WGI’s virtual Olympic Study Day 2021 with Tokyo discussants
A video from Tokyo, guests from all over Germany: The Olympic Study Day 2021, organized by the Willibald Gebhardt Institute in Münster was a complete success. On June 29th, WGI’s Vice President for Olympic Education, Prof. Dr. Michael Krüger, in cooperation with the German Olympic Academy (DOA) and the Institute for Sports Science at the University of Münster, invited to the virtual Olympic Study Day. Almost 70 participants, including many of Krüger’s students from the lecture “Sports Education and Sports History”, followed the diverse program.
Following the welcome message by WGI President Dr. Heinz Aschebrock and DOA Vice President Prof. Dr. Annette Hofmann Thomas Michel, head of sports in the Münster district government, presented a first keynote. His remarks on the importance of Olympic Education and Values – also and especially in times of the corona pandemic – for school sport and teaching settings were also viewed online by students from other universities and interested teachers.
In the second part of the Olympic Study Day in Münster, the focus was on athletes and Japan as the host of the Tokyo 2020 Games. Dr. Sebastian Brückner, Managing Director of the WGI, gave an insight into the work with athletes in preparation and qualification for the Olympic Games. As a career advisor and sports psychology expert, he has consulted with and coached numerous athletes, coaches and teams, among others at the Olympic Training Center in Saarbrücken, over three Olympiads. The importance of personal development in, through and with sport was one of the common messages of Thomas Michel and Sebastian Brückner in their lectures.
At the end of the event, things got really international: An interview by Prof. Dr. Michael Krüger with Prof. Toshiyuki Ichiba from Tokyo and Prof. Dr. Annette Hofmann about the emotional state in Tokyo and the importance of Olympic Values and Educatiom in Japan provided interesting insights into the atmosphere in the host country of the Summer Games.
“Hopefully, all participants have been able to gain interesting and valuable insights, including the students as future teachers, about ways in which Olympic Values can improve teaching and our society today,” said WGI President Dr. Heinz Aschebrock in his closing remarks.