This record is particularly impressive when you see where the club was a few years ago. Although there is a basketball tradition in the Bergisch Gladbach district of Bensberg, in the 1990s the club managed to take fourth place in the Bundesliga under the name TV Bensberg. But in the past 15 years, the club has languished in the second Bundesliga and regional league.
Almost relegated to the regional league in 2018
In 2018, relegation to the regional league could only just be avoided. That’s when today’s manager, Martin Spicker, decided to bring the club up. Spicker used to be a basketball coach himself, but now runs his own company that supports companies with events and travel planning. The road to success in sport began with him as the main sponsor and professional structures.
Around 400,000 to 500,000 euros are needed to field a top team in the women’s Bundesliga. At the moment, Martin Spicker is still supporting a large part of the budget as a patron, but his goal is to be able to reduce this in the near future.
In terms of sport, the responsibility lies on the shoulders of coach Mario Zurkowski. The 34-year-old is only “part-time basketball crazy”. The head coach works full-time as a sales manager for a software logistics company. Only after the end of the day does his full concentration focus on basketball. The day usually lasts from nine in the morning until late in the evening. Time management is everything – and an extremely understanding life partner.
Experience as the secret of success
Because nobody gets rich in the women’s basketball Bundesliga. In terms of sport, the Lions rely above all on experience. Almost all key players are over 30 years old: Romy Bär 34, Birte Thimm 35 and Lisa Koop 36.
All three wore the national jersey for many years, but are now in the autumn of their sporting careers. “Many of us have often been in tight game situations and know the feeling of keeping our nerve when it really matters. That often tipped the scales in our favor.”Romy Bär analyzes one of the great strengths of her team.
diseases and injuries
The Rhineland stood almost the entire season Lions at the top of the table, even though the season was not without problems. With the American Pele Gianotti and the Croatian Andela Maric early in the season, two top performers who were actually scheduled to play fell out for the rest of the season after serious injuries. At the beginning of March, the entire team, with the exception of Lisa Koop, fell ill with Corona.
I had to improvise again and again. Nevertheless, remaining successful is one of the great strengths of the Rhineland Lions. “The cohesion, the willingness to subordinate everything to the success of the team are extremely pronounced in my team“, judges Mario Zurkowski.
Special title motivation
Only power forward Romy Bär was already German champion with her former club from Saarlouis, everyone else in the squad is still waiting for the first league title of their career. Currently in the playoffs the top performers are particularly challenged. And so, despite her almost 35 years, Bär is on the floor for well over 30 minutes in every game. Her assist rate is particularly impressive. Although mainly active directly under the basket, the ex-national player gives just as many successful passes as a first-class point guard.
The Americans provide the most points Taylor Wurtz-Purifoy and Briana Rollerson. The game of the climber is controlled by the French Joyce Coussein-Smith. All in all, this results in a collective that dominated the league in the main round.
Premiere title
There were two wins in two games against final opponent Freiburg, the second-placed team in the main round. In the upcoming final series, however, regeneration could also be a decisive factor. The closely timed mode brings a maximum of five games within ten days Best of five series. The new German women’s basketball champion will be crowned on May 1st at the latest.
One thing is already clear, it will be a premiere title. Because neither Freiburg nor the Rhineland Lions were ever German champions. But a climber as a title holder, that would have an almost historical dimension.