Thanks to Wednesday’s focus on regeneration, our Storks went into two sessions on Thursday with fresh energy. That was necessary, as the thermometer already showed almost 90 degrees Fahrenheit (approx. 32 degrees Celsius) in the morning. Nevertheless, our boys gave it their all on the pitch during the morning session and didn’t give an inch, especially in the two-goal game. As usual, not only the entire KSV coaching and functional team were there, but also two Holstein fans, Jonas and Thorsti, who had traveled all the way from Kiel.
The season ticket holders are not only present at the home games of our Storks, but also at most of their away games – and have been since the days when the opponents were still called VfB Lübeck or FC St. Pauli II. They were present at the last two winter training camps in Oliva Nova, Spain, as well as at the last summer training camps in Seefeld and Ötz (both in Austria). But the trip to the USA is by far the furthest the duo has traveled to be part of our boys’ preparations for the coming season. “At some point, the idea came up to support Holstein at the training camp. It’s a great opportunity to get in touch with players and managers,” explains 29-year-old Thorsti. “We also rarely manage to go to public training sessions at home in Kiel due to our jobs,” adds his buddy Jonas, who is the same age and whose shirt with the slogan “We’ll follow you wherever you go” couldn’t be more fitting.
The two from Kiel arrived on Wednesday and are now in Minneapolis for a week. “Spain in winter and Austria in summer haven’t been the worst destinations so far. Of course, that’s even more true for the USA,” says Thorsti about the advantages of combining the love for the KSV with a vacation. So it’s no wonder that stopovers in Chicago and New York were also planned on the return trip to Kiel. But before that, in addition to sightseeing and a visit to a game of the Minnesota Twins baseball team, one or two training sessions for our boys and the test match against Minnesota United FC (MNUFC) next Monday at Allianz Field are also on the agenda for the KSV fans who love to travel.
However, neither of them were able to attend the afternoon session, as this took place in the weight room at the MNUFC facility. Led by athletics coaches Timm Sörensen, Lasse Bork and physiotherapist David Hallmann, our boys went through various stations in much cooler temperatures, focusing alternately on strength, balance and stability. Bork emphasized the importance of these units: “With today’s full-body unit, we wanted to counteract imbalances that can arise from playing soccer, among other things.”
The day ended on a sociable note when the squad came together for a team evening. The focus there was on the new additions, who had rehearsed various performances as part of a talent show to mark their debut. One or two of the performances caused a lot of laughter and it became clear that the boys had grown closer together over the past few days.
