Papa dennerlein will fix it
Was there a more ideal person to coach a women’s handball team than klaus dennerlein?? From a sporting point of view, the 53-year-old scored goals for SV michelfeld, later also working there as a player-coach. Familiar he brings along just as good prerequisites, as he says with a pinch of humor. "I’m used to it, because i’m surrounded by women at home: my wife, my mother, and my three daughters."
It wasn’t until this round that dennerlein decided to take charge of the marktstephan women’s handball team in the upper district league. It was a decision born out of necessity: originally, dennerlein only wanted to lead the units in the summer, where the aim is to gain fitness for the round. His two daughters anna-lena (21) and valentina (16) had persuaded him to do this. Nina, the oldest daughter at 27, had moved to rimpar before the round because she wanted to play in the top flight again after the relegation of the marktstefter girls from the landesliga.
Klaus dennerlein had planned his commitment solely for the endurance shift in summer. It came as it almost had to. "I had told the club: keep looking. One day, the department manager sebastian schneider came and said they hadn’t found anyone else. Whether i could imagine coaching the team," reports dennerlein. Now there were a lot of things to think about for the millennial who works independently in the car trade. "Actually, i don’t have any time at all. I am self-employed, have a large property outside – there is always something to do. I am a janitor, roofer, carpenter and more."
Only after he had obtained the house’s approval did dennerlein give his yes word. So far, his time management has worked out well, and the two training sessions during the week have worked out well. In sporting terms, he is satisfied with what he has achieved so far – second place in the upper district league – although he still sees a number of areas where his young team could improve. "We lack consistency over 60 minutes, we don’t meet our deadlines. If our backcourt doesn’t score like that, we’ll have problems against a compact defense."
So marktsteft has the best coverage in the upper district league, but only the eighth-best attack. "We have to do more. We always practice one-on-one, but it’s difficult because on tuesdays, of all days, players are always absent from training because of school or work. And i can’t pack everything into the friday session," dennerlein says from the closet.
The first few months with the team have awakened his ambition as a coach – you can tell when you listen to him. A change is taking place because five of the previous year’s high performers have to be replaced. It’s easier for the united collective in the lower division than in the national league, for example. And yet, klaus dennerlein is drawn back there, saying his team has the potential. Next season we can aim for promotion – with reinforcement and some talented young players. A third training session a week was probably just as necessary as he liked to have a co-trainer.
What is still possible in this round may not venture too far. Leader lohr should be hard to catch, estimates dennerlein. On sunday, the first challenge is to beat local rival TV groblangheim. "We’ll have to play them twice more, they’re not without their own kind," the trainer fears. Especially since his staff has been a bit of a worry lately.