Miriam Kohlhaas in Interview with Niklas Römer

When 60 men of a football squad enter the stadium, you can immediately recognize the wide receivers - they stand out with their stylish appearance. The pink shoes match the neon-colored gloves or the unique towel attached to the pants. But why is that? And what else defines a receiver? Who could better answer all my questions, I thought, than the currently most successful German wide receiver? And so the idea was born to start a series with the best German football players after my blog posts "Ein Hoch auf die dicken Jungs" and "Bleib hungrig, Mr. Brady". After all, we can all learn incredibly much from them.

WHEN YOU HAVE A GOAL YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE, ROLE MODELS WHO ARE EXACTLY WHERE YOU WANT TO BE - THEN YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON THEIR PATH TO GET THERE! #WHY NOT SIMPLY ASK THE BEST?

Niklas Römer, 28 years old, wide receiver for the New Yorker Lions from Braunschweig. He got into American football at the age of 15 in Neuss, after being part of a sports-oriented family and playing soccer and basketball among others. Only 13 years later, his list of titles reads as follows: 2010 European champion, 2011 MVP of the World Championship games Germany vs. Australia and Germany vs. France, 2013 German champion, 2014 German champion, 2014 European champion, 2015 German champion, 2015 Eurobowl winner, 2016 Eurobowl winner, 2016 MVP Eurobowl, 2016 German champion. Niklas Römer is one of the most successful German football players. This resume speaks for itself, but now let's hear from him directly...

Why do receivers always look particularly stylish?

A receiver always stands out. They are the ones making spectacular catches, which are often captured in many photos. Look good - feel good - play good. When I feel good in my outfit, I also step onto the field with much more confidence.

Is your mental preparation for league games the same as for the really "big" games?

About a week before the big games, I often sense that it's about to start and sometimes have trouble sleeping well at night. On the same day, I consciously try to get into that mode or that certain state, listen to music, watch videos of good receivers. Before big games, I prefer to listen to film music. My best games have always been finals so far. I honestly prepare differently for them. Everything is much more organized and official on the same day compared to normal league games. As a team, we travel together by bus to the stadium, I listen to my music on the way, everyone is highly concentrated. During this time, I consciously visualize my plays, go through my routes in my head. I consciously take in all perspectives from each side of the stadium and imagine them in my head. I mentally prepare for how I will catch and think to myself - that's exactly how it's going to happen. I isolate myself, avoid any side conversations, and try to focus. I discovered visualization on the way to the NRW selection in 2007 and quickly noticed an improvement in my game behavior compared to the days when I didn't do it. That's why I stuck with it and continued to train. My way of visualizing has evolved over time. My best games were the 2010 EM final, the 2014 EM final, and all German Bowls. I always had 80-150 yards per game in those.

What has been your goal in recent years that you have strived for?

In 2009, I set a goal to become the best German player in my position. Since then, I work every day towards my goal. Statistically, I have achieved that today - but still, I wouldn't say "I am the best", but one of the best. However, I measure it by whether I am a regular in the national team and can deliver the best performance there. My personal goal for the upcoming season is to consider every game in my head as a final or big game. So, I try to mentally prepare even for the smallest league game as if it were the German Bowl or another final. I try to visualize it the night before and am very curious about what that can bring me. Even without ever explicitly dealing with sports psychology, I have always tried to mentally develop myself over the years. So I have tried various things and observed my reaction to them. If it helped me progress, I implemented it, otherwise, I discarded it. If I imagine that someone had shortened this path for me through sports psychological counseling at the beginning of my career, what else would have been possible? And lastly - I want to become European champion again. Then I would be European champion three times in a row. The only title missing for me, which is interesting, is World Game Champion.

How would you describe yourself?

I am extremely ambitious and determined. I hate losing and turn everything into a competition. Whether I play Wii with my little brother or go bowling with friends in the evening - I want to win and always give 100 percent. At some point, I came across a Rubik's Cube and memorized the solutions until I could solve it.

I always want to give my best!

I would describe my journey here as follows: I had a goal and started to walk the path towards it. I tried various things. Some were good, others didn't work. If this was the case, I didn't start over from the beginning but simply continued from that point. If someone had already dealt with these paths through sports psychology at the age of 17 or earlier, their own potential would naturally be much higher.

How do you react to mistakes?

When I miss a catch, I try to briefly question what went wrong, actively correct the mistake, smile, and run back to the huddle. Most missed catches happen due to lack of concentration. Sometimes I see the ball flying towards me and in that moment, I think I must not drop it - and in those moments, that's exactly what happens.

Have you ever reached a state of flow?

Last year, I managed to enter a state of flow during most catches and touchdowns. Then I can't even remember what just happened. My mind was empty, my body automated. I will look more closely at this state in the upcoming season and actively utilize it. You can find the full interview here:http://www.die-sportpsychologen.de/2017/04/12/niklas-roemer-look-good-feel-good-play-good/ Learn more about our speaker from the German Speaker Lexicon at:https://www.deutsches-rednerlexikon.de/redner/miriam-kohlhaas.html