Under the title "Beyond the Limit - How much pressure can sport take?", the "blickpunkt sportmanagement" congress on 8 December focused on the stress limits of competitive sport. As every year, the event was organised by students on the Sport Management course, who invited renowned experts to the university's own TV studio on the Ostfalia-Campus Salzgitter. Presenter Mike Münkel hosted the four discussion rounds. Students from the Media Management and Media Communication degree programmes were responsible for the technology. Around 45 students were involved in the realisation of the 25th congress.
Practical studies at the Ostfalia-Campus Salzgitter
Prof Dr Harald Rau, Dean of the Faculty of Transport, Sport, Tourism and Media, opened the event. He not only highlighted the university's television studio as one of the best-equipped of its kind, but also emphasised the advantages of studying at Ostfalia. Here, research is combined with practice-oriented degree programmes and numerous projects in which students can implement their own ideas, try things out and develop skills that will be relevant in their future careers, said Rau. "Salzgitter may not be a traditional place to study, but it scores highly with its excellent facilities, project-orientated teaching and, last but not least, direct contacts with well-known players from the sports scene."
Exchange on mental and physical stress in sport
The first two discussion rounds focussed on mental and physical pressure in sport. Christian Schenk (gold medallist in the decathlon at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul), sports psychologist Natalie Klingebiel, former footballers Marco Dehne and Holger Wehlage and psychologist and amateur referee Dr Hilko Paulsen discussed how athletes deal with stress, where the limits of performance lie and how to really train mental strength. Volleyball player Jan Röling, basketball player Philipp Hartwich, sports scientist Tim Stucki and footballer Julius Düker then discussed how much stress the body can withstand.
Watch the recording of the livestream on YouTube (external link, opens in a new window) here
After a short break, footballer Lasse Homann, footballer Maila Herzig, Sascha Wichert, mental coach for children and young people, and football coaches Kosta Rodrigues and Jonas Stephan finally spoke about the early pressure to perform in children and young people. Stephan made it clear that the task of a coach is not only to exert targeted pressure, but also to look at "where I can perhaps take the pressure off". The congress ended with the finding from the last panel that a healthy balance between body and mind comes less from strategies than from relationships - from connections, networks and friendships.
About the Sport Management degree programme at Ostfalia
The Bachelor's degree programme in Sports Management at the Ostfalia-Campus Salzgitter provides a practical and interdisciplinary education at the interface of sport and business and prepares students specifically for the dynamic demands of the sports market. Graduates qualify for a wide range of jobs in sports clubs and associations, the sporting goods industry, event organisers, agencies, media, public institutions or in sports tourism. Through projects, case studies and collaborations with renowned organisations, students gain valuable practical experience during their studies. In addition, student initiatives such as SPO-MAN (external link, opens in a new window) or ImPuls e. V. (external link, opens in a new window)offer excellent opportunities for networking and the practical application of acquired knowledge.