Düsseldorf Panther

The Dusseldorf Düsseldorf Panther are an association for American football, flag football and cheerleading. They play in 2011 in the highest German league in the GFL.

• 3.1 men's team (first team )
• 3.2 Prospectsteam ( 2nd team )
• 3.3 Rookies (16 - to 19 -year-old )
• 3.4 Junior Flags ( 9on9 Flag Football U15 )
• 3.5 Bambini flags ( flag football 5v5 U11 )

General

The Dusseldorf Panther ( First Team ), with their six German Bowl victories, the second most successful team in the German Football League, according to the Braunschweig Lions with seven German Bowl victories. The two NFL titles in 1980 and 1981 were then also called " German Championship ", but at that time there were two competing organizations, which is why the finals of the AFV and NFL does not officially regarded as.

In addition to the First Team has been around since 2012, a second team, called Prospects. Bambinis, Panther Flags, young rookies and the most successful department, the Panthers rookies are all teams in the youth field. The Pantherettes, the cheerleading team the Panthers, are the first known Cheerleading lineup Germany.

The Dusseldorf Panthers only two flag football teams ( the Panther and Panther Bambinis flags) in their departments. The association is otherwise completely switched to full contact.

The Dusseldorf Panthers were the first German club with two tackle youth teams in the regular game mode: The rookies who play in the GFL -J, with their 15 Junior Bowl victories the most successful team in the German Junior Football. The second tackle youth team, the junior rookies played in the North Rhine-Westphalian building league. From 2009, a new tackle youth team will start the operation of gambling. The so-called Young rookies will inherit the junior flags.

Since the AGM in December 2011 Marcel Friedrich, Joachim Frank, Uwe Praß, Mark de Haer and Mark Shenouda lead the Dusseldorf Panthers as managing director.

History

1978-1990 - Founding and 80s

The Panthers were founded about half a year after the Frankfurt Lions in 1985 broke up again, and are the oldest surviving German and European American football team. On 1 May 2008, they celebrated their 30th anniversary. 1979 took the Panthers the league operation on the 1st Bundesliga. They were also instrumental in setting up the first umbrella organization of American Football Federation Germany ( AFBD ) in Germany. To get support from the German Sports Federation and the State Sports Association NRW, had a national association ( AFV / NRW) will be established, which was initially staffed with some Panther board members. This led to quarrels with the AFBD and ended with the exclusion of the Panther and 6 other clubs who understood that you ultimately need state associations. It was suspected a counter Association for AFBD. Therefore, the Panthers played along with these six other teams in 1980 and 1981 under the AFV / NRW in the so-called North German Football League (NFL), which was then played two years in parallel with the Bundesliga. The big cats from Dusseldorf won both championships. 1980 against the Bremerhaven Seahawks in Essen and 1981 against the Mannheim Redskins in Park Stadium " Schalke ". After the resumption of the six clubs under a renamed umbrella organization, the AFVD, the Panthers came from the 1982 season in the German top flight. They were 1983 German champions for the first time in years. They repeated this feat in 1984 and 1986. Moreover, the association for the seasons 1985 and 1988 German Vice Champion. The Panthers were the most successful German American football team of the 1980s.

1990-2000

Even in the 1990s they were very successful. After two more championships in 1992 and 1994, they won in the 1995 season, the stand-in: German champions and Euro Bowl winner ( the first German team ). Especially remarkable was that this for the first time in German football history not under an American coach, but under two German coaches ( Christos Mantzaridis and Walter Rohlfing 1992 - Mantzaridis 1994), both home-grown panther, managed. Mantzaridis is also the only German coach who was awarded two awards ( Coach of the Year ring). Through the work in the 1996 the Panthers were the last time in the final of the German Cup, which they lost. In the late 1990s came the Panthers in sporting and financial turmoil. The high level of previous years could no longer be held.

2000-2010 - Crash and rebuild

In the 2000 season the club reached the semi-finals so far last time. After the defeat against the Cologne Crocodiles of the traditional club was finally on the ground. Due to financial problems, the club decided to make a fresh start. The First Team competed in the 2002 season in the regional league, where the direct promotion to the GFL 2 succeeded. And the 2003 season could be very successful with the resurgence in the GFL. In the relegation Assindia the Cardinals were able to be defeated twice. From 2004 to 2006, the Panthers were represented in the GFL. In the 2006 season, the Düsseldorf were behind the tied Berlin eagles Last of the GFL Nord. Relegation to as early as the 2005 season against the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes, to avoid relegation but this time went lost ( first leg: 0:30, second leg 30:27 ). After a tumultuous 2007 season, the Panthers finished fourth in the 2nd League North. In the past 2008 season the team missing out on promotion in the GFL and came back at the end of the fourth place in the standings. Through the course of the 2010 season set by the AFVD enlargement of the GFL got the Panthers as a table runner the GFL 2 North the opportunity to play in two relegation matches to move up to the GFL. On October 3, 2010, the Dusseldorf Panthers in the second relegation match against the rebel Berlin reached despite a 33:34 defeat the rise in the GFL, as they had won the first leg in Berlin with 43:41.

Since 2011 - Panthers back in the GFL

The 2011 season included the Panther from on a 3rd place in the GFL North and qualified in order for the play-offs for the German championship. The quarter-final was won in Marburg and only in the semi-final was against the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes of running the Panthers to an end. In the 2012 season, the Panthers experienced an up and down. Great victories, such as against the Hurricanes, but there were also ernüchterne results. Despite this, in turn, could make the playoffs. James Jenkins the head coach of the first team, held the position of head coach for one year only. His successor for the 2013 season was Clifford Madison. In the 2013 season they played no role in the fight for the playoffs. The Panthers were only second to last in their group. Surprisingly ended Madison's activity after only one Jahr.In a press release from the Panthers was talk of a double-sided Einverständniserklräung. On December 29, 2013 announced the Panther that Kirk Heidelberg, the new Head Coach for the 2014 season.

Establishing the Panthers Prospects ( 2nd team )

In January 2012, the Panthers started a second team. This is to help young players to jump into the GFL team. After you could just win the group in the first season, the prospects qualified on 14 October 2012 for the promotion match. The second team went through a 42-31 against the Rheine Raptors on in the fifth division. At the same time, this was also the last game by David Lux as head coach. Lux had been appointed head coach only since January 2012 and released his contract after only one year. He moved to Bonn Gamecocks and is as new head coach for season 2013. Season 2013 to Thomas Wolff was appointed head coach. During the 2013 season, which previously was not successful, Thomas wolff resigned. David Lux, who left the Bonner, again took over the position of head coach. At the end you could stabilize and finished fourth in the group.

The youth program

In addition to the First Team, the major figurehead of the Panther is the youth work. The Rookies (16-19 years) the Panthers have been 15 times German champion, the first time in 1982 and 1985-1988 and 2002-2008 respectively in a row and after a year 2010. Dusseldorf Panthers rookies are the most successful youth team in Europe.

Even in the younger cohorts reach the Dusseldorf Panthers Cup successes. The junior flags won in the 2005 season for the first time the German Championship, which she successfully defended in the following season. The Bambinis won in the years 2006, 2007 and 2009, the German Masters.

1997-2008 - The end of the Junior Flags

The Junior Flags ( 9on9 Flag) was a youth division ( 11-15 years ) of the Panther. With its ten NRW league titles, two U13 European Championship successes of the Panther, a German indoor championship in 2007, and two German championship titles in 2005 and 2006, the Junior Flags were one of the most successful teams in North Rhine-Westphalia and Germany.

The project " 5stars "

The 5stars were another flag football team the Panthers in the 2007 season. They were established so that young Footballer experience. The 5stars were thus the hotbed of junior flags. After just one season, the project was discontinued.

The Junior and Young Rookies

The Junior Rookies (14-16 years) there was at the Panthers from the 2008 season. They served to give young players match practice. After just one season, this project was discontinued. After a year without play operation, it was decided to include the Junior Rookies again. The Junior Rookies (B squads ) are the hotbed of rookies. The Young Rookies (10-14 years) are the successors of the Junior Flags and exists since 2009 in the Panther Division.

Pantherettes

As a cheerleading team of the oldest European Football Association is the Pantherettes are the first known cheerleading team in any sport in Germany. The team was founded in 1980. In addition to many appearances off of football the Pantherettes won in 1988 the first German championship in cheerleading. Was founded in 1995 with the Rhein Fire Pyromaniacs cheerleading team. By From NFLE in 2007, the Pyromaniacs were looking for a new home. Many members was its proximity to Football important and so it came after talks with the former general manager of the NFL Europa league team Rhein Fire Sammy Schmale cause the Dusseldorf Panthers found the contact to Miriam Abel, who took over the sporting management of Pantherettes. In November 2009, Anna Henning and Kamiya Sirot took over leadership of the team; Since October 2011 Anna Henning coached the team alone.

Achievements

Men's team (first team )

• Masters of the North West German Football League (1980, 1981)
• German Vice Champion (1985, 1988, 1996)
• German Champion (1983, 1984, 1986, 1992, 1994, 1995)
• Euro Bowl winner (1995 )

Prospectsteam ( 2nd team )

• Winning the national league NRW, promotion to the Football League Association (2012 )

Rookies (16 - to 19 -year-old )

With 15 titles, including seven in a row ( 2002-2008 ), the Dusseldorf Panthers rookies are the most successful team in Germany. More than ten former Panther rookies managed the jump to high school or college football. The Rookies (16 - to 19 -year-old ) playing in the GFLJ and are divided into A, B and A/B- squad. The youth team was managed from 2005 to 2008 by Head Coach Oliver Nitsch man. In the 2009 Markus Guderian took over the office of the head coach. After only one year trophyless Guderian resigned and the new head coach from the 2010 season Jürgen Lengling will be. Under Lengling the Panthers Rookies won 27 June 2010 German Junior Bowl XXIX their 15th German Cup, in Berlin, the Hamburg Young Huskies were defeated by 17:07. After only a year Lengling also held the role of head coach, the ways and the new head coach parted from the 2011 season was Markus Maier. But Maier stressed right when he took office that he stands on a year. With the win, the German vice - championship ended thus also his office. 2012 took over Michael Tidge the team. Since the rookies missed the playoffs and only second to last in the group, was Tidge had to leave after one year. The new head coach for the 2013 season was Detlef anger. The rookies were fourth in the group and missed the playoffs again. Anger remains in 2014 Cheftrainier the rookies.

• NRW Champion: 1982, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000
• GFL Juniors - Winner Group Center: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
• German Vice Champion: 1995, 2011
• German champion: 1982, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 ( German Junior Bowl XXIX)

Junior Flags ( 9on9 Flag Football U15 )

The junior flags were from 1997 to 2008 a youth department of the Panther where 9on9 -U -15 - Flag was played. The flags of the Panthers were the most successful team in NRW and Germany in a fixed size in addition to other strong teams such as the Hamburg flag Devils or the Berlin Adler. From 1999 to 2007, the flags were continuously NRW master and could in 2005 and 2006 under the Head Coach Thomas Wolff to be German champions. 2000, 2003 and 2007, they were German vice-champion. In the 2008 season, the team was under the last (new ) Head coach Uwe Prass in an upheaval. This season could not build on the successful one -year and dismounted. The junior flags were succeeded by the "Young Rookies ".

• NRW Junior Flag Champion ( 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 )
• German Junior flag runner (2000, 2003, 2007 )
• German Junior Champion Flag (2005, 2006)
• German Youth Indoor Flag Master ( 5on5 ) (2007 )

Bambini flags ( flag football 5v5 U11 )

The Bambinis are the " smallest" of the Panther Department. You are me her three NRW titles and two Masters wins a fixture in the 5on5 Flag. The number of teams competing is different from season to season. At the end of the season a so-called Masters is played where the first two of the NRW-Liga compete against other teams from Germany. Head coach of this team is Uwe Prass, Defensive Coordinator is Pascal Hagen and Wild Offense Coordinator is Guski Arnim (2009).

• NRW Bambini Flag Master ( 2004)
• NRW Bambini Flag Master ( 2005)
• NRW-Bambini-Flag-Meister/Masters-Sieger (2006)
• NRW-Bambini-Flag-Vizemeister/Masters-Sieger (2007)
• NRW Bambini flag runner / 5 Place at the Masters (2008)
• NRW Bambini D Youth Flag Master ( 2009) / Masters winner (2009)

Others

The home games for the first team were held in 2008 in the VfL ​​Benrath Stadium. In 2009, the stadium and the system restored, so they were not available. The home games for the first team were therefore discharged as well as the home games of the rookies, young rookies and Bambinis on the small arena (Arena -Sportpark ) next to the Esprit Arena. 2010 came the first team back to Benrath. In addition, the football team Fortuna Dusseldorf and the German national football team use from time to time the little arena as a training venue.

In 2011, after 33 years, the club was Panthers Alumni Association, founded the alumni of the Dusseldorf Panthers. Purpose of the association is to promote the sport and personal development of young and adult players of the club Dusseldorf Panther eV One aim of the association is that friendship and solidarity among former players, cheerleaders and volunteers of the association Dusseldorf to promote Panthers and at the same time the contact to maintain with the active players, coaches and the board of the association.

Hall of Fame

In 2004 founded the Dusseldorf Panthers their Hall of Fame. Every two years, new members added in the Hall of Famer circle, with the choice and decision alone makes a jury of four: Angie Pitzner, Markus Guderian (former head coach of the Panthers rookies ), Markus Becker ( Mr. Panther) and Marco block (former Head of public Relations / Press ).

So far the following players and coaches were included in the Panther Hall of Fame: