News from the Institute

On November 5, 2025, the board of the Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences (IfS) at the University of Münster elected Prof. Dr. Bernd Strauß as the new managing director and Prof. Dr. Heiko Wagner as his deputy. The elected officials will serve for one year. We extend our warmest congratulations and wish them every success!

The Practical Guide for Study, Training, and Recreational Basketball

Meike Kolb has published a book specifically for university-level basketball instruction, "Basketball – The Practical Guide for Study, Training, and Recreational Basketball." [de] In collaboration with Predimo, innovative video sequences featuring avatars are provided. This ebook/book offers targeted support for sports students, particularly those pursuing teaching degrees, in their basketball training. We wish you much enjoyment and success with this book!

After four years, the COST Action The Network on Evidence-Based Physical Activity in Old Age (PhysAgeNet) discussed and presented the project´s key scientific findings during final meetings – including guidelines, frameworks and tools to enhance research on evidence-based physical activity in old age. All materials are publicity available at Zenodo and at the PhysAgeNet Website.
 

We are delighted to announce the election of Prof. Dr. Claudia Voelcker-Rehage as the new Vice President of Finance & Research at the dvs and wish her every success in the upcoming legislative period from 2025 to 2027. Congratulations.

The scientific foundations and practical implementation possibilities of subject-specific education in a language-sensitive physical education classroom were the focus of a workshop offered by Prof. Dr. Helga Leineweber as part of an interdisciplinary conference at Ratsgymnasium Minden. The one-day conference, titled “Language Education in Subject Teaching – Foundations and Perspectives for a New Learning Culture,” emphasized cross-phase networking: teachers from several schools, experts in teacher training, and researchers discussed current concepts of continuous language education—an interdisciplinary task that concerns all school subjects and to which physical education can make an important contribution.

Edda van Meurs, a doctoral candidate in the Sports Psychology department, and Meike Gerlach, a doctoral candidate in the Movement Science department, have been accepted into the fourth cohort of the “Durchstarten. Von der Promotion zur Professur” programme run by the Office for Gender Equality at the University of Münster. The program assists outstanding doctoral students with workshops, supervision, and mentoring to help them prepare for a career in academia. Together with other young female researchers, they will have the opportunity to further develop key skills for a career in academia.

From June 2022 to June 2025, part of our department worked on the ZIM project ‘Purely Virtual Ergonomics Tool Chain Solution – ReVieTal’. Together with our project partner USE-Ing. GmbH from Stuttgart, we developed a prototype glove with accompanying software that uses sensors to measure forces on the hands. This allows us to determine the strain on the hand when using various tools, such as a drill. We would like to thank USE-Ing. for the successful and productive collaboration.

On October 7, 2025, Dr. Barbara Halberschmidt and Laura van de Loo informed around 100 participants about current scientific findings in the field of dual careers at the NRW Sports School Meeting in Bielefeld. A particular focus was on the critical transitions between school and university.
In a subsequent workshop on dual careers, key aspects were explored in more detail, and concrete starting points for practical implications were developed in a small group.

Edda van Meurs, a doctoral candidate in the Sports Psychology department, and und Meike Gerlach, a doctoral candidate in the Movement Science department, have been accepted into the fourth cohort of the “Durchstarten. Von der Promotion zur Professur” programme run by the Office for Gender Equality at the University of Münster. The program assists outstanding doctoral students with workshops, supervision, and mentoring to help them prepare for a career in academia. Together with other young female researchers, they will have the opportunity to further develop key skills for a career in academia.

"Psychological Aspects in School Sports" was the title of the 11th Paderborn School Sports Day on Wednesday, October 1, at Paderborn University. Over 70 teachers from all school types, full-time teachers, and coaches from the region participated in the event to learn about current developments in this field and to deepen their knowledge in subsequent workshops.

From September 16-19, the IfS (German Institute for Sports Science) at the University of Münster hosted the 27th dvs Hochschultag together with the IfS's 100th anniversary celebrations. Both national and international participants met to discuss research, projects, and current topics in sports science.

To mark the 100th anniversary of the Institute of Sports Science, Kai Reinhart and Michael Krüger have published a special edition of the journal STADION, which was officially presented at the IfS anniversary celebration (16 September 2025). It focuses on the history of the IfS in Münster, but also covers numerous other exemplary sports science institutions in Germany and around the world.

Prof. Eric Eils will take up a  visiting professorship in training science and sports medicine at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg in the winter term25/26. We wish him every success and a fruitful semester in Halle (Saale).

We are delighted to launch TBrainBoost ERA week 1.0 at the University of Münster, Germany.
Topic: Sports science at a glance – research and practical applications
This ERA Week brings together experts, researchers and practitioners to exchange ideas, share insights and discuss practical approaches to research and knowledge transfer on healthy ageing. The programme includes lectures, transfer workshops and intersectoral exchange on the topics of sport, healthy ageing and transfer into practice.

Since the beginning of the year, intensive work has been carried out on this publication in all areas of work and beyond. Our commemorative publication was officially presented at the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Institute of Sports Science. Almost 250 pages contain history and stories, facts and figures, and many pictures that give an impression of the diverse developments at the Institute and invite readers to leaf through, browse, reminisce, and marvel. In addition to the limited print edition, the commemorative publication is also available online.
 

The Institute of Sports Science at the University of Münster is offering a 65% doctoral position in the field of sports education. We are looking for applicants with a relevant university degree and an interest in research and teaching.
👉 To the job posting

As part of the dvs-Hochschultag 2025, three selected finalists will present their scientific work in a creative and entertaining way on Wednesday, 17 September 2025, at 7 p.m. in Lecture Hall H1. The evening will be hosted by cabaret artist Thomas Philipzen. 
The audience can look forward to exciting insights into current sports science research, acrobatic highlights by the show team and the joint decision on the winner. The event is open to conference participants and the interested public. Everyone is welcome! 

All information about the Science Slam can be found here.

 

In our PROGRESS study, published in Frontiers in Aging, we are investigating an innovative prevention program for nursing homes. Using a cluster-randomized, controlled crossover design, we are examining the influence of behavioral and environmental prevention measures promoting physical activity on the physical activity and functional ability of residents. The goal is to establish everyday, sustainable exercise promotion in nursing facilities.
 

Dr. Rosemary Dubbeldam, Lena Kloock, and André Schwarze participated in the 30th Congress of the International Society of Biomechanics in Stockholm. As part of the event, they presented their research focuses in individual talks. The international conference also offered an excellent opportunity to discuss current developments in the field of biomechanics and to establish new scientific collaborations.

In the summer semester of 2025, students of the Bachelor's program Human Movement in Sports and Exercise had the unique opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge directly to sports practice. As part of the seminar "Physical Training in Elite Sports – Tailored Physical Training for Female Rugby Players," they worked closely with the Rugby Tourists Münster, a women’s rugby sevens team with one clear goal: qualifying for the German Championships in August.
 

On 23 July 2025, a diverse and colourful examination show took place in front of a sold-out audience of around 1000 guests and guests of honour.  
Well over 100 active participants - cooperating clubs, university sports, the student council and the IfS working group on forces and students - put on a programme full of highlights and breathtaking show acts. A special highlight was the live broadcast by WDR directly from the show. Markus Jürgens gave us goosebumps with his world record attempt to run backwards on the treadmill for six hours.
 

The Department of Human Movement Science presented itself with a booth at the SchlauRaum science festival in Münster's city center. On the topic of “Bewegung, die Wissen schafft”, the team of doctoral students, project seminar students, and research assistants offered insights into the diverse research carried out by the work group. From psychomotor skills and kinematic movement analysis to sport in old age, everything was on offer for the mixed audience.

Dr. Barbara Halberschmidt and Laura van de Loo were invited to the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 Sports and Inclusion Summit, which took place on 19 July 2025 under the motto Diversity, Participation and Inclusion in International University Sports. 

Source/ further information: https://www.land.nrw/pressemitteilung/
inklusion-im-hochschulsport-weiterdenken-rhine-ruhr-2025
-sports-and-inclusion

 

Laura van de Loo presented data from the project on the scientific investigation of the compatibility of studies and elite sports (https://www.uni-muenster.de/Spitzensport/DualeKarriere.html) funded by the Federal Ministry of the Interior and the German Association of College Sports (adh) on July 18th during the FISU World Conference (https://rhineruhr2025.com/en/world-conference). The FISU World Conference is embedded in the FISU World Games, the largest student sports event worldwide this year.
►Information booklet of the FISU World Conference

Eike Boll presented the cooperation project between the Institute of Sports Science and the Department of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology as part of the lunchtime training course - a series of training sessions at the University Hospital for paediatric doctors and anyone interested. The focus was particularly on the snow sports project and its development in recent years. The exchange with colleagues from the clinic was very beneficial for the perspective of the overall project, which also offers various water sports and a climbing and bouldering programme for children and young people with cancer. Once again, the multi-professional orientation of the project became clear: in addition to doctors from the various paediatric disciplines, the training also involved specialists from the fields of sports, occupational and physiotherapy.

As part of the VP Inline Skating at School (Dr Reinhart), a roller sports project was carried out in cooperation with the Pascal-Gymnasium in Münster (7-10 July). Over four days, the students taught 23 pupils from Year 5 to Year 10 various aspects of inline skating, from basic riding techniques to inline hockey and artistic roller skating.

From June 3–5, 2025, Dr. Valeria Eckardt and Stephanie Bünemann attended the annual NASPSPA conference. This year, they had the opportunity to present their research in the beautiful setting of Lake Tahoe. They also engaged in many exciting and inspiring conversations with both new and familiar colleagues.

Dr. Barbara Halberschmidt was a guest on the university's podcast "Umdenken." Even before the start of the "FISU World University Games 2025" on July 16, the challenges faced by young elite athletes are the focus of many discussions. While some experts call for more intensive talent scouting and more and better-trained coaches, sports psychologist Dr. Barbara Halberschmidt is convinced that financial difficulties, in particular, often prevent better results, and that psychological factors influence athletic performance.

You can find the link to the episode here [de].

In 1925, the year the Institute of Sports Science was founded, there were more and more opportunities to take part in sport at the university. After graduation, however, things still looked bleak: It was not appropriate for adults to run around the sports field in shorts. The first director of the Institute of Physical Education, Dr Hugo Wagner, therefore founded the ‘Alt Akademiker Abteilung’ e. V., in which graduates would continue to have the opportunity to play sport - fistball to be precise. The AAA still does this today, so that it, like the IfS, can celebrate its 100th anniversary this year. Dr Kai Reinhart was the guest of honour at the anniversary celebration in the Mühlenhof (12.7.25), where he addressed the guests.

PhD students Meike Gerlach and Tabea Christ presented their current research at the 30th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science in Rimini, Italy. The congress offered great opportunities for exchange and networking with the specialist audience and international colleagues from related fields of research. The valuable feedback on their poster presentations provided new impulses for their doctoral theses.
 

Together with Michel Audiffren (Poitiers), Ivan Bautmans (Brussels) and Yael Netz (Wingate) we planned the new Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters from 9-11.7.25. The hosts were Ellen Bentlage, Jil Bartholmy (Leiden) and Michael Brach. In the EMJM Master's programme you study at more than one university, generous scholarships are possible. Our preparations are supported by the International Office.
 

At the 30th Congress of the European College of Sport Science, Matthias Hendricks, PD Dr. Dieter Kutz and Prof. Dr. E. Eils presented their current research findings and received valuable feedback from the specialist community. Prof. Dr. E. Eils also chaired several events. The conference offered numerous opportunities for scientific exchange and networking with national and international experts in the field of international sports science.
 

The Olympic Study Day 2025 at the Institute of Sports Science at the University of Münster, organized by the Willibald Gebhardt Institute in cooperation with the Department of Education and Culture in Sport, was very well received. Over 100 participants attended in person or online to listen intently to the two speakers’ fascinating presentations on the topic of “Asian Perspectives on the Olympic Movement.” Representatives of the German Olympic Academy (DOA) also joined the event. The event also attracted interest from representatives of the Olympic Study Center at the IOC in Lausanne. More Information here.

The Willibald Gebhardt Institute is seeking to fill a position as a 1-2 part-time honorary staff member (with or without a bachelor's degree) for a school support program at an elementary school in Altenberge, starting September 8, 2025, until July 31, 2026, with a weekly working time of approximately two 3-4 hour shifts.

On June 17, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Veysel Alcan from Tarsus University (Engineering and Health Research Group) visited the Department of Movement Science as a guest scholar. During his visit, he presented his current research projects and engaged in an inspiring exchange with our team.
In turn, the department introduced its own research foci and ongoing projects. The discussions revealed significant thematic overlaps and promising opportunities for future collaboration.
We look forward to continuing our dialogue and initiating joint research activities in the near future.

Are you a student who wants to play an active role in teaching? Would you like to help design our department's website and gain exciting insights into ongoing projects?
Then apply to join us as a student assistant (8 hours/week) by 7 July 2025!

In the period from 16 June to 6 July 2025, students of Faculty 7 can once again apply for ProTalent scholarships as part of the Deutschlandstipendium. Funding starts on 1 October 2025.
The scholarships are awarded to students with good to very good grades, a high level of social and/or societal commitment and/or special personal circumstances. Applications can only be submitted via the ProTalent website. 

Our aim is to train qualified coaches - regardless of whether they have a handicap or not. This training leads to the DOSB-recognised trainer licence C (“interdisciplinary”) and is conducted and managed by the Modern Pentathlon Association in compliance with all DOSB regulations.
As with anything new, there is often reluctance or uncertainty. But those who take on this opportunity can not only learn a lot, but also actively contribute to making the sport more accessible for everyone! The training takes place in Krefeld, but is open to athletes from all over Germany. If necessary, we are happy to provide support with accommodation and other organisational measures. More information

The Deutsche Reiterliche Vereinigung would like to reappraise its Nazi history. Important files are available in Warendorf. The work could be supported by the association with up to approx. 15,000 euros. If you are interested in tackling this exciting project as part of a master's thesis and/or dissertation, please contact Dr Kai Reinhart.

AOR Dr. Barbara Halberschmidt was elected to the asp's executive board for another two years at this year's annual conference of the Association for Sport Psychology (asp) in Bochum. She will represent the area of ​​"School Sports and Teaching" for another two years and has already led a working group on this topic in Bochum.

The Sports Psychology Department participated in this year's 57th Annual Conference of the German Association for Sports Psychology (asp) in Bochum with numerous posters, presentations, working groups, and teaching exchanges. We greatly enjoyed the exchange with our Swiss, Austrian, and German colleagues and look forward to the next conference in Heidelberg in May 2026.

As part of an ERASMUS+ project, a group of Year 10 students from the Kopernikus Gymnasium in Rheine visited us together with students from their Finnish partner school “Sotunkin Lukio” in Vantaa, near Helsinki. After a short introduction on movement science, the pupils were allowed to get active themselves. Led by Christiane Bohn and Tabea Christ, they tried out various movement and balance experiments in small groups, where they were able to get to know and try out our modern measuring equipment such as force plates and the Qualisys motion capture system. Under the motto of the exchange “Sport connects”, the visit offered the two classes lively access to scientific issues relating to motor skills and motion analysis and also promoted exchange between the young people from both countries.
 

Prof. Michael Brach, Ellen Bentlage, Zhao Liu and Sabine Steidel from the Movement Science department, as well as Prof. Claudia Voelcker-Rehage, Piesie Akwasi Gyimah Asuako and Vera Belkin from the Neuromotor Behaviour and Exercise department attended the self-organised PhysAgeNet final event at the Karadinez Technical University in Trabzon, Türkiye. They contributed in various roles over four days to the workshops and the PhysAgeNet/EGRAPA scientific conference on the topic of “Evidence-based physical activity in old age – are we closing the gaps”. Further information can be accessed here:
www.physagenet.eu
https://www.egrapa.org
https://www.ktu.edu.tr/en

 

What began as a private WhatsApp group culminated in the first big sports science alumni party last Saturday (17 May). The 500 tickets for the party in the new B-Side at Münster's central harbour were quickly sold out. ‘Finally another IfL party,’ said a delighted former student, who said he had been waiting 30 years for this. In addition to the reunion with old fellow students and lecturers, the ‘Reisegruppe Hardrock’ attracted guests with live music and a DJ team from Antenne Münster. The special edition of the traditional IfS jumpers/shirts sold like hot cakes. However, the celebrations also felt particularly good that evening because all proceeds were donated to various social sports projects, such as the skiing trip with children suffering from cancer and the sports sponsors.

On April 28 and 29, the symposium "Study and Elite Sports" took place in Bochum, organized by the General German University Sports Association (adh).

On Thursday, April 10, 2025, 120 graduates and their companions were invited to the castle's auditorium for a festive graduation celebration. The event was moderated by AOR Dr. Barbara Halberschmidt and Dominik Krüßmann, while Andreas Sornig – Head of Sports at the Münster District Government – ​​delivered the keynote speech.

Junior Prof. Helga Leineweber gave a lecture last Wednesday (9 April 2025) as part of the interim evaluation of the Junior Professorship for Education and Culture in Sport. Numerous colleagues from the institute attended this lecture in the Open Lab!

As part of Girls' Day 2025, we welcomed 12 curious and motivated young participants to explore the world of sports science at the University of Münster. Throughout the day, through a combination of presentations, hands-on activities and live demonstrations the participants gained valuable insights into the various research groups - movement science, sport psychology and neuromotor behavior and exercise, studying human movement. They also received a tour of our sports facilities and together we ate lunch at the university cafeteria. It was a great day full of discovery, inspiration, and new perspectives!

We are celebrating 100 years - with our own anniversary collection! 
From 1 April to 11 April 2025 only, you can order locally printed, high-quality T-shirts, hoodies and jute bags at fair prices from the student council's online shop. The surplus will go to the Münster-based Sportpaten project. 

All important information can be found in the online shop and on the Instragram page of the Institute of Sport and Exercise Sciences.
 

In their sports studies, prospective teachers learn how to introduce children and young people to fitness and health topics in their later school life and convey the joy of exercise. In addition to sports science and pedagogical content, they acquire subject-specific didactic knowledge necessary to organize school sports effectively and meaningfully. How do they assess the importance of sports and exercise? Five sports students answer five questions.

On February 18, a five-day "Fall Prediction" workshop at the Institute of Sports Science in Münster, Germany successfully concluded. Five professors from Incheon National University (INU) – Mr. Nyeonju Kang, Mr. Kyoungkyu Jeon, Mr. Jupil Ko, Mr. Moon-Hyon Hwang, and Mr. Namwoong Kim – as well as institute members Dr. Rosemary Dubbeldam, Mr. YuYuan Lee, and Mr. Zhao Liu participated.

The purpose of this workshop was to pool the participants' expertise, compare the backgrounds of falls in Korea and Germany, discuss the most advanced solutions for fall prediction, and identify potential innovations. This will form the basis for even closer collaboration between the participating institutions.

Prof. Heiko Wagner, Prof. Michael Brach, and Prof. Tim Hahn provided significant support for the project. We would like to express our sincere thanks to all participants and look forward to continuing this successful collaboration.

The Tech-Werkstatt Leistungssport, organized by the Institute of Sports Science and project partners, was a great success. Scientists and science enthusiasts from all over Germany were able to exchange ideas with each other and with numerous industry partners at the lunch-to-lunch event. The technology exhibition offered the opportunity to get to know the companies and their products better. In presentations, panel discussions and various workshops the potential applications of new technologies in competitive sport were reflected in greater depth through and by our guest speakers.

The Institute of Sport Science has once again secured its position as one of the leading institutions in Germany. 44th worldwide and 4th in Germany in the Shanghai Ranking 2024 (ARWU) of "Faculty of Sports Science" category. This award marks the third consecutive year that the institute has defended this impressive position and underscores its continued excellence in research, teaching, and innovation in the field of sport science.

Prof. Dr. Bernd Strauß was a guest on the podcast "New Ideas and Wisdom for Young (Academic) Students." The goal of the podcast is to gain insights into the perspectives of experienced and successful researchers (in sports psychology) and, where appropriate, to learn from them.

This year's citizen science project “Beweg dich schlau - Sportwissenschaft in der Schule” was a success. As part of our cooperation with the Hüberts'schen School in Hopsten, a 9th grade visited us in the movement lab to carry out an exemplary analysis of the standing long jump using the Qualisys program. Subject of the study was the influence of using the arms to create momentum on the jumping distance. The pupils tested both conditions and then evaluated first results together with the students. In this way, they were able to get to know the roles of both the test subjects and the scientists. The project was carried out by prospective PE teachers as part of the Development and Health project seminar and supervised by Tabea Christ.

The „Tech-Werkstatt Leistungssport“ , which is organised by the Institute of Sports Science, is getting closer. The programme can be accessed here: Programme Registration is possible under the following link:Registration

Congratulations to our former colleague Dr Mona Ahmed, who defended her doctoral thesis entitled ‘Information and Communication Technologies in Healthcare of Older People with Chronic Diseases: A Comprehensive Approach to Involving All Stakeholders in the Development Process and Understanding Their Needs’ which was presented to the promotion committee Prof. Michael Brach, Dr Nereide A Curreri and Prof. Heiko Wagner and invited guests on 30 January 2025.

The project has achieved its objectives. The online platform and the digital training methods were tested and successfully implemented as requested. The developed products can be accessed and used free of charge here: integralabplus.com
 

 
At the 2nd asp theme day ‘Hate Speech in Social Media’ at the DSHS Cologne, Dr Marion Golenia Department of Physical Education and Teaching Research and Junior Professor Dr Helga Leineweber Department of Education and Culture presented findings from the ComeSport project to experts and interested parties from the fields of sports psychology, psychotherapy and psychiatry, boarding school education and sports science. The focus was on the effects of social media consumption on the body image of adolescents and young adults.
Further contributions were made by former tennis pro Dustin Brown, who reported on his experiences with hate comments on social media platforms in an interview with Marion Sulprizio. Wiebke Dierkes and Juliane Coßmann also presented a workshop concept on dealing with social media for young athletes.

 

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Ross Julian from the Department of Neuromotor Behavior and Exercise has been appointed as the new Degree Programme Coordinator for the Bachelor of Science in Human Movement in Sport and Exercise and the Master's Programme Sports, Exercise and Human Performance, effective at the beginning of this year.
Ross has been an integral part of the study programmes since 2017 and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this role. His passion for the field and commitment to enhancing the student experience will undoubtedly contribute to both programmes' further growth and development.
Please join us in congratulating Ross on his new position. We are excited to see how his leadership will positively impact our academic community.

Cand. Phil. Yoonkyu Song, PhD student at the Institute of Sport Science in the Department of Education and Culture in Sport, represented the Willibald Gebhardt Institute (WGI) at the First International Olympic Research Conference in India/ Ahmadabad.
The megacity is a promising candidate to host the 2036 Olympic Games.
In one of his two lectures, Yoonkyu presented the WGI's work on Olympic education and history. The other lecture was about his dissertation on sports development in divided nations using the example of Germany and Korea.
We are thankful to Yoonkyu Song for his commitment to the WGI and sports education in Münster.

On Thursday, 10 April 2025 from 6 p.m. we invite you to the graduation ceremony of the Institute of Sports Science in the auditorium of the castle of the University of Münster. After a festive event, there will be a champagne reception in the foyer with the opportunity to exchange ideas and meet former fellow students and lecturers. 
The official invitation can be found at: https://indd.adobe.com/view/9cf13519-3b49-4c0c-b8fe-0c9ac66a5288 
Registration is possible until 31 March 2025 at: https://indico.uni-muenster.de/event/3116/

The pre-tests, which took place over 2 weeks with 43 test subjects, have now been successfully completed. All participants in the study are now in the 8-week digital intervention phase, in which they complete training videos twice a week and watch a health education workshop once a week. Further information on the AgeWell project can be found here: https://agewelleurope.eu
 

The PhysAgeNet and EGRAPA Conference ‘Evidence Based Physical Activity in Old Age - are we closing the gaps?’ will take place in Trabzon from 7th to 9th May 2025. Interested people can take part online free of charge. Further information can be found in the flyer. We appreciate your interest!
 

Registration is now possible via the following link: Registration
Further information will be continuously updated on the registration page.

Dr. Valeria Eckardt will be recognized with the third place of the 'DOSB-Wissenschaftspreises 2023/2024' in Frankfurt am Main on 31 January 2025 for her dissertation entitled 'Better together? Exploring parental experiences in youth soccer from an interpersonal approach'. In addition to her, five other academics will also be honoured. DOSB President Thomas Weikert will present the awards. We congratulate her on this outstanding achievement!

The Institute of Sport and Exercise Sciences is once again organizing a tech-fair in 2025 with the cooperation of its various partners. Interested people should save the date 06. - 07. March 2025. More information can be found in the flyer.

The Institute of Sport Science wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2025!

We are looking forward to an exciting year 2025 with special events such as the 100th anniversary of the Institute of Sport Science.

In 2024, the quantitative study of the Move For Health project on the potential of sport and exercise for healthy growing from 2023 was continued. The data collection was funded by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. The study is part of the Move For Health campaign of the German Sports Youth. On December 3rd, initial results of the nationwide representative survey were presented to the German Sports Youth. Further publications are currently being prepared. From the University of Münster, Dr. Lena Henning and Eva Göttlich are involved in the project.
 

As part of the seminar "Methods of psychomotor diagnostics", third semester students in special education teaching (Lehramt für sonderpädagogische Förderung) conducted motor assessments at the Eylardus School, a state-recognised special needs school for children, focusing on social and emotional development. The project was conducted together with the KreisSportBund Grafschaft Bentheim e.V. Currently, the children’s motor performance is being analyzed and the results will be reported back to the school shortly.
 

On December 4, a practice-oriented workshop on third-party funding took place at the Institute of Sports Science. As part of the institute's internal junior researcher funding initiative (NFI), 15 doctoral students gained valuable insights into research funding. Dr. Schmidt and Dr. Verlage from SAFIR provided the participants with specific skills in the areas of funding opportunities, application and research. The workshop provided an opportunity to learn important strategies for academic career development. Special thanks to SAFIR for the informative and inspiring exchange for our doctoral students.

The climbing project of the Institute of Sports Science, the University Hospital Münster and the Children's Cancer Aid Münster e.V. was honored as a special project for children and young people at the award ceremony for the Citizens' Prize of the City of Münster. The special feature: Children and young people between the ages of 8 and 18 decide on the funding of the individual projects in the newly founded funding forum of the city of Münster. The climbing project was the only project to receive the maximum amount of funding.

Last week, Barbara Halberschmidt and Laura van de Loo's MA “Dual Career” seminar was able to take a look behind the scenes at SC Preußen. Sören Weinfurtner gave the course the opportunity to view various premises and watch the U19 team in training. One day later, the group returned to Berg Fidel to accept an invitation from the Uni Baskets. There, the group watched an exciting game against the Kirchheim Knights.
We say THANK YOU to everyone involved!

The University of Münster's sports mentoring project was highlighted as a forward-looking educational model at the OECD Global Forum on the Future of Education and Skills 2030 (10 to 13 October) in Japan. Dr Marie Ghanbari, initiator of the project from the Sports Psychology department, contributed her expertise in a separate article on empathy training, as reported by the Westfälische Nachrichten newspaper, among others.
 

The Erasmus project “PA4Age” was successfully completed with an international conference in Treviso, Italy on November 7, 2024. The project partners were able to present the developed learning platform and app on the topic of motivation and active ageing to numerous interested professionals from the sports and health sector as well as older adults.
 

Bernd Strauß and Heiko Wagner have been elected Vice Dean and Dean of Studies for a further two years in the Fachbereichsrat. At the meeting (13 November 2024) of the Executive Board, Heiko Wagner was elected Managing Director and Bernd Strauß Deputy Managing Director for a further year. 
We congratulate them and wish them all the best for their further term of office.

In the BMBF project ComeSport, the Education and Culture in Sport and Education and Teaching in Sport departments are developing training courses for teachers on the subject of social media and body image in physical education. A meeting with other project partners has now taken place at Leipzig University. The first training sessions have already been tested.

In the new book ‘Psychology of Crises in Sport’ by Bernd Strauss, Stephanie Buenemann, Charlotte Behlau, Maike Tietjens and Katherine Tamminen, readers learn about the theoretical and empirical background of concepts related to crises. They then learn how apply this knowledge and these methods to prevent and cope crises. Well-known examples and case studies are used throughout the book to provide a comprehensive understanding of crises. 

(Strauss, B., Buenemann, S., Behlau, C., Tietjens, M., & Tamminen, K. (Eds). (2024). Psychology of crises in sport. Springer)

Fascinating! Christiane Bohn and Heiko Wagner show us how complex our body sensation is. Using innovative measurement methods such as “ComputerMyoGraphy” developed by Heiko Wagner, they investigate whether our movements really happen the way we perceive them. The example of the talented B-girl Jilou shows how important the connection between brain and body is.
Link to the report (3sat/German)
 

The University of Münster and SC Preußen Münster have signed a cooperation agreement to promote competitive and elite sport in soccer. The cooperation, which has already existed for several years, is to be intensified in the coming years in order to systematically expand existing synergy effects between science and competitive and top-class sport. Among other things, the University and Preußen want to work together to optimize the conditions for footballers who study at the University of Münster and play top-class sport at the same time.

Important information for all those who are attending the swimming courses this semester and want to take the coursework and/or exam and have already attended the seminar!
Please write Maike an e-mail by this Friday (18.10.) that you are enrolled in the Learnweb course. In the course you will find a declaration of consent that you cannot use the showers and toilets of the Ostbad due to the legionella infestation. The declaration must be printed out and completed in its original form and handed in to Maike by October 27.
Without this declaration, you will neither be able to attend the AGs in the Ostbad nor take the exam if the infestation is still present at that time.
More detailed information can also be found in the Learnweb course.

On 10.10.24, sport psychology celebrated its 50th anniversary. The special event was celebrated with almost 100 international and national guests. Two keynote speakers, Prof. Rouwen Canal Bruland, University of Jena and Dr. Rebecca Rienhoff, Helmholtz Gymnasium Essen, Head of Sports - ZfsL Krefeld, Sports & Counselling in School Sports (NRW Sports Schools) - District Government Düsseldorf (Dec. 43/ Dec. 48) Sports Coordination Representative in the Speakers' Committee of NRW Sports Schools, paid tribute to the achievements of Prof. Willi Essing and Prof. Bernd Strauß, which can also be read here in the brochure.

The Institute of Sports Science started the WS 24/25 on 9.10.24 with an information session and a subsequent closed day on the topic of sustainability. The Sustainability Commission prepared a practical input on the topic with the speaker S. Ziegler and then all employees of the Institute continued to work in small working groups on developing sustainability strategies for the Institute and implementing these in research and teaching.

The FISU World University Games 2025 will be coming to the Rhine-Ruhr region from 16 to 27 July 2025. And you can be there as a volunteer. The official registration phase has been extended until 15 October 2024. Apply as a volunteer now!

According to the organisers, working as a volunteer at a multi-sport event of this magnitude ‘offers students a unique opportunity to gain valuable experience that will benefit them both in their studies and in their future careers. During their assignment, they will also receive access to competitions, food and drink, a public transport ticket, a volunteer certificate and official event clothing.’

All information about the volunteer programme and registration can be found on the website: https://rhineruhr2025.com/volunteer

 

Teaching for the winter semester 2024/25 starts on 07 October. 
Just like last summer semester, teaching starts at 08:00!
We wish everyone a great semester an a pleasant start.

At the 3rd Cologne Day of School Sport, Dr Marion Golenia (Dept. of Physical Education and Teaching Research) and Junior Professor Dr Helga Leineweber (Dept. of Education and Culture in Sport) held a theoretical and practical workshop for PE teachers in which they presented current scientific findings on the connection between body images in social media and body images among children and young people. Following on from this, they tested and discussed ways of addressing the topic in PE lessons together with the teachers. The content and materials developed as part of the BMBF-funded ComeSport project were thus subjected to an initial ‘rigorous test’. Further ideas and materials for sports lessons on this complex topic are now being successively developed and trialled.
 

At this year's Research Day of the Centre for Educational Research in Sport on 11.09.24, Brigitta Höger (Pädagogische Hochschule Oberösterreich) presented her exciting research on the perspectives of young people on sport-related social media offerings. In addition, Marion Golenia and Kathrin Aschebrock (AB Bildung und Unterricht im Sport) from the project Quality at the all day education presented current results on participation opportunities in primary schools, comparing the children's perspective with that of adults (teachers and OGS staff).

From 17-18 September, the international ‘Workshop on Systematic Observation in Educational Research’, organised by Dr Kathrin Kohake, took place for the 8th time at the University of Münster. At the annual network meeting of European users of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System, current study results from various educational contexts were presented and discussed. The programme was framed by two renowned keynote speeches: Dr Bridget Hamre from the USA and Prof Dr Charalambos Charalambous from Cyprus. The event was sponsored by the DFG, the University of Münster's Internationalisation Fund and the Unfallkasse.

Dr Barbara Halberschmidt gave a presentation on psychological factors in dealing with injuries at this year's Dreiländerkongress DACH in Hamburg.

From 16th to 18th September 2024, the hybrid COST Action PhysAgeNet training school “Artificial Intelligence meets Physical Activity” will take place in Ankara at the NÖRÖM Center (Neuroscience And Neurotechnology Center Of Excellence). We invite all interested people to join online without any costs. You can find the programme and zoom link here.  

As part of “AgeWell Europe”, the members of the Erasmus project met in Athlone from August 30 to 31, 2024. Led by the “EduFit” team from Ireland, the project partners from Italy, Slovenia and Germany focused on the successful implementation of sports and fitness courses with older adults and the effects of ageing on sport and exercise.
 

On August 7, our guest researcher Prof. Demet Iangil from the University of Health Sciences in Istanbul presented her expertise on movement-based, individualized fall prevention programmes for older adults in a LabTalk. We hope that we will be working together on this topic in the future. Zhao Liu, who is in the final stages of his Master's degree in Sports Science at the University of Göttingen, took the opportunity to visit our department as well. Thank you both for visiting us!
 

PhD students at the Institute of Sport Science once again had the opportunity to take part in a two-day writing workshop to work on their dissertations in an undisturbed atmosphere. A total of 10 doctoral students from various fields of work went to the Willi-Michels-Bildungsstätte in Hattingen from August 5-6, accompanied by two postdocs. The feedback was very positive - the doctoral students particularly appreciated the structured writing times and the interdisciplinary exchange. The next writing workshop is planned for spring 2025.

This year's Prüfungsshow took place on July 24th, 2024 under the motto "Very big cinema" in front of a sold-out house in the HH. Almost 100 participants once again showed their best choreographies and were celebrated by the 800 spectators.

The “Quality in all-day education” (QIG) project, which was conducted by the department of Physical Education and Teaching Reseach in collaboration with the Reinhard Mohn Foundation (RMS) has now been successfully completed. Under the direction of Dr. Marion Golenia and Kathrin Aschebrock, a modular online questionnaire instrument was developed and tested. The tool helps all-day schools to optimize the quality of their work in the areas of learning time, participation and room design.

The Sports Psychology Department was represented at the European Congress of Sports Psychology in Innsbruck from 15 to 19 July 2014 with numerous presentations, symposia and poster contributions. Under the congress motto "Performance under pressure in sports, military/police, performing arts, medicine, business and daily life", 1000 sports psychologists from all over the world came together.

Michael Brach, AB Movement Science, was appointed to the Ulysseus Steering Committee, which provides strategic advice to the Rectorate and the project management. The vision of the European University Network Ulysseus is to develop an excellent European university based on the European values of social cohesion and respect for human rights. The alliance firmly believes that European universities should be open to the world, institutions of solidarity beyond European borders.

 

Another successful aptitude test took place at the Institute of Sports Science on 3 July. We are looking forward to welcoming great new students who will start studying sport here on campus in the winter semester 24/25. A great day in which the entire Institute was involved. Thanks to everyone involved!

As part of Prof. Nils Neuber's project seminar "School sport and democracy", students carried out practical research projects in schools and sport clubs. Over the course of several weeks, they worked on topics such as participation in performance assessment, children's rights in school sport, federalism in the education system and democratic education throughout the day. They have now presented their results in a poster session and discussed them with external guests.

We mourn the loss of Dr Walter Kurpiers (11.07.1934 - 26.06.2024), who passed away shortly before his 90th birthday. In "Donald", as he was known to students and colleagues alike, the Sports Institute has lost a much-loved and respected sports educator. Our thoughts are with his wife, his children and his entire family.