The Netzhoppers KW-Bestensee have been in the volleyball league for years with a small budget. But while the league continues to become more professional, there are no more climbers. Are the requirements too high? Questions to Netzhoppers sports director Dirk Westphal and President Edmund Ahlers.
rbb|24: Dirk Westphal, you took on a new role at the Netzhoppers during the summer. New title: sports director. At the same time, they are still part of the team. How did this dual role come about?
Westphal: To be honest, I’ve been in this area of responsibility for a little longer. Actually, not much changes. Now we’ve made it a little more official. Since Mirko Culic left [Anm. d. Red.: Trainer von 2008 bis 2020] two years ago I help to coordinate sporting matters and contribute my experience.
Netzhoppers President Edmund Ahlers
How does this cooperation between you as managing director and Dirk Westphal as sports director look like?
Edmund Ahlers: It is very important for me to benefit from Dirk’s experience. He’s seen a lot of connections and a lot of clubs. This is a very important input for us to develop further. Of course, my hope is also that Dirk will be there, even if he no longer plays. In this respect, it is hopefully a transition to a second professional life.
A transition that ends in 2040 with Dirk Westphal as president of Netzhoppers? Or is that thinking too far?
Ahlers (laughs briefly): That’s thinking too far.
Westphal: I promised my family that it will be my farewell year and that I will then throw my volleyball shoes in the corner somewhere. Now, of course, it makes sense for me to continue on the path I’ve taken and on which I’m feeling more and more comfortable.
In the new season, only nine instead of ten teams will take part in the league. Frankfurt did not get a license. The junior volleyball players from VC Olympia Berlin play out of competition. Why are the second division clubs deciding against promotion?
Ahlers: In the end, a lot always depends on the finances. The jump from the 2nd to the 1st league involves quite a lot of money. We know that from our own experience. We have a tighter budget than other Bundesliga clubs, but the gap between the second division and our budget is again quite significant. A lot of people just shy away from it. And there is also more organizational effort: the preparation of halls, playing floors, advertising opportunities. The 2nd league is pretty relaxed in relation to the Bundesliga.
Westphal: Usually the jump in performance is enormous. If teams really decide to get into the 1st division, they have to change their entire squad. For me it only really makes sense if several teams get promoted together. In my opinion, the league is advertised for 12 teams. Then you also have a competitive substructure of the league. It would be a system with which one could try to get more teams into the Bundesliga in the long term.
How expensive is it for a first division club to keep the class permanently?
Ahlers: We have a pretty big margin in the Bundesliga. We are at the lower end and have a budget of 700,000 to 750,000 euros. But the big clubs like Berlin, who have of course done a great job in the last ten years, are certainly talking about triple or more.
Westphal: As far as I know, you need half a million to be able to play meaningfully in the Bundesliga.
“We have to turn children away almost every day because we don’t have a hall”
The volleyball Bundesliga club BR Volleys starts training for the new season. In an interview, manager Kaweh Niroomand talks about the sporting situation, the difficult marketing of the league and why Berlin needs a third large hall.more
Are the requirements of the volleyball league too high?
Ahlers: That’s partly the case. There is a master plan that defines these requirements and, in my view, is not fundamentally wrong. But for many it is difficult to fulfill it. We always have the topic Halle. We don’t have a hall suitable for the Bundesliga when it comes to the event character. There are too few places. When I look at the second division teams, they often play in school sports halls like this and don’t have a quick way to change that.
The league only has one special permit for the Landkost Arena Bettensee. You are looking for a new place to play. What is the current status there?
Ahlers: There are good discussions and also a concept. But it’s still too early to talk about it. I assume there will be news over the course of the year. But even if there are plans then, we talk about several years afterwards, until the thing is built.
How difficult or easy is it to get volleyball players from Germany or abroad excited about the KW-Bestensee location?
Westphal: I think Berlin as a metropolis helps. Especially when you sign players from North America. You can lure people in there and say that we’re actually on Berlin’s doorstep. We also notice that players are extending their contracts because they feel comfortable living in a more tranquil area, but still have plenty of leisure activities with a fast train connection.
Ahlers: We’re more the club that develops players. And when they get really good, they go to other clubs. Not everyone can play at BR Volleys from the start.
When a touch of Olympia comes to Germany
It was the hoped-for super event, with short distances and extreme proximity to the spectators. The European Championships showed what the Olympic Games sometimes miss. Jonas Schuetzeberg draws a conclusion for Berlin-Brandenburg.more
The league is currently developing mainly in terms of external presentation. The games will be streamed on Twitch, and a spectator event with all teams is planned before the start of the season. Do you notice a greater interest?
Ahlers: This format has already increased interest. That’s always the first question sponsors ask: How are you represented in the media? And these are no longer just the classic print media, but also social networks. A lot has happened there and I have high hopes for it.
Westphal: The stories behind the players in particular are told better and we are noticed more as athletes. Given the overall global economic situation, it is difficult to assess whether this can already be transferred to the club in monetary terms. But especially in the younger target group we win.
It will be the last season for you. What are your personal and team goals?
Westphal: Honestly – although it may not be that popular – personally I just want to have a good season and forget about the bad year in which I had a lot of problems with my shoulder. Just have fun and enjoy volleyball again and go on a farewell tour.
It speaks for itself that my personal goals are not also the team goals. The fewer teams there are in the lower ranks of the table, the more difficult it becomes to win games. That’s one of the things you could say looking back over the past year: we didn’t win much, but we were still better than the years before. Those were good results, but it just felt worse. Of course I want it to go as high as possible. We just try to play our best volleyball and see what the table spits out at the end.
Thank you for the interview.
The interview was conducted by Lynn Kraemer, rbb sport.
Broadcast: rbb24, August 22, 2022, 9:45 p.m
