MEDICA MEDICINE + SPORTS CONFERENCE: the stuff that winning teams are made of

It is time for a world champion once more at the 8th MEDICA MEDICINE + SPORTS CONFERENCE 2020 (MMSC) on 18 and 19 November, 2020 in Düsseldorf. This year, MEDICA will welcome Florian Mennigen, a former top athlete, on board. After his successful career as a high-performance rower, Olympic champion and triple world champion, he has established himself as a business coach and clinical psychologist, and appears as a speaker for the SPORT SPEAKER GmbH at conferences and events.

Many students at Witten/Herdecke University also benefit from his knowledge through his work as a private lecturer. As we have interviewed Mr. Mennigen on his "Formation of winning teams - Psychological aspects of high-performance teams" in advance, we could already gain first insights from the perspective of a clinical psychologist and competitive athlete on psychological aspects of performance in team sports.

Mr. Mennigen, in the much-discussed biopsychosocial model of sports medicine, illness, health and also "performance" are not defined as a physiological state but as a dynamic process. How do you see this approach as a former top athlete and clinical psychologist?

Florian Mennigen: From both a sporting and psychological perspective, I can only agree with this view. Performance results from the complex interaction of individual physical, psychological and social factors. If I am not in a good mood or in a good psychological condition, this also affects my physical performance and vice versa. However, from my work with athletes, and from my own sports experience, I have the impression that this view is not sufficiently widespread, e.g. in associations, among trainers and officials. The thinking is simplified, black and white, good-bad, fit-unfit. From my point of view, mainly physical factors are considered. Psychological and social influences are rather neglected. This stands in the way of an optimal development of individual athletes and is also unfavorable for the selection and development of teams.

As a former Olympic competitive athlete in eight-rowing, you have experienced ups and downs. In your opinion, what are the main psychological factors that turn a team into a winning team?

Mennigen: Again, physical, psychological and social influences cannot really be considered separately. Although the differences between "normal" teams and high-performance teams are not only psychological, there are decisive psychological factors at the team level. For example, shared mental models are important, what is to be achieved and how. In other words, shared ideas about goals to achieve and the way to get there. Likewise, trust and psychological stability are important prerequisites for top performance, because they are necessary for effective communication about the achievement of goals. However, these factors are often underestimated, or taken for granted, even if they are not fulfilled.

Jürgen Klopp is considered an absolute motivation monster. What psychological skills does a trainer need to form a winning team?

Mennigen: When Jürgen Klopp greeted us in the Westfalenstadion after our Olympic victory in 2012, he was so enthusiastic and was as happy as if he himself had trained us. He is absolutely enthusiastic and emotional. That is what distinguishes him as a coach. In addition, he is usually very appreciative and apologizes when he is verbally wrong. Enthusiasm on Klopp's scale is not necessary to lead successful teams as a trainer. Nevertheless, the abilities to inspire, to convey genuine appreciation and to give constructive feedback should be above average.

What role does mental health play in top-class sport?

Mennigen: An important but strongly underestimated role. I believe that the subject is even more taboo in top-class sport than in the general population. There are studies indicating that mental health problems occur as frequently as in the general population. This means, for example, depressive symptoms occur for roughly 8% at any given time. Chronic stress factors caused by travelling, competitions, constant selection pressure, derogatory fan expressions, and public criticism as well as physical overload play an important role among active athletes. The suffering is considerable and calls for greater psychological care. The more severe the problems, the more severe are the performance limitations.

Have you used technology to monitor health, fitness and performance during your active life?

Mennigen: Yes, I don't think nowadays there is sport that can do without it. In rowing, in addition to monitoring heart rates and lactate values, body weight and composition, and of course performance values in the endurance and strength range, there are also biomechanical measurements in the boat. Basically, all movement sequences are monitored and it is evaluated how much power each rower applies at which point of the stroke, and how efficiently and synchronously a team moves. This can be very helpful in developing a common idea of the boat's course as a team.

You are engaged as a speaker at SPORT SPEAKER GmbH to share your experiences with a larger audience. Which target group do you support with your expertise?

Mennigen: Primarily people who work in highly interactive teams. But of course others can also benefit from our experience as a team with a last place at the 2008 Olympics, and from then on in 36 regattas turning into Olympic gold four years later in London, e.g. when it comes to dealing with defeats or change processes.

As a speaker, what do you expect from the 8th MEDICA MEDICINE + SPORTS CONFERENCE 2020?

Mennigen: Actually, I am mostly looking forward to the exciting exchange with other participants and of course to networking beyond the conference.