A veteran of volleyball says Servus

A veteran of the Unterhachinger volleyball says Servus with Roy Friedrich - A conversation.

Unterhaching - Even if he was not born in Upper Bavaria, but in Chemnitz, which was still called Karl-Marx-Stadt at the time, in 1988: Roy Friedrich can now confidently be called the Hachinger volleyball veteran: after his first years in the Bundesliga with the VCO Berlin, at the Netzhoppers Königs Wusterhausen and at VC Leipzig, the middle blocker and former junior international played for Generali Haching between 2009 and 2013 and won the DVV Cup three times with the team. Four years followed at TSV Herrsching before returning to the Alpenvolleys Haching II in 2017, leading the team as a captain through the 2nd division. Now, at the age of 32, the father of two daughters who were not yet at school is ending his career, to the regret of his former professional coach and today's Alpine volleyball sports director Mihai Paduretu: “I have always valued Roy's loyalty and helpfulness. He went through thick and thin with us, won the trophy three times, but was also part of the team that lost the final against Berlin (in 2012, the Hachinger missed the title in a dramatic fifth final - red.). He and his family will definitely continue to be very close to TSV Unterhaching. ”Friedrich's status for Hachings volleyball players is also evident in this announcement by Paduretus:“ We will organize a farewell game for him as soon as the situation normalizes. ”We spoke to Roy Friedrich.

Why do you stop?

It had been certain for a long time. I had thought about it after the season before, but Mihai said at the time that he was still counting on me. Because the season was now canceled, it was of course a bit hasty. The reason is that because of work and family, I can only train twice a week. And I noticed that the level of performance no longer goes up, but goes down bit by bit, so I prefer to leave in good time before I leave.

Isn't it a little unsatisfactory to break up after a broken season?

Friedrich: It's actually the first season in my career that I haven't finished. So far, I've been able to end every season because I was always injury free. The fact that we went uphill again at the end and we gathered ourselves together makes it a shame, also for the other players and the team as a whole. We would also have had five nice games ahead of us, for example away in Grafing.

What is your conclusion of this unfinished season?

Overall it was a good season. But I have never had a season in my career where I would have said: it was a lost year. You can take all experiences with you. I told the boys that when it didn't work out.

Are you alluding to the intermittent failure with five losses in seven games?

From December to the beginning of February we just played sch, especially away. Mihai told us so clearly, even though he didn't put any pressure on it. That was also due to the fact that we had a young team. As captain, it was a challenge for me to lead the many young players. There were also a few communication problems. There were only three people who don't speak German and they understand it too. But we still spoke mostly English. And in English you can't get some things across like in German. I am also not as gifted with languages. But that made me develop accordingly.

When you look back on your career, what were the highlights?

Clearly the three cup wins with haching. We've been to the cup final four times in the four years I've been with Generali Haching. The games in the Champions League were also real highlights, against super clubs, but also against top people like Lloy Ball and Ivan Zaytsev, players you only knew from television. That was cool, especially because I was allowed to play in a few games.

Your father was a discus thrower, your mother a shot putter: How did you get into volleyball?

That came about through my sports teacher at middle school. His son played at the Chemnitz sports club. Physically, I was always two years ahead and fully grown at 16. I was asked, tried it and successes came little by little and it was also fun. Before that, I had tried a lot: athletics, soccer, basketball.

how is your life in the corona crisis organized right now?

We are all healthy. The children were with the in-laws for a few weeks so that my wife and I could work. We take them back home at Easter. Luckily, emergency care for the two worked because my wife is a physiotherapist, so she works in the medical field. I work for a company for electrical and security technology, for example, I maintain fire alarm systems. Home office is of course not an issue either.

Do you stay true to volleyball, for example as a youth coach?

I certainly won't become a youth coach, I don't have the patience for that. And it is also a lot of time. But I'm sure I'll stay with Haching. Since the end of the season because of the Corona crisis, I have only called Mihai twice. We're going to have a season-end interview and I'll ask him if I can still train once a week. I don't do regional league or Bayern league anymore. In Haching I will surely be seen at one or the other game, because I know so many people from the other teams that you usually don't see and then you can meet.

The conversation was going on
Umberto Savignano.