"Kane's budget insufficiently addressed, claims Bierhoff"
Let's Talk Performance: Oliver Bierhoff, Oscar da Silva, and Beate Wagner Discus at the Seehaus
In a candid discussion, three unexpected characters - Oliver Bierhoff, ex-DFB manager, Bayern basketball player Oscar da Silva, and Beate Wagner, mother of NBA stars Franz and Moritz Wagner - gathered at the Seehaus in Munich's English Garden. Their common ground - the performance sports machine.
Bierhoff Unequivocally: Performance Matters
Bierhoff didn't mince words, "Performance is always a leveler in our society," he declared. Today, people lack the guts to call a winner a winner and a loser a loser. This performance-driven approach is what spots trailblazers and fuels progress, but it's missing in action.
da Silva Agrees: High-Performance Athletes Need Competition
Da Silva, who balances his basketball career with his studies at Stanford, concurred with Bierhoff. "Treating everyone the same is a detriment to the promotion of high-performance athletes," he opined, emphasizing the necessity of nurturing the competitive spirit. "In basketball, as in life, winning and losing are integral to success."
Bierhoff Blames Parents and Schools
Bierhoff believes stronger emphasis on performance should start at home and school. "My dad never let me win during our backyard games. That helped me overcome career lows," he shared. He also called attention to schools, asserting that aspiring athletes shouldn't be held back when they take the initiative to attend training camps.
American System as Inspiration
The American education system backs sports performance more strongly than Germany's. In the U.S., students reap sports scholarships through their talents, and sports are an integral part of school curriculums. The Wagner brothers, now at Orlando Magic, moved to America for this very reason. Transforming Germany's sporting landscape will be a gradual process, acknowledged Bierhoff, but he believes investing in quality trainers and infrastructure will yield results. Despite the long road ahead, Germany's budget for performance athletes is alarmingly low. "Half a Harry Kane isn't even enough for our performance athletes," Bierhoff complained.
The Path to Change
According to Bierhoff, events like the Olympic Games may provide the symbolism required to ignite change. Witnessing the performance-driven restructuring ahead of the 2012 London Olympics in Great Britain, for instance, demonstrates such potential. However, the performance culture shift should be more constant and independent from isolated events, he added.
In adopting the American performance-oriented culture, Germany must consider cultural nuances, strengthen structures, and promote ethical standards unique to its context. Greater transparency and accountability, enhanced education programs, independent oversight, and fostering competitive fan cultures could pave the way. Amidst this transformation, nurturing Germany’s homegrown stars while opening doors to international talents stands crucial. By building a system that rewards results and fosters a culture of clean sport and fair play, Germany could rise to the ranks of the world’s top performance sports nations.
Football, as a high-performance sport, was mentioned in the context of European leagues, specifically the Premier League.
Oliver Bierhoff, discussing the significance of performance, highlighted that a performance-driven approach, common in sports like football, is crucial for identifying trailblazers and fueling progress. This sentiment was echoed by Oscar da Silva, who emphasized the importance of competition for high-performance athletes, using basketball as an example.
