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One big hockey family
Tradition is held in high regard by the Rheydter Spielverein. Proof of this is the fact that in 2009 its President, Bernd Gothe, will be celebrating a very special anniversary - 50 years in the same post, a record in the Westdeutscher Hockeyverband. And, before long, the hockey and tennis section of the RSV, founded in 1912, will be celebrating its centenary. So it seems only fitting that a few months ago the RSV was able to welcome its 500th member - Philip Gothe.
More than half the members of the RSV family are children. At the present time, the club has active youth teams in all age groups - 18 teams in the outdoor season and as many as 22 teams in the indoor season. The younger age-groups, especially, are enjoying a steady increase in membership and they are producing good results. But Norbert Zimmermanns, as head coach of RSV youth, is not concerned solely with results - he also wants the children to have fun and he encourages their sense of team spirit.
Whenever possible, the club’s many qualified youth coaches prepare young talents for the three adult teams. While the men’s 2nd team and the ladies play in the lower divisions, the men’s 1st team has been playing in either the Premier or the Second Division for ten years now, without a break. So far, the club’s most successful period was between 2000 and 2002 when the men’s 1st team played in the Premier Division, won the German Cup and was ranked third in the EuroHockey Cup-Winners Cup. Coached by André Schiefer, the team is currently preparing itself for promotion to the Premier Division in both the outdoor and the indoor season.
If they are successful, there will be a big party at the clubhouse near the hockey pitch. The members of the RSV family often enjoy meeting up to hold a celebration on their splendid grounds that boast four tennis courts and a boules alley. This also is a matter of tradition at Rheydter Spielverein.
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