Michael Loibner stays on the ball - annenpost.at

Basketball games in Styria are only possible because of a few people. Born in Eggenberg, Michael Loibner is one of them and reveals why we might not be able to send a team to the Olympics in ten years.

Michael Loibner can be found on the basketball court almost every day. If he didn't do that, basketball in Styria probably wouldn't be possible in this form. Squeaky sports shoes and children's laughter roar from the hall while the players try to put the ball in the basket. What excites him so much about this sport? "I'm a pretty playful guy and basketball is one of the sports where you can live that out," Loibner replies. When he enters the "court" you immediately know what he means. His eyes start to sparkle as soon as he gets his hands on the ball. "You play with others, you can annoy your opponents a bit and there are situations where you can laugh together."

Loibner worked for the daily newspaper "Neue Zeit" in Graz for 16 years, which is now only available online, and learned the craft of journalism there. It all started with a summer job. "Four weeks were agreed," says Loibner, "and then they asked me if I didn't want to stay." Today he writes as a freelance journalist for the "Presse" and is responsible for the production of the "Eggenberger Spiegel". , a newspaper delivered quarterly to households in the district of the same name.

Passing on his love of sport

Michael Loibner also grew up in Eggenberg, but now he lives in Gries. In addition to his work as a journalist, he has also dedicated his life to basketball. He has been a board member of the Styrian Basketball Association for many years. There he works as a betting officer and administrator, ie he coordinates the course of the championships and manages the operative business of the StBV. He has also been a referee for 30 years. A profession that is threatened with extinction, he says. If he knew the secret recipe against the shortage of referees, there would be none, he adds with a laugh.

Loibner is also a lecturer at the University Sports Institute (USI). "Eleven years ago there were a few female students at USI who wanted to play more basketball," he says. The idea of ​​founding an association was born. The women's basketball club has been playing in the Bundesliga for two years. At the DBBC, Michael Loibner is the deputy chairman and coach of the U10, U12 and U14 teams. Since mixed genders are played in these age groups in Styria, the boys were initially only able to stay in the club up to this level. He founded a new club for the older ones. The Dunkers BBC project started with an U16 boys' team, but for the past two seasons there has also been a men's team. Loibner also coaches these two teams. Only a few games have been played this season, but the U16s rank second. The men's team, from which no player previously played in the club, is currently in last place in the 1st class. It is the first full season for the team after Corona paralyzed the championship last year.

No team for the Olympics in ten years?

In the mornings, Loibner visits various schools in Graz to organize physical education classes. "If you don't get the kids and teens at school interested in basketball, they go to soccer or somewhere else," he says.

Working with children is close to his heart. “The ability of children to learn always fascinates me. What is also good for me is the opportunity to pass on my love of sport, but also my coaching philosophy,” enthuses Loibner. He conveys virtues such as fairness, sportiness and respect to the young people. For him, the best thing is when the children are having fun or doing a good job.

The pandemic, which does not want to end, is causing major problems for sport, he says. For a long time, external trainers were not allowed to go to schools to promote talent. But there was also no physical education at all for a while. "All clubs complain that they have too few children in the U10 and U12," says Loibner. In times of Corona, the students were weaned from sports. "In ten years we will be whining: Who are we sending to the Olympics? We have nothing."

Still not enough

His father once aroused his passion for sports. "My father took it upon himself to go with me to every sporting event in the vicinity, that was good for me." He was only drawn to basketball in high school. "We had a sports teacher who occasionally brought us free tickets for the Bundesliga team at the time and I went to watch."

At the age of 14 he completed his first training at ABC Merkur, now ATSE Graz. In the 1980s, the club achieved the best Graz basketball results of all time with two third places in the championship. “I've been there once or twice and then there was a Christmas party. That's when I knew it was my sport," says Michael Loibner with a wink. He has been an active basketball player since that day, currently in the 1st grade at Dunkers BBC, which he coaches. However, the studied English and philosopher has no role models. “But there is one milestone that I would like to reach. The oldest player who, as far as I know, was still playing in the championship stopped at the age of 60,” he says, and has already set himself a goal. With 22 points in the game against GAK, he impressively proved that he's still got it.

Cover picture: Michael Loibner – Photo: Simon Auernig