost, as the home European Championships in Munich 2022 showed. The atmosphere was great, but no German duo made it close to a medal. The fact that the DVV's marketing company had to file for bankruptcy last spring also did not serve the clout. As soon as she took office, Frauendorf had to accompany the liquidation and, after a first glance at the figures, realized that the relationship between income and expenditure was not correct.
At the weekend, the streamlined German Beach Tour will start the new season with a tournament in Bremen. Player representative Melanie Gernert complained that she had not been sufficiently involved in the tournament reform in advance and resigned from her office.
The traditionalists don't like the fact that former professional Alex Walkenhorst is producing the tour with his marketing agency. Walkenhorst has already accommodated the beach volleyball players on the Twitch platform during the Corona years, where video games are usually shown. For Julia Frauendorf, Walkenhorst is an "important business partner" – the interactive nature of the broadcasts is "an exciting approach". The only question is whether the elderly will be taken along?
Incidentally, the only gem in her office is a large-format photo showing Laura Ludwig and her partners at a show match on a floating beach volleyball court in front of the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. "Laura vor Elphi" was a spectacular advertising campaign before the 2019 World Championships, when beach volleyball was still considered very cool and at the same time arrived in society - four years ago and yet as if from another time.