Teachers play a crucial role in providing dual career support to talented individuals. Last week, TWIN conducted a training for the teaching staff of BFI Privatschule für Wirtschaft und Leistungssport, focusing on their interpersonal communication with aspiring athletes.

BFI Privatschule für Wirtschaft und Leistungssport Salzburg is an Austrian secondary school that offers youngsters the opportunity to pursue their sporting goals while completing an apprenticeship in sport administration. Many of their students are footballers or ice-hockey players associated with the Red Bull Salzburg Academy.

Communication in the loop

Following design meetings with the school management, TWIN built a customized half-day Master Class for the institution. This workshop drew inspiration from applied philosophy, system theory, and communication science, emphasizing two key aspects of impactful interpersonal work: contact and attitude.

Part 1 of the day shed light on the systemic complexity involved in supporting young athletes within an institutional framework. It also prompted participants to reflect on the multidimensional dynamics of the dual career topic, with a specific focus on skill development.

Part 2 integrated a cybernetic communication model with philosophical concepts from Erich Fromm, Martin Buber, or Viktor Frankl. This integration provided teachers with a framework to analyze their approach when working with young sportsmen and sportswomen.

“All actual life is encounter.
Martin Buber

The workshop emphasized the importance of establishing and maintaining contact, considering perspectives from the teacher, the school, and its associated academy system. Additionally, it highlighted the significance of the teacher’s own attitude as the starting point of a communicative loop. These fundamental aspects of effective communication now serve as tangible starting points for teachers to make adaptations in their classrooms.

In conclusion, this TWIN Master Class equipped the teaching staff at BFI Privatschule für Wirtschaft und Leistungssport with a solid foundation for developing effective communicative strategies to support young athletes in their dual careers. By delving into the essential aspects of contact and attitude, this workshop will directly impact their teaching practices, enabling them to adapt current or draft new concrete approaches.



🚩 TWIN aims to help raise standards in athlete support. Our Master Classes are staff training sessions tailored to your institutional needs. If you are interested in having one of our experts deliver a customized workshop, please submit a request.