Berlin – Usually they stand around completely apathetic on the field and do not move one centimeter while the training exercises are going on. Yet, the new ones, the BSC just recently used in its training, who are outfitted with  shorts, football socks and a friendly smile on their lips, are the perfect imitation of a real life opposition player.

Fiedler: “Good for penalty box situations”
Hertha’s goalkeeping team are delighted: “ Especially during training for penalty box domination, the Air-Bodys are a permanent feature in our training. We position them within the whole penalty area and cross balls then to the middle.

The goalkeeper has to orient himself and if it is the case, walk around an Air-Body to catch the ball.” Says goalkeeping coach Enver Maric,  Christian Fiedler adds: “Due to the fact that the Air-Bodies look, in height and frame, like a normal human being, they are able to simulate the opaqueness of a penalty box situation very well.”
They possess this attribute thanks to their constitution. He is 1.90m tall and made out of very resilient plastic film which is mainly used in medical technology. Therefore he is resistant against hits from the elbow, kicks and approaching goalkeepers. Further more is more material used on the foot area of the Air-Body to withstand the studs of the players. This enables a long operating life expectancy without the normal expected defects and all this despite the Air-Body being filled up with air. The 12.5 km heavy cast iron base secures the Air-Body and it does not get swept away by the wind.

Fast build-up
Another advantage is the fast erection of the Air-Body before training. Within 20seconds  the dummy is affixed on the metal base and is ready for use. A fact which Nello di Martino, Herthas second goalkeeping coach, highlights: “They are very flexible to use. If we need an extra one at one time we are able to erect him within a few seconds.” That is also one of the reasons why head coach Karsten Heine is delighted by the Air-Bodys. Heine: “Besides,  the risk of injury is zero, of course as a coach one likes that fact.” Where and how
the Hertha coach uses the Air-Bodys within the training, he does not wish to give away. “ Many interesting exercises come in my mind”,  says the coach.
Heine has to like the fact, that the effort the players have to put in to run around the Air-Body is much greater than to run around the normal post. In the technique and tackle training this attribute is especially of  benefit.