Polzin explains: What HSV gem Stange can learn from Kobe Bryant | OneFootball

HSV coach Merlin Polzin enjoys the reputation of being an absolute sports nerd. Even outside of football, he is always on the lookout for new inspirations.

Merlin Polzin has made a name for himself at HSV not only as a promotion coach, but also as a meticulous and above all detail-obsessed worker. The Hamburg native regularly seeks learnings from other big names in the sports business. According to a Bild report, the life story of basketball legend Kobe Bryant has particularly influenced him. The former shooting guard tragically died in a helicopter crash in 2020.

Polzin bought the book "Mamba Mentality – My Path to Success" while he was an assistant coach in Osnabrück. "I immediately started reading in a café and was so excited that I said to myself: Okay, now I'm going to become a basketball player," the coach recalls, laughing. Since then, Bryant's philosophy has never left him.

Polzin devoured interviews and videos of the five-time NBA champion, taking countless notes. In 2022, a trip to the USA with HSV even took him to the Lakers' arena in Los Angeles, where he wandered around the hall alone, taking photos of the jerseys of the legends.

Only the Diamond – by HSV fans for HSV fans

Polzin appeals to HSV youngsters

The 34-year-old took away a lesson that ideally HSV youngster Otto Stange should internalize: "Kobe said, it's not just about winning, but about constant improvement. Otto must pester experienced colleagues like Davie Selke or Yussi Poulsen with questions in order to get better every day." He is particularly impressed by Bryant's obsession with detail. The urge to understand not only the "what", but also the "how".

Polzin has shown this passion for perfection several times in recent months. In April, he caused a stir with the purchase of a modern tactics board. The nearly one meter high "Tabula1" board from Denmark, a "new, super modern tactics board" was not a cheap purchase, but brings great joy to the coaching team. "An investment that pays off," Polzin explained at the time in a Mopo interview.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.