Global Collaboration: GSPP Partners with Bayern Munich

"At a time when we can't practice, how do we become mentally strong?" That's the question that FC Bayern Munich and the Sport and Performance Psychology (MASPP) students and faculty set out to answer when the reality of COVID-19 began setting in earlier this year. In 2018 the international company and soccer powerhouse developed a partnership with the University of Denver and with the transition to remote work in 2020, that relationship has found several ways to flourish.

MASPP faculty at GSPP began working on a collaboration with FC Bayern more than a year ago, but the results that came this year could not have been more timely for both organizations. Last month students and faculty in the MASPP program released a curriculum, which they developed specifically for the athletes and coaches of FC Bayern. The curriculum covers five different topics in five different workbooks:

• Managing Stress and Pressure
• Self-Reflection
• Motivational Interviewing
• Empowering Coaches
• Creating Context for Learning: Age Specific Use of Questions and Feedback
 
The relevant and up-to-date curriculum, which can be utilized by FC Bayern in the midst of a pandemic was critical, not just for GSPP's international partners, but for MASPP students as well.

"It gave our students experiential hours at a time when we weren’t able to get out and practice," MASPP Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of the Center for Performance Excellence Dr. Jessica Bartley said. "It really helped our practical education evolve."

Additionally, the content will act as a resource for the FC Bayern's sport psychologist, Christian Luthardt, who currently serves hundreds of coaches and thousands of athletes.

For more information about the other ways in which the University of Denver is partnering with FC Bayern, click below.