"Living the dream"

Patrick Volz has already had a contract with the SG Flensburg-Handewitt for a good season. After a loan spell at Sønderjyske HH, the left wing really arrived at the northernmost Bundesliga club this summer. The 26-year-old talks about the advantages of his adopted home, comes out as a late starter in handball and reveals his varied hobbies.

Patrick, hello or hello already?
Patrick Volz: Hello, I always say hello. I've been up here for a year and a half now. Besides, only older people say hello.

Until this summer, you had been to the GP JOULE Arena several times as an opponent and spectator. What is it like to experience this atmosphere now as part of the SG? It's unique to in-run into this arena and feel how the North Stand and all the other fans are behind us. In short, this atmosphere is an experience.

Where is your favorite place in Flensburg outside of "Hölle Nord"?
Patrick Volz: First of all, my home. And with the dog, it's the walks by the sea, I spend a lot of time there.

What do you like to do in your free time? Apart from walking the dog...
Patrick Volz: I like to play golf and cook - and I've been playing the guitar for as long as I can remember. Mainly something that suits the mood or can be sung along to.

You come from Lake Constance. You play in the country where you were born, but now live almost exactly 1000 kilometers further north. You certainly don't get back to your home country that often, do you?
Patrick Volz: Outside of the summer break, I've been down twice - and that's since summer 2024. You need at least three days off in a row to make it worthwhile. It's definitely not going to happen this year. That's because my girlfriend's family is coming for Christmas. Luckily, friends and family come to visit us from time to time.

What is there in Constance that you miss in the north?
Patrick Volz: Spontaneously, I can think of two things. Firstly, I don't see my family and friends often enough. And then I miss being close to the mountains. Just one example: During my last vacation, I went on a day trip to the Alps with friends. That's not possible in the north.

How and when did you get into handball?
Patrick Volz: It was sometime in elementary school. I was always into sports, played soccer and went to handball with friends. Then I played both sports for a long time. My home club is SG Allensbach-Dettingen, by the way. I then switched to HSG Konstanz in the B-youth.

When did you start playing left wing?
Patrick Volz: I only really got into it with the men. There were signs of it during my first year in the A youth team. I also played center Back for a long time. But it wasn't enough for that. At 1.90, I'm actually tall enough, but I'm probably too slight. We wing players think that we would also be very good backcourt players, but the reality is probably different. Although: when we help out at the back in training, it works quite well.

20250921-IAJ16316 — Away game in Düsseldorf.

When did you first get the feeling that a professional career might be on the cards?
Patrick Volz: Late. Five years ago, I was still in the second team in Konstanz and was allowed to train with the first team. I was then allowed to help out in the Bundesliga 2 for six months. In Balingen, too, I was initially only a member of the second team. I studied and worked. I could well imagine going more in this direction and only playing handball as a hobby. It wasn't until the spring of 2023 - when I was almost 24 years old - that I decided to pursue handball.

What did you do for a living?
Patrick Volz: I studied economics at the University of Konstanz. I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in summer 2024. I did my internships at a start-up in e-commerce. I was involved in marketing, sales and business development. I played together with one of the founders of this company in Constance. I would have been very interested in continuing to help and shape this company. But then I decided to go into handball.

And then everything suddenly happened pretty quickly: in spring 2023, you were promoted to the DAIKIN HBL with Balingen, and the following fall you were in "Hölle Nord" for the first time. That was also when you got in touch with the SG. Can you still remember your thoughts when you found out about the SG's interest?
Patrick Volz: It was in the fall of 2023, the day after the guest game with Balingen in Flensburg, when I wanted to relax in the sauna. Suddenly, my advisor called. He really wanted to talk to me straight away. He told me about the SG's interest. After that, there was no sauna. I was positively excited. I spoke to Ljubomir Vranjes on the phone. Then I had to discuss everything with my girlfriend and my family. I didn't have to think twice about moving to such a big club. I soon flew up with my girlfriend. I first went for a medical check-up. Then we went for a walk around the Christmas market. We immediately felt at home. It was all a bit wintry. There was even snow chaos in the south. So we couldn't fly back to Munich and had to take the train from Frankfurt.

20250915-IAJ14080 — "Unique to in-run into this arena".

Did you immediately accept the idea of playing in Denmark for a year first?
Patrick Volz: It quickly became clear that we needed to bridge the gap for a year. August Pedersen still had a contract. It was interesting for me to take the international experience with me and to arrive abroad.

How would you sum up your time with Sønderjyske HH?
Patrick Volz: It was an exciting year that helped me progress. Denmark is a bit different, but I enjoyed the impressions. Everything is a bit more relaxed and easy-going. I got to know a lot of people. The level of the Danish league is not as high as the HBL, but it's still very appealing. We missed out on the playoffs, but finished third in the Final Four.

What you didn't mention was that you were named the best left wing in the Danish league. Have you been back to Sønderborg in the last few weeks? Your old team got off to a pretty good start...
Patrick Volz: I was last there for the cup game against Holstebro. I'm still in contact with one or two of the players. We've seen each other a lot in preparation - for test matches and several times for training together.

It was certainly practical that you already lived in Flensburg last season?
Patrick Volz: The start was a bit easier because you didn't have to worry about moving and you were home straight after your vacation. But I was still a newcomer who had to get to know 15 players and the staff.

One advantage in Denmark was certainly the short journeys. Or do you like traveling by bus and plane?
Patrick Volz: It was pleasant in Denmark. However, I also missed not being able to spend more time with the team. After the first few trips across Germany with the SG, I did ask myself what I missed. It does take a long time to get anywhere from Flensburg. But I don't want to complain: Traveling is part of the privilege of playing in the HBL.

What are your plans for this season?
Patrick Volz: First and foremost, I want to enjoy the dream of being able to play for this club and in front of this crowd. Throughout my career, the focus has been on further development. Getting better - and then we'll see where it leads.

20250908-IAJ39418 — Traveling is part of it.

Created by ki