The ice hockey Bayern league is paused, whether and how it will continue is in the stars.
Council trainer Rudi Sternkopf looks back on a mini season.
Geretsried
- Rudi Sternkopf has seen a lot in his ice hockey life.
The 54-year-old was trained by the TuS Geretsried and was nominated for the U20 national team due to his talent.
Later he was on the ice as a professional for the EHC Freiburg, the Schwenninger ERC, the ESV Kaufbeuren and the Heilbronner EC.
After the end of his career, Sternkopf worked successfully as a trainer, for example in Erding, Peißenberg and Deggendorf.
Born in Geretsrieder, he has been back at his home club since this season - where things have never been more turbulent than ever, as sports editor Thomas Wenzel found out.
Mr. Sternkopf, how are you?
Are you and your family healthy?
Yes, everything is fine here.
Nevertheless, the situation is of course difficult due to Corona.
I have just found out that a friend from his youth was in the hospital for four weeks because of a corona infection.
When you hear something like this, you can't understand why many people are still so careless.
It was also a turbulent year for you as an ice hockey coach.
After all, this is your first engagement here at ESC Geretsried in four years ...
Yes, the previous ice hockey year was not really nice.
It started with the fact that we had to start the summer training later.
Because of all the hygiene and distance regulations, we had to improvise a lot.
But that worked out pretty well.
When the ice training was supposed to start, the stadium was closed due to a defect ...
That's right, the repair of the broken ventilation set us back another week.
However, things got off to a good start for the River Rats in the Bayernliga?
Yes, our 5-1 win in Ulm at the start was extremely important for our self-confidence.
It was bad luck that we lost 4: 5 at home to Erding on Sunday.
But the other results of the ESC were impressive?
Absolutely.
This was followed by a 5: 4 victory in Schongau, at home we won against Amberg 9: 4 and Königsbrunn 7: 2.
But were you out of action in the meantime?
Yes, my back gave me problems.
The pain was so great that I could neither lead the training nor coach during the games.
But Kevin Olivo, former goalkeeper and most recently press spokesman for the ESC, represented you worthily?
Yes, he did very well.
After a week off, I was back on board.
I just had to really cure the back problems.
It didn't take long, however, then came the eighth and final game before the lockdown ...
That was a strange encounter.
In Pfaffenhofen there was thick fog over the ice, and after only ten minutes our goalkeeper Martin Morczinietz had to be injured from the ice.
We still caught up, so it went into overtime.
But then we lost 6-7.
How was the mood after the match?
Funny.
We were happy about the point we won.
At the same time, everyone was somehow sad because we knew that this would be the last ice hockey game for the time being.
In mid-November, the Bavarian Ice Sports Association canceled the Bavarian League season with the River Rats in fifth place.
Is it the right decision?
Naturally.
It doesn't make sense to continue playing with this mode - i.e. with promotion and relegation.
Especially since nobody knows if and when it will continue.
How do you assess the situation?
Difficult to say.
I suspect it will all boil down to a regional cup competition.
But of course this is not a real competition.
At the moment it is sad, especially for the next generation of ice hockey, that everything has come to a standstill.
And of course for my team too, because we had been preparing intensively for this season for three months.
How does it look: Are you in contact with your team?
Little.
I gave the guys training plans.
Whether or not they act according to this is their own responsibility.
And I can also understand if one or the other doesn't really pull it off.
It's just difficult to motivate yourself when there is no light to be seen at the end of the tunnel.
Also read:
End of the season: River Rats hang in the air