From Masters Degree to Olympic coach

Philipp Bachl graduated from the Masters Programme in Sports Science - Performance Optimization with a Focus on Elite Sport, 60 credits, in 2020. Less than two years later, he has just returned from coaching the Austrian Cross Country ski team in the Beijing 2022 Olympics.

We took the opportunity to catch up with Philipp for a brief interview

How did it go for your team in the Olympics?

"We had a superb start with Teresa Stadlober taking a bronze medal in the 15k Skiathlon for the Austrian XC Team in general. The pressure was gone, and we already had reasons to celebrate. I'm responsible for the athletes behind Teresa, so for us it was still very important to perform our best and show that we had done our homework in the preparation period. Mika Vermeulen finished on a strong 16th place in the 30k Skiathlon so the "B-Team" also had a great start to the the Games.

For the Sprint we expected a bit more and did not make the finals. Both the Lisa Unterweger and Moser / Föttinger finished outside the top thirty which was our goal pre-race.

The individual start was okay-ish with Teresa finishing just outside the top ten and Lisa just outside the top thirty. Mika was not too satisfied with a 23rd rank in the end, but it was of course a solid performance from an U23 athlete.

The team sprint was the best race for my athletes, both the men and women made the finals. Moser / Föttinger finished 10th in the end which is a huge success for us. Stadlober / Unterweger finished sixth which is an all-time best for the Austrian Team in a team sprint event.

So overall, and also because our service team did a great job, I would consider the time in Beijing for my team as a great success and good step forward."

How did the Masters degree help you to prepare for your coaching career?

"In general, I would say a degree, especially a distance learning program, requires intrinsic motivation and the ability to build yourself a schedule and ultimately follow that schedule. I know this might not be the answer people are looking for to this question but this degree proves I'm capable of evaluating, planning, and executing a certain strategy – showing up, handing in work on time and stuff like that. It's quite simple but in my point of view this is what it takes, among numerous factors, to be a good coach – creating a plan, determining timelines and ultimately getting it done. Of course, the curriculum of the masters program was very balanced and well chosen."

Can you mention something that stands out in the education?

"Coming from Austria, and the Austrian educational system, I'm used to a more school-like university curriculum. My bachelor's degree felt more like high school with mandatory classes from Monday to Friday. Also, topics of seminar works, and projects were often pre-determined. This is what I loved about the Performance Optimization with a Focus on Elite Sport Masters program. I was more or less working independently with some very focused periods but also relaxed times. A very important thing I want to mention about the education is the freedom of choices one has for certain aspects of the program, like what topic or field of work you want to focus on in seminar work. For me, as an endurance coach, I always tried to work towards endurance related topics and could do so in most of the classes. All the lecturers we had were experts in their line of work and I always had the feeling they know what they are talking about."

Would you recommend others to apply to our Masters Programme, if so, why?

"Yes, for sure. I would do it again. It's perfect for someone who does not like to have the same schedule every week, for someone who is already working or to just practice writing and working in English. Also, Östersund is a great town to visit and spend time in. My wife and I are still considering moving to Östersund."