David Storek takes over as head of the University Sports Center

David Storek is no stranger to university sports. For almost six years, he assisted there as a student employee. For him, it was an educational time that helps him in his current leadership role: "I got involved in committee work early on, for example, I was on the board of the General German University Sports Association (adh) for four years," reports David Storek. In 2019, for example, he represented the adh as head of delegation for the German team at the Summer Universiade in Naples. "It is the second largest multi-sport event in the world after the Olympics," says David Storek. Still 25 at the time, Storek represented the team at receptions, clarified organizational issues and mediated disputes: "As a mediator between the organizers and your own delegation, you suddenly find yourself in a role where you have to be highly professional. You learn to assert yourself, not as a person, but as a representative of an institution." The German delegation included about 130 athletes and 70 members of the functional team. "What fascinates me about university sports is the connection between sports and education. Leuphana is also a partner university of elite sports. We support top athletes in balancing their studies and competitions," explains David Storek.

After graduating from high school, he worked as a soccer coach in Tanzania for six months. Team sports are David Storek's great passion: "They promote team spirit and a sense of community. In this way, sports also fulfill an important social function."

The Berliner then searched for a suitable university to study teaching. He received many acceptances and decided to move from the capital to the Heath: "Leuphana convinced me. It's not only grades that count in the application process, but also personal and social commitment." David Storek studied elementary school teaching with the subjects German and physical education. After completing his master's degree, he lived in Ghana for almost a year and taught German at the University of Education Winneba.

While still a student employee, he began to supervise the "Taktgeber" program at Leuphana University Sports: "Students rarely have an orderly daily routine. The program is intended to raise awareness of the inner clock and show how to harmonize one's own biorhythm with everyday study life," says David Storek. The Taktgeber project is being carried out in cooperation with a major health insurance company and will run until 2023.

The 28-year-old wants to get the university moving with employee sports, many events, mobile breaks and an extensive range of activities from ballet to Ultimate Frisbee: "I'm very pleased to be able to take over the task from Nora Wieneke, who encouraged and motivated me as an employee."