VfL Bochum and RUB are breaking new ground: sports science for the future!

VfL Bochum and RUB are breaking new ground: sports science for the future!

On April 24, 2025, the Faculty of Sports Science at the Ruhr University Bochum and VfL Bochum 1848 announced that they were expanding their long-standing cooperation. This partnership, which was originally focused on sports psychology, will be expanded to include all sports science topics from March 1, 2025. The aim is to achieve a more objective assessment of sporting aspects, taking into account the latest scientific findings.

The cooperation covers all VfL departments, including the talent factory, women's football and the licensed team. Dominik Horsch, head of strategy and development in the talent factory, and Rexhep Kushutani, performance diagnostician for the licensed team, take on responsibility for VfL Bochum. On the Ruhr University side, Adam Frytz, an employee in teaching and research, is available as project manager, supported by Christoph Debowiak, who is responsible for project coordination.

Scope of collaboration

A central element of the cooperation is data collection for a holistic monitoring system for players. This collected data should be used to optimize training plans and for effective load control. There is also a focus on identifying and promoting talent and supporting training work as well as performance diagnostics and data maintenance.

Dr. Christina Reinhardt, member of the VfL Executive Board and Chancellor of the Ruhr University, expressed her pride in the expanded collaboration. She emphasized the importance of current sports science expertise in today's world and the progress that should be achieved with this partnership.

Promoting young talent and psychology

As part of this cooperation, VfL Bochum's youth department is also supported in non-sports areas. Sports psychologist Annika Hof zum Berge has a new colleague from the Ruhr University, Asja Kiel. Prof. Dr. Michael Kellmann remains responsible in an advisory capacity. The personality and performance of young talent is promoted in an age-appropriate manner, with the focus on team-building measures in the basic area. As you get older, the topics become more individual.

The challenge in top-class sport is increasing due to increasing competitive pressure. Sustainable talent development is essential in order to meet the requirements. Sports science research aims to support the identification and development of young talent. Empirical foundations and new findings in talent research are used to analyze performance and development-related characteristics of talents and their environment. The focus is on topics such as talent characteristics relevant to prognosis, development-related characteristics and the social environment in which talents grow.

Cinematic insights into the topic of talent and cross-domain talent research are already available online. This expanded information is intended not only to benefit the players and coaches of VfL Bochum, but also to be of general importance in the area of ​​talent development.

Overall, the expanded cooperation between the Ruhr University Bochum and VfL Bochum 1848 reflects a forward-looking model that relies on science and practice to sustainably promote the development of talent in sport. Through close cooperation, both sporting and personal skills can be optimally promoted.

Further details about the cooperation can be found on the website Ruhr University Bochum, the DFL and the examples of talent development at the University of Tübingen to find.