Best Practice Ambassador
SC Freiburg
A staff perspective on dual career, psychological safety and developing the person behind the player
Featuring: Philipp Himstedt, sports psychologist
At SC Freiburg, dual career is not treated as a secondary track beside football. It is part of the club’s wider belief that young players must be developed as people, not only as athletes.
Through the work of Philipp Himstedt, sports psychologist working with the U17, U19 and U23 teams, the club offers an important staff perspective on what dual career really means in elite football. As part of the EDU-DC project, SC Freiburg contributes as a Best Practice Ambassador, sharing its approach to education, personal development and psychological support within the academy environment.
What stands out in Freiburg’s model is that the club fully recognises the reality of academy football: many young players dream of becoming professionals, but only a small percentage will get there. That makes the responsibility of the club much broader than football alone.
“We have people here, not just footballers.”
For Freiburg, dual career begins with that simple but powerful idea.
The academy sees itself as a place where big dreams are encouraged, but also where young players must be protected from becoming defined only by those dreams. As Philipp explains, the club wants to help players go as far as possible in football, while also making sure they finish school, develop other interests and build an identity beyond athletic performance.
This approach is closely connected to the idea of psychological safety. When players know that football is not their only possible future, they often feel less pressure and more stability. In Freiburg’s view, that is not only healthy for life beyond sport — it can also help performance on the pitch.
The role of the sports psychology department is especially important in this process.
Philipp describes his work as being a kind of counterweight inside the football environment — someone who reminds players, and sometimes others around them, that they are more than their performance. This includes helping them balance school, football and personal life, but also asking broader questions: What matters to you? What interests you? Who are you beyond the game?
This support does not happen only through formal workshops. Freiburg also relies on everyday conversations, informal contact and a daily culture where people inside the academy genuinely care about the player as a whole person.
“Our main task is to strengthen identity beyond football performance.”
Another strength of the Freiburg model is that dual career is not isolated in one department.
It is embedded in the club’s multi-disciplinary structure and in the wider mindset of the academy. Staff meet regularly to discuss player development, and those conversations go far beyond football metrics. School, family situation, personal interests and wellbeing are all part of the picture.
Just as importantly, this philosophy is reflected in staffing decisions. Freiburg places strong value on selecting coaches and staff members who truly care about long-term player development. In Philipp’s view, no programme can work if the people interacting with players every day do not genuinely believe in it.
That daily culture is one of the reasons why Freiburg is so often seen as a strong example in this area.
The club has worked closely with schools and educational partners for many years, and dual career is part of everyday academy life. Education is clearly valued, and players know that school is not optional or secondary. At the same time, support is individualised, with tutoring and tailored solutions when needed.
What makes the approach particularly convincing is that it does not depend on one single initiative or one isolated project. It is part of the club’s values, its management approach and its long-standing way of working.
“If players have other interests and other perspectives, it can free them from the pressure of football.”
Philipp also points to a practical effect that many in football still underestimate: having something beyond football can improve performance.
Whether it is school, languages, photography, music or simply a broader sense of self, these other areas can help players take a step back from the constant pressure of elite sport. That distance gives them energy, freshness and balance when they return to the pitch.
For the EDU-DC project, SC Freiburg offers a valuable best practice example from the staff perspective. It shows that dual career is not only about combining football and education on paper, but about building an environment where young athletes feel supported, challenged and safe enough to grow in more than one direction.
That is what makes the Freiburg approach not only effective, but deeply human.