With sportsmanship and a sense of family: mental trainer Marcus Kerti encourages a rethink in the clubs

Mental trainer Marcus Kerti gave a video lecture for EV Moosburg under the motto "Ideas for action for maximum performance in the future, thought differently!"

Moosburg

 - Tackling a lot of creative ideas, a rethinking in the clubs and more together: These ingredients can help to give the children a perspective in sport again.

At least that's how Marcus Kerti sees it, mental trainer, stress and emotion coach with his own ice hockey past.

The 42-year-old ex-ice hockey professional gave a video lecture for the youth department of EV Moosburg under the motto "Ideas for action for maximum performance in the future, thought differently!"

EVM youth leader Verena Hölzl heard Kerti at a meeting of the Bavarian Ice Sports Association (BEV) and thought that this could also be a good thing for its own members.

And so a good 30 spectators at the MS Teams conference followed the speaker from Grafing as he spoke about the motivation of young people and the possible future course setting in the clubs.

Among them were some EVM trainers and BEV officials.

Corona: Children and young people have to stand behind all too often

In his lecture, Marcus Kerti took the audience on a journey into the subject areas of his experiences and insights that he had made in the past few months "in this unbelievable, insane time".

He showed that the children and adolescents all too often have to stand behind in the face of fighting pandemics, and that some even have psychological problems in the meantime.

The mental trainer knows that it is of course difficult for parents, coaches and clubs to give them great support during these times.

Closed sports facilities, home office, financial problems or your own fears often acted as a stumbling block.

According to Kerti, it is all the more important to give the children a perspective in the future.

To do this, parents, coaches and clubs would have to move even closer together, communicate more with one another, develop new concepts - and make popular sport more attractive again.

Narrow-mindedness, profile neuroses, obstinacy and “just keep going” would have had their day in the opinion of the former ice hockey professional.

“Not ego, but Lego” is what Marcus Kerti is certain that what is needed, so that all joint efforts and ideas can mesh perfectly, creating something new and great.

Kerti: The whole system in popular sport should be more family-oriented

Everyone would have to lend a hand: The parents, who offer their support and who bring themselves to the table as role models.

The trainers, who should be prepared for the changed requirements and the moods of the kids after the corona lockdown.

The clubs that train their coaches better and that should call for and implement new ideas in dialogue with members and external consultants.

And last but not least, the children, who should be encouraged to formulate their wishes and goals, and whose commitment should be recognized more and more frequently.

Creativity and, in some things, rethinking are required, explained Marcus Kerti.

And the corona pandemic could be the reason for this.

In the opinion of the mental trainer, the whole system in popular sport should be more family-oriented.

More empathy when dealing with one another will also be required in sports in the future.

Kerti is certain that the “greater humanity” factor can always be used to score points.

A familiar atmosphere in teams, clubs or in the entire ice hockey would ensure that the young people not only benefit in terms of personal development and motivation, but ultimately also greater successes are achieved.

Josef Fuchs

"Sport must be an opportunity to develop the children as a personality"

Mr. Kerti, after your remarks, one has the impression that your approach is that all trades must pull together. 

Yes, that's right, for me it's only possible as a large family, that's the ultimate.

This great family feeling, this “Lego instead of ego”, that is a philosophy of life for me.

This is a fundamental issue for every team, every coaching team and every athlete I work with.

For me, it's about getting everyone involved and collecting good ideas.

With many things we too often want to solve everything on our own.

Regardless of whether it is from the coach, from clubs or from parents with their own children.

We often think we know a lot better.

I think it's important that we include everyone.

We have all had so many good ideas and experiences in certain areas.

If we acquire this mass of knowledge and communicate with one another, then I think it will be a really, really great story. 

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Marcus Kerti was an ice hockey professional himself and has been working as a mental trainer and consultant with athletes, clubs, associations and companies since 2014.

© private

They say the corona pandemic could also be an opportunity to rethink clubs.

Why should you? 

If the clubs are ready to break new ground, if they bring the parents on board, if the children are further developed in the areas of personal development and mental abilities, then we could absorb a lot of things that - as of today - represent a problem in the future could.

Although I also resist.

If we deal with problems and we put a lot of weight on them, then the problems will definitely come.

But if we grapple with solutions, find new ideas and sometimes take very unconventional measures, everyone would benefit.

Sport must be an opportunity to develop the children as a personality, to prepare them for life and to cope better with school.

This is what sport should be for - and of course that definitely needs a different approach than a year ago. 

Especially in the youth area of ​​smaller clubs there is often the dichotomy between performance-oriented and “just for fun”.

Which approach do you recommend?

For me, the two topics don't clash.

When a trainer understands that competitive sport and fun do not clash, then he can get even more out of the children or even the adult athletes.

We have to break away from the fact that we only do “either - or”.

For me it is something in common, a togetherness.

Both performance and fun - these can be easily combined.

Because the more a competitive athlete enjoys the units, the more he can bring.

And the more he is in this flow topic and can sometimes go beyond his limits. 

Interview: Josef Fuchs

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