In time for the start of the summer training, Rudi Sternkopf extended his contract with the ice hockey Bayern league club ESC Geretsried.
The 54-year-old coach is entering his second season with his home club.
Geretsried - When it comes to ice hockey in Geretsried, ESC Vice Peter Holdschik and trainer Rudi Sternkopf follow the same strategy. Last year, the 2nd chairman took the coach out of early retirement, who had been unemployed for a few years. The former ice hockey professionals, who both emerged from the offspring of TuS Geretsried, agreed that they want to focus more on their own offspring in the future. One would like to stick to this concept: Sternkopf (54) will also look after the River Rats in the coming Bayern League season, with whom he started the summer training almost a week ago.
"We are very happy that Rudi is back on the gang," emphasizes Holdschik. The past season started very successfully before it was canceled after eight match days due to the corona. Even in this relatively short period of time, he found “that the chemistry between the team and the coach is absolutely perfect.” As an ESC official, he said that the good cooperation and planning with Sternkopf was “unbelievably fun”. We are therefore very optimistic “that we will send a powerful team into the new season”.
During his active days, the coach was under contract in the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga and as a young national player at the 1986 U20 World Cup.
After the end of his professional career, Sternkopf worked successfully as a trainer at TSV Erding, TEV Miesbach, Deggendorfer SC and TSV Peißenberg before a break of several years followed.
Mr. Sternkopf, how was it back then when you switched from the ice to the gang?
The difference surprised me.
It is helpful if you have played high-quality ice hockey before, but as a coach you need completely different skills and qualities than as a player.
You have been the head coach of the ESC for a good year now. How did you experience the last season, which was canceled prematurely?
It was'nt easy.
We worked hard for three months in the summer, after which we had increased ice preparation in Bad Tölz and then started the points round well with eight games.
Unfortunately, Corona ruined everything for us ...
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Rudi Sternkopf, coach of the Geretsried ice hockey team
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What are your goals for the new season?
Firstly, I want to continue to build and integrate young, willing and talented young players into the senior squad.
In addition, play an attractive, aggressive, but also successful ice hockey.
And if we also reach the play-offs at the end of the preliminary round, that would be the best.
Keyword summer training: How do you prepare yourself and, above all, the team?
I am prepared and my plan is in place.
From the first appointment I know exactly what is next on a Wednesday in nine weeks, for example.
The units are then directed and controlled.
I only have to be flexible more often in rain or heat.
Strength, endurance, speed and coordination are the focal points, which are then implemented by the players in a hockey-specific method.
Several contract extensions have already been announced in the past few weeks. How satisfied are you with the composition of the team so far?
Very.
Peter Holdschik and I talk to each other and he then implements everything.
The squad won't change much from the previous season because there is quality and the team has character.
The ice rink was extensively renovated and got a roof again after around 15 years. How do you like your old and new home?
Very good, I just hope everything goes smoothly.
Ice sports have a long and firmly rooted tradition in Geretsried.
As a coach, how do you experience the fans of the River Rats?
The Geretsried ice hockey tradition, the new stadium and our great spectators absolutely deserved the team to compete in the top league again.
But we will only be able to do that in the long term if we rely on our own, well-trained young players.
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