European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 11, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Tuesday. November 11, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 25 sex Patch wimp1 Mokes it big by Joseph Owen Stuttgart tartan Stuttgart Alexander sire Mcl graduated from Palch american High school last june Wilh classmates who thought he was a wimp because he shunned typical american sports. His teammates on his German nation Al Junior soccer team think otherwise. So does vib Stuttgart the local sports dub whose professional soccer team ii in Germany first division which signed the 18-year-old to a two year con tract so do the fans who Send him Doz ens of filers each week. He has made a very Good impression said coach Egon Coordes. Adding that so Erhmei s american upbringing has no bearing on Bis standing with the team. If he were an american or a rus Sian it would make no difference to me said Coordes. Soccer has made All the difference tothe wiry 6-foot, Blond right fullback however As he has tried to sort out his two identities Strehmel who evokes look alike comparisons to Tennis idol Boris Becker and soccer Star Karl Heinz Foerster in the German press was born in Munden in the North German state of lower Saxony. Except Tor two years in Early child Hood he always has lived id parents Are both German bom. His father. Army Sec. Uwe Strehmel has been a . Citizen since age 15 and a Soldier for 22 years. All four Strehmel children have attended department of defense dependent schools. Alex is fluent in German and English. Nevertheless his teammates notice he is different they poke fun at my american accent said Strehmel. Who has acquire the nickname his parents Call him a German name which Means fatty because be was a roly poly baby. He started walking when he was 3," said his Mother Brigit a he was 4 he got a soccer Ball and i did t see him Alex s Success has proven no less than expected by her father an Amateur player for Hamburg Concordia. It is no less than Alex s brother. Patch High senior Gregory has also demonstrated scoring the most goals during the past two years for his Bonlander club. Alex seems suited to playing a Gam which requires a continuous expenditure aka Strehmel shinned american sports. Struck it Rich with German pro soccer contract of Energy. Interviewed just after a practice which he said led him feeling dead he nonetheless fidgeted absently in an easy chair. Then he jumped up while talking pacing the living room to be More comfortable. Finally he ducked out to the Kitchen an returned with a bag of Mims. He devoured a Quarter Pound hamburger sharing some Wilh the family dog. Mrs. Strehmel recalls that coaches predicted a Bright future for Alex when hews Only 6. He started playing organized soccer with americans but had switched to a German team in his neighbourhood by the time vib recruited him for its Junior teams in 1980. He played Wilh the vib Junior teams All through nigh school despite his classmates ribbing. All those years kids said Why Don you play baseball they saw 1 was athletically built but they thought i was a wimp he said. By the summer of 1985, Strehmel had gleaned a contract offer from the 93-year-old Stuttgart team As Well As athletic scholarship offers from the United states. German soccer league rules allow each team Only two foreigners and vib Al ready has an icelander and a yugoslavian under contract. The German National team which uses professional players from All the league s clubs accepts no foreigners. Playing for either team required str Chmil to become a German men that was a hard decision 10 make go to College four years or change you citizenship take a risk and play professional soccer. But i think 1 made the right decision Strehmel said. It was not like changing underwear said his father. It was probably one of the most important decisions of his life. For me it was hard to take Strehmel has t quit school attends University of Maryland classes part time and Hopes for a degree in business administration. Once i Slop playing soccer i have Mohave something to fall Back on he said. "1 want to open up a store or something a sports since joining vib Strehmel one of the league s youngest players has alternated Between the Bench and the played a league game against a Kai scr Lautem team an exhibition game against Moscow torpedo and on the German Junior National team in its Gam against Yugoslavia All within a week in late october. He declined to discuss his salary. Strenuous game schedule and twice daily practices afford him Little time to use much of it anyway. His Mother put most of it into the Bank leaving him enough to operate his old opel Ascona and buy a few things for his personal use. Strehmel said americans have not matched the rest of the world in soccer proficiency because of their tendency to confine sports to seasons. Asked Why he is so attached to a game which drags him through mud rain and Snow for most of the year Strehmel paused thoughtfully. It s hard to say. I Don t know what 1like about it. It s just fascinating figuring out How Many things you can do Wilh the despite the steady income Strehmel said Money is not the primary motivator for himself or his teammates. If you Don t like playing soccer if you re just doing it for the Money you won t gel far he said. If you Don t have As the germans say the fuss Balchen soccer hear you can hang your shoes on the bias1 father criticizes firm for bum Job on finances Washington a the Fether of basketball Star Len Bias says the sports management firm that handled his son s financial affairs in the month before he died did a bum James Bias in an interview published in sunday s editions of the Washington Post also said advantage inter National inc. Did not follow through on a Promise that they would provide his son with an insurance policy. Len Bias died june 19 of cocaine intoxication. On april 7, the univer sity of Maryland athlete signed a con tract Wilh advantage m which the firm agreed to recommend and pro vide All of your insurance needs including life properly health disability and liability. ,., Len Bias did not own a life insurance policy when he died and his father contends that advantage avowed him to spend More than s 11.000 Dur ing the 2vt months before he was drifted by the Aba s Boston celtics. To generally not pleased with the Way they bandied leu s financial affairs James Bias told the Post they did a bum Job a. Lee Fentress the Confounder of advantage signed Len Bias to the contract. James Bias chums Feness made and not fulfil an Oral commit ment to limit his son s spending to around $350 per month and to pro vide him with life told the Post be acted properly every step of the he said he set up a monthly budget forbids and advised him to curb his excessive spending. Fentress said his company cannot be held responsible for Bias spending spree. Fentress said Bias was covered by aj1 million Accident and disability pol icy with an accidental death provi Sion. Sources told the Post that the policy slated that no benefits would be paid in the event of a self induced drug related death. N. Zealand romps to win in top challengers Battle Fremantle Australia a new zealand routed America u Fay 12 min utes 32 seconds monday to move into the Lead in the America s cup challenger trials. The Victory gave 25-year-old skipper Chris Dickson and new zealand a five mint Lead Over the new York yacht club s 12-meter boat skippered by John Kolius. New zealand is 19-1 in the first two rounds for 51 Points. America ii is now 18-2 Wilh 44 Points. American hopeful stars and stripes third in the 12-boat challenger Field from which the top four scorers will move into next month s semifinals beat Italy s Azzurra by 37 seconds. Stars and stripes skippered by Dennis Conner u now 17 3 with 41 Points. In the other races Canada ii Defeated Challenge France White crusader of great Britain walloped heart of Ameri Ca French kiss edged american entry Eagle and Usa trounced italia. Is prospective australian defenders also raced in the Light winds but there were no in came from 5 38 Down to defeat its Syndicate male Australia 111 by five seconds. In other defender races Kookaburra i Defeated wines Steak n kidney and Leader Kookaburra la beat South Australia. It was no contest Between new Zea land and America ii after giant wind shifts occurred on the third and fourth legs in a 24.3-mile .19-km triangular course in the Indian Ocean. America ii lost an Early s8-Iemd Lead and fell be Hind by 13 39 at one Point. The Light winds Between 3 and 10knots, were extremely shifty to played a key role in almost every race. The win shifts were up to 110 degrees. Stars and stripes avoided defeat on the final leg when it came from 42 seconds behind to beat Azzurra. The italian boat desperately attempted to fend off the attacking Conner on the final leg. Ats sport television mind to Jilm to Cle Tebid Brownt Denver fax
