Third division ice hockey team Moskitos Essen have made a remarkable
turnaround since starting to work two years ago with a physiognomist
who has profiled and improved the players through an analysis of
their faces and feet.
Essen, Germany (dpa) - Monika Sundermann takes a short breath and then walks into a sticky dressing room at an ice hockey rink in the western German city of Essen.
"Gentlemen, shirts on, skates off," the petite 54-year-old tells the 20 players from third division Moskitos Essen who are getting ready for training.
There is no dissent, only coach Frank Gentges looks on curiously, but Sundermann explains with a hushed voice that "the coach is new, he doesn't know it yet."
The players, assistant coach Marc Dlugas and Moskitos general manager Michael Rumrich have however already been won over by Sundermann and her method of helping the team through physiognomy.
Dating back to ancient times, physiognomy is the assessment of a person's character and personality from the outer appearance.
Most widely known is the physiognomy of the face. But Sundermann also uses a system developed by Dutchman Imre Somogyi who combined chinese medicine, polarity theory, orthopaedics and foot reflexology to to analyse a person through the shapes and positions of toes.
"Of course I was sceptical at first," the former Germany player Rumrich says. "But I was soon surprised what she discovered. It matched my impression of the players."
For Sundermann, "every foot is unique, is like a finger print," as she walks through the dressing room, goes on her knees for a closer look at a foot, and gives each player short and clear feedback.
"You are an outstanding strategist, but can't deal well with pressure," she tells one forward. A defender is told: "You are a complete team player. Dedicated, but also a little dreamer."
Sundermann also takes pictures of the faces and feet of the players for more analysis outside the dressing room. Each player gets a written profile.
The co-operation started in 2012 by coincidence and was a new experience for Sundermann as well.
Essen were facing relegation and losing games against nominally weaker teams. Sundermann's husband, who designs the team's shirts, arranged the contact after she "offered to help" because "the team wasn't showing its true potential."
Rumrich said it started out "as a test only" but he did not interfere as she not only started analysing the players but also coaches and officials.
"The bosses must be in it so that they know what I am doing with the players, and how to use their knowledge in a responsible way," Sundermann says.
Sundermann also used her psychological skills to lift the team.
"Is not about exposing anyone. I motivate and help to uncover hidden or special talents," she says.
The results were astonishing.
"Many players wanted individual sessions. It was amazing but fact is that we didn't lose another game all season," Rumrich says.
Forward Robbie Hein, already on the team when Sundermann started, agrees: "I had to get used it. There is someone reading your toes. But she discovers astonishing things. Her clues are always very helpful."
Dlugas summed it up by saying: "In the end we owe it to her that we have reached two play-off semi-finals."
Essen, Germany (dpa) - Monika Sundermann takes a short breath and then walks into a sticky dressing room at an ice hockey rink in the western German city of Essen.
"Gentlemen, shirts on, skates off," the petite 54-year-old tells the 20 players from third division Moskitos Essen who are getting ready for training.
There is no dissent, only coach Frank Gentges looks on curiously, but Sundermann explains with a hushed voice that "the coach is new, he doesn't know it yet."
The players, assistant coach Marc Dlugas and Moskitos general manager Michael Rumrich have however already been won over by Sundermann and her method of helping the team through physiognomy.
Dating back to ancient times, physiognomy is the assessment of a person's character and personality from the outer appearance.
Most widely known is the physiognomy of the face. But Sundermann also uses a system developed by Dutchman Imre Somogyi who combined chinese medicine, polarity theory, orthopaedics and foot reflexology to to analyse a person through the shapes and positions of toes.
"Of course I was sceptical at first," the former Germany player Rumrich says. "But I was soon surprised what she discovered. It matched my impression of the players."
For Sundermann, "every foot is unique, is like a finger print," as she walks through the dressing room, goes on her knees for a closer look at a foot, and gives each player short and clear feedback.
"You are an outstanding strategist, but can't deal well with pressure," she tells one forward. A defender is told: "You are a complete team player. Dedicated, but also a little dreamer."
Sundermann also takes pictures of the faces and feet of the players for more analysis outside the dressing room. Each player gets a written profile.
The co-operation started in 2012 by coincidence and was a new experience for Sundermann as well.
Essen were facing relegation and losing games against nominally weaker teams. Sundermann's husband, who designs the team's shirts, arranged the contact after she "offered to help" because "the team wasn't showing its true potential."
Rumrich said it started out "as a test only" but he did not interfere as she not only started analysing the players but also coaches and officials.
"The bosses must be in it so that they know what I am doing with the players, and how to use their knowledge in a responsible way," Sundermann says.
Sundermann also used her psychological skills to lift the team.
"Is not about exposing anyone. I motivate and help to uncover hidden or special talents," she says.
The results were astonishing.
"Many players wanted individual sessions. It was amazing but fact is that we didn't lose another game all season," Rumrich says.
Forward Robbie Hein, already on the team when Sundermann started, agrees: "I had to get used it. There is someone reading your toes. But she discovers astonishing things. Her clues are always very helpful."
Dlugas summed it up by saying: "In the end we owe it to her that we have reached two play-off semi-finals."
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