Hockey player Patricia Strunk goes to America on a scholarship

Patricia Strunk has been drawn to America since the news. The 19-year-old Düsseldorfer HC hockey player flies to Ohio in August to play at Kent State University. But she left DHC and won a second consecutive championship with the women’s team in her second year along with three other Newers, Annika Spring, Louisa Stainder and Lily Otten.

“Applying for a sports scholarship was really a spontaneous idea. I did an online test to see if the scholarship was real,” says Patricia Strunk, who then contacted the universities with the help of an agency. When choosing a university, it was important to Strung that Ohio also offered computer science. “I wanted to continue my studies there. It was very appropriate to finish. But the conversation with the coaches also gave me a good feeling,” says the 19-year-old. However, the midfielder won’t have much time to settle. Two days after the scheduled visit, preparation begins with a medical and race test. She will have to use a tight schedule in the future. , training six days a week is scheduled with games at Kent State University. But that’s no problem for the ambitious Patricia Strong. “Everything comes to me first.” Allow me,” she said.

In America, the German champion had to adapt to a different game from the one she was used to from Germany. “In the United States, hockey doesn’t start until high school, so there’s less emphasis on technique than in Germany, but it’s more physical,” says Strunk. In addition to this, the university has more important goals. “We play in Division 1, the top flight, and we want to qualify for the national championships in pre-season,” he said. A lot of things are going to change for Patricia Strong, not just in terms of acting. In order to get used to the new country as soon as possible, he decided not to live on campus, but in a shared apartment outside the college campus, where he lives with several other players. His expectations are high after having had good experiences in the preliminary talks. “Everyone has been so kind and helpful, and my coaches are my contact there,” says Patricia Strunk.

DHC will likely have to go without the midfielder for four years. “I can very well imagine staying in the United States until I get my bachelor’s degree,” says the computer science student. After a year, he wanted to decide if he should continue his journey in America.