History

The Badge was awarded to men and women, ages 18 to 24, to encourage achievements in physical education.

The Sports Badge had roots in the German Empire with the Award for Physical Exercise, and it continued to be amended and expand during the Weimar Republic.

The acronym for the German Imperial Commission for Physical Exercise (Deutscher Reichsausschuss für Leibesübungen), DRA, is featured on the Model I badges as a remnant of the Weimar Republic Sports Badge design.

The DRA was replaced by the German Reich Federation for Physical Education (Deutscher Reichsbund für Leibesübungen) on July 27, 1934, and beginning in 1935 the Sports Badge design featured a swastika and the acronym DRL.

The Badge for War Disabled was added as a grade on November 18, 1942.

This Badge was instituted to encourage injured servicemen to retain their physical fitness. It was conferred upon soldiers who maintained the fitness level that was standard for individuals affected with the same disability as they had.