Prof. Dr. Jan Mayer joins the board

"With this decision, we are demonstrating the high priority that TSG Hoffenheim places on the further development of sport based on scientific work, as well as on the individual development of its employees and corporate culture," says majority shareholder Dietmar Hopp. "We are convinced of the potential of TSG, which we want to increase further through motivated employees. This requires a clear commitment, which we have made by anchoring Prof. Dr. Jan Mayer, who has been working for TSG for 13 years, at the top of the company" explains Hopp. "However, we want to be perceived not only as innovative and integrative, but also as a responsible club, which repeatedly sets its own priorities beyond sport and thus continues to follow the Hoffenheim path, which is also the responsibility of the two other managing directors, Frank Briel and Denni Strich," added Hopp.

 

For years, TSG Hoffenheim have been focusing on innovative approaches for both professionals and young people to train their own athletes, both on and off the pitch. This approach has resulted in the development of a separate field, in which, among other things, TSG Research Lab gGmbH conducts non-profit scientific research, the results of which are made available to clubs, associations, organisations, institutions and companies all over the world. The ResearchLab can rely on both international (including Stanford University) and national partners (e.g. Wiesbaden Police College).

 

This work, which has already received several awards, was initiated by Prof. Dr. Jan Mayer as managing director of TSG Research Lab gGmbH and he and his team have made considerable progress in this area. Together with Frank Briel and Denni Strich, the 48-year-old Mayer will be a member of the board of TSG Hoffenheim Fußball-Spielbetriebs GmbH. The board of management is rounded off by the two directors Alexander Rosen (professional football) and Christian Frommert (communication & media).

"I see a great opportunity to develop TSG Hoffenheim sustainably at all levels in this new constellation with a culture of respect and positive, constructive and friendly cooperation," says Prof. Dr. Jan Mayer. "This is the prerequisite, fully in line with the Olympic values, for once again achieving excellence and peak performance. Ultimately, this is also a signal from football to society as a whole. A value-oriented football club creates social acceptance and respect beyond sport," Mayer explains, giving thanks "for the trust that the partners place in me and my work".

Prof. Dr. Jan Mayer has been shaping sports psychology in Germany for more than twenty years through professorships (University of Prevention and Health in Saarbrücken, Sports Science Institute of Saarland University) and lecturing activities, and by founding and managing various institutes and authoring several books. The father of two has also worked in the field of sports psychology, working with high-performance athletes. His clients included individual athletes as well as national teams (among others, alpine skiing, boxing, Nordic combined, ski jumping, handball, DFB-U selection teams) and club teams (including Adler Mannheim, TSG Hoffenheim, Golfclub St. Leon-Rot and Rhein-Neckar Löwen). In 2003, the Heidelberg-based scientist took over the management of the Coordination Centre of Sport Psychology (ZKS) of the German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB), and since 2005 he has been a member of staff at the Rhein-Neckar Olympic Training Centre. Two years ago, he took over the management of the newly founded TSG ResearchLab gGmbH, and one year later, the Institute for Compassion gGmbH in Heidelberg, of which he is also a shareholder.

"In Prof. Dr. Jan Mayer, we have appointed not only a visionary and renowned scientist to the club's management team, but also a real team player," said Kristian Baumgärtner, who is the interim chairman of TSG Hoffenheim, another member of the TSG board.