Sportklinik-expertise on the international stage
Dr. Tobias Schmenn is the team doctor for the DFB women's national team.
Photo: Yuliia Perekopaiko/DFB
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When the German women's national team takes to the pitch, he has a special responsibility in the background: Dr. Tobias Schmenn. Since 2021, the specialist in orthopedics and trauma surgery and Medical Operations Coordinator at the Sportklinik Hellersen has been accompanying the team as team doctor – bringing sports medicine expertise from Lüdenscheid to the big soccer stage.
However, the journey to this point began many years earlier: Dr. Tobias Schmenn has always had a close connection to sport. He had been looking after the DFB juniors since 2017 before temporarily supporting the medical team of the women's national team from 2019 and officially succeeding Dr. Bernd Lasarzewski, long-time team doctor of the DFB women's team and chief physician at the Sportklinik Hellersen, in 2021. “Working for the DFB is enriching for me both professionally and personally. It's a great experience to work with a national team. The close cooperation with the players, the coaching team, and the medical staff creates a strong sense of togetherness. Cheering on the team during games and tournaments, working together for sporting success – these are special moments that bring us together,” explains the Sportklinik-doctor.
Shortly after taking up his post, the first major tournament was already on the horizon: the 2022 European Championship in England. This was followed by the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand and, most recently, the 2025 European Championship in Switzerland. “A tournament like this is always a very special experience for us as a medical team,” reports Dr. Tobias Schmenn. “The responsibility is great – not only for the players themselves, but also for the entire team and their clubs. Health always comes first.”
“The responsibility is great – not only for the players themselves, but also for the entire team and their clubs. Health always comes first.”
Dr. Tobias Schmenn
Team doctor for the DFB women's national team.
Photo: Yuliia Perekopaiko/DFB
Between prevention and acute care
The work of a team doctor begins long before kick-off. Even before an international match or tournament, extensive examinations are required: initial consultations, medical and physiotherapy checks, and close coordination with club doctors to ensure that the health status of each player is accurately known. During the game, the focus is on providing immediate care for injuries. But even during the tournament itself, daily checks are essential to identify problems early on and treat injuries as quickly as possible.
“Minor strain reactions can quickly lead to serious injuries if they are not addressed in time,” explains Dr. Tobias Schmenn. “If a minor injury is not taken seriously, it can quickly develop into a serious one – with a correspondingly longer recovery time. Our job is to minimize such risks in order to provide the players with optimal support. Only those who are healthy can perform at their best in sports.”
Close cooperation within the team
Cooperation with his colleagues on the support staff is particularly important to him. “Daily coordination with physiotherapists, athletic trainers, and the coaching team is crucial. Everyone plays their part in ensuring that the players are as well prepared and cared for as possible. This cooperation creates a strong sense of togetherness – and you can feel that in the team spirit.”
“If a minor injury is not taken seriously, it can quickly develop into a serious one – with a correspondingly longer recovery time.”
Dr. Tobias Schmenn
Team doctor for the DFB women's national team.
Pride for the Sportklinik Hellersen
The fact that Dr. Tobias Schmenn represents the Sportklinik Hellersen on the international soccer stage underscores the clinic's high level of sports medicine expertise and medical know-how. At the same time, his experience from the European Championships and World Cup also benefits his daily work in Lüdenscheid – a win for top athletes as well as for patients.
