Klindera has traveled great lengths to continue playing football and told us what it's like to be a professional athlete in the German Football League (GFL) just outside Munich, Germany.
How did you go about looking into playing professional football and what lead you to Munich?
I found this opportunity through a few friends who led me to a website called www.europlayers.com. The website puts players in touch with European coaches and teams from many different levels [overseas]. The levels of play go from division 1 until 6 and then to “Super Leagues” which are the highest levels in Europe. You find that the levels are really dictated by the American [more than] the local talent.
When will you know if/when you make the team? How are tryouts structured?
As an American, you are considered an "import" here. Once you sign with a team, you are on the team. The tryout part is just hoping to find a team that is looking for a player like me. Every team has different needs and with thousands of players to choose from it’s a pretty tight selection process. Like I said before, our head coach scouts players for a living so they knew what I was capable of and I am lucky that it fit their needs.
What GFL team are you on?
I play for the Fursty Razorbacks [see www.fursty-razorbacks.de]. The town, Fürstenfeldbruck, was given the nickname “Fursty” by American soldiers during World War 2 that struggled pronouncing the name over the radio. The history in the town is remarkable, and is home to a large German airbase that is not active any more but saw a lot of action during the War. The Razorbacks have been around since 1985 and were some of the first western Germans to cross over the eastern border in the ‘80’s when they played an exhibition game in the Soviet occupied zone outside of Berlin.
We're basically playing for a Southern German (Bavarian) Championship. We play in a six team conference based in Bavaria. The teams are called the München Rangers, Regansburg Phoenix, Straubing Spiders, Feldkirchen Lions and, our big rival, the Ingolstadt Dukes. The Razorbacks finished 9-1 last year and won the Conference title. This year we will look to repeat and move into the GFL 2. The conferences are set up like soccer leagues, so you play every team twice with the tie breaker being the amount of points scored during the games. [At] the end of the season [the best four teams have a] playoff to determine who will move up to the next level / league. [Even though they won the playoff last season] the Razorbacks decided not to move up so they could continue to build the program. We played and beat the best team from the GFL 2 this weekend [which why the Razorbacks are considered] one of the best teams in Germany.
Chagrin Falls, OH and Geneva, NY are considered small towns - how are you adjusting to living in a large, not to mention European, city?
Munich is a huge city, and I believe the 3rd largest in Germany, but when you’re downtown it feels very small. It’s a slower pace down here than in Berlin and the other German cities. As the people here like to remind me, "When you're in Munich you’re not in Germany, you’re in Bavaria." Furstenfeldbruck, which is 20 minutes outside of Munich, is a city of about 30,000 and feels very similar to Geneva and Chagrin. Bavarian people are very nice and welcoming so I haven't experienced a huge amount of culture shock. Being at Hobart definitely helped me feel more comfortable with international cultures.
How is pro/German FB different from DIII? What are the similarities?
First I would say that a football team is a football team no matter where you are. [Second] the locker room and practice fields have all the same humor, just in a different language sometimes. Playing at Hobart and in the Liberty League definitely prepared me well for this [level of football], the coaching [at Hobart] more so than anything else. The nice thing [about my new team] is we play a very similar defense to what we ran at Hobart so that’s been a nice, easy transition. The coaching staff here is by far one of the best in Germany. Our head coach, Larry Dixon, has coached all over Division I including being on Lou Holtz's staff’s at Arkansas and Notre Dame. He [also] coached with the Dallas Cowboys during the 80's and 90's and currently serves as an NFL scout. Working with him has been a great learning experience [for me] and he has been very complimentary of the Hobart staff and how they prepared me [to play pro football].
What other kinds of schools / players have come over to Munich to play in the GFL?
Currently I am here with one other American. He is from California University in PA which is a powerhouse Division II school. He had interest from teams in [the CFL], the arena league and was also invited to a pro day workout for the NFL. We played a team this past weekend that had players from North Carolina, UMass-Amherst, and Wake Forest, so the talent level for the American players here is very high. In the past the Fursty Razorbacks have had players from all over the US, even [sending] one to the University of Arizona who is now a future NFL prospect.
How did playing at a top DIII program like Hobart prepare you for football at this next level?
Again, playing at Hobart was a great thing. The coaching and intensity of our program has made this a very smooth transition, and the football knowledge that Coach Cragg and the rest of the staff taught me is amazing. We hold ourselves to a very high standard at Hobart which is why we have been so successful.
What do you hope to take away from this amazing experience (other than another / more football championships)?
For me this is really more about spreading the game and having [a great life] experience in another country. The youth programs in “Fursty” are a huge focus, and I have the opportunity to work with players from the age of 9 through 19. After the age of 19, the senior level or pro level starts [here in Germany]. Our youth programs have won numerous national championships and are well represented on the respective German national teams. I have only been here for a little over three weeks and I've really been immersed in the local culture. I think this is unique [especially when compared] to the traditional study abroad program because I'm really getting to see what day to day life is like in Germany, while forming actual relationships with the people who live here. The football piece is a huge bonus and obviously has been my ticket to the experience. Football in the States is a life changer for many people and I would love to be a start to developing that type of culture here in Germany.
I'd like to thank Andrew for taking the time to tell us about the great experience he's having playing pro football overseas. Until next time, stay "Fursty" my friends.
Go 'Bart (and Go 'Backs)!!
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