17-year-old Mika Wallentowitz is suddenly in the spotlight and causing quite a stir. What the school administration and teachers are doing to support him. The 17-year-old was once again in the starting line-up for FC Schalke 04 in the second division match against Preußen Münster. He is normally one of the top performers in the U19 team, which has already qualified for the main round of the German championship in the DFB youth league.
How is this exciting situation affecting Mika Wallentowitz? How can the Berger Feld comprehensive school, where the talented player hopes to obtain his vocational baccalaureate diploma in a few months, provide support? And how do Schalke 04 and the comprehensive school, which is located within sight of the Veltins Arena, coordinate with each other?
Mario Sommerfeld, who has been principal of the DFB Elite School of Sports in Gelsenkirchen for a year and a half, explains: “We are a school for everyone, but we are also there to create the conditions that enable students to successfully balance their school education with professional sports. That is anchored in the DNA of the Berger Feld comprehensive school.“ Sebastian Husemeyer, SEK II soccer coordinator at GE Berger Feld, outlines: ”We are in contact with Mika Wallentowitz’s mother. The parents are naturally concerned about how Mika is coping with having been with the pros several times now. But basically, I see him as a very down-to-earth, reliable boy who is also grounded by his parents and sticks to agreements.“
Mika Wallentowitz remains down-to-earth despite his rapid rise
Husemeyer continues: ”Mika is just a cool guy with a strong character. Those are good prerequisites. I don’t get the impression that he’s losing his grip on reality. Mika Wallentowitz is expected to graduate from high school this summer. Then he can concentrate fully on soccer.”
At the moment, the young soccer player is on everyone’s lips. Mike Dierig, general coordinator of the Berger Feld comprehensive school: “Suddenly, Mika has to sign autographs here at school. Something has definitely changed. He already stands out with his curly hair and tattoos. But now his fame has increased even more.”
Dierig has been around long enough to realistically assess that periods of success are sometimes limited in time. “It’s also possible that Mika Wallentowitz will slip back into the second row. Everyone now expects great things from him when he plays in the U19s – and then he’ll be under pressure because he’s already made a name for himself,” says Dierig. Berger Feld Comprehensive School supports soccer players with double workload Kevin Kisyna, who works as a SEK 1 soccer coordinator at Berger Feld Comprehensive School, also tries to put himself in the players’ shoes: “Mika is currently caught between two stools. On the one hand, he is growing into his role, but on the other hand, he also has to live up to Schalke’s U19 coach Norbert Elgert.”
Headmaster Mario Sommerfeld points out that “the young athletes invest a lot.” Sommerfeld explains: “They have no free time and have to cope with the double burden.” What can Berger Feld Comprehensive School do about this? “We can give the young soccer players who are taught at our school a lot for the future, but they have to play on their own,” explains Mario Sommerfeld.
Schalke 04 and GE Berger Feld discuss the future of Mika Wallentowitz
The cooperation between Schalke 04 and GE Berger Feld has been going on for 25 years. Many processes have settled into a routine. Mike Dierig: “But as soon as a student enters the professional arena, it starts: That’s when the state of emergency begins.”
In a conversation with Schalke’s Youri Mulder (Director of Professional Football), Mario Grevelhörster (Administrative Director of Licensing), and Till Beckmann (Organizational Director of Knappenschmiede), Berger Feld Comprehensive School explored what the goals are for talented player Mika Wallentowitz and how to proceed. Mike Dierig explains: “We receive the professional training schedule from Schalke. Schalke receives Mika Wallentowitz’s timetable from us. As a school, we have to ensure that Mika gets the best possible grades. The pressure on the boy is enormous at the moment. The responsibility is huge for Schalke and for us.“ Sebastian Husemeyer sees ”a great deal of commitment and passion“ in the support given to young soccer players who juggle school and competitive sports. ”It worked really well in the past with the two students Assan Ouédraogo and Fabian Reese, who were able to take the next step at Schalke. Mertcan Ayhan first graduated from high school and then joined the Schalke pros,“ says Husemeyer, noting: ”At 17, Mika is similarly young, but this involves considerable extra effort and a balancing act, which will certainly lead to success in the end.”