Adler Mannheim, the ranking champion in the German ice hockey league (Deutsche Eishockey Liga or DEL), has adopted Riedel Communications’ award-winning Bolero wireless intercom and Bolero S managed communication service for its 2019/2020 season. Bolero and Bolero S enable clear three-way communications between the goalie coach in the stands, the video analyst in the locker room, and the assistant coach on the bench for every Adler Mannheim game.
“As a top team in the DEL, we aim to be the technological pioneer in European ice hockey and have a deep commitment to technical innovation. To give one example, we have been using live tagging for video analysis for many years,” said Youri Ziffzer, Team Manager, Adler Mannheim. “Riedel is the ideal partner to ensure absolutely reliable communication between our coaching staff and video analyst. The Bolero solutions give us maximum flexibility, especially for away games, freeing our staff from having to worry about acquiring radio frequencies.”
For each Adler Mannheim game, the team uses live tagging technologies to analyze game play in real time and distribute video recordings to the coaches’ tablet devices, enabling them to make informed tactical changes as the game progresses. The Bolero intercom enables the coaches to review and discuss relevant situations and make information immediately available to their colleagues on the sidelines.
“Ice hockey is the fastest team sport in the world. There’s no time for misunderstandings, and decisions have to be made extremely fast. That’s why crystal-clear audio quality is absolutely vital for our coach communications,” says Mike Pellegrims, Assistant Coach of Adler Mannheim. “With Bolero and Bolero S, we have absolute certainty that every detail and every instruction will be conveyed to our coaching team instantly and clearly.”
The home venue for Adler Mannheim and the Rhein-Neckar Löwen handball club is the SAP Arena in Mannheim, a multipurpose venue with a total capacity of 15,000 seats. In addition to ice hockey and handball, SAP Arena is used for many other sporting events and as a concert stage. Bolero is in use for more than 130 events a year, not only by coaching and event personnel but by SAP Arena facility technicians to facilitate efficient communication between different departments.
Niklas Rautenberg, Account Manager at Riedel Communications, added: “In the SAP Arena, the assistant coach on the bench is often surrounded by 13,600 emotional, roaring fans. Given the noise levels and RF reflections, a closed arena is a very challenging environment for wireless communication. With the previous intercom, the Mannheim team often struggled with feedback and miscommunication — but these problems are now a thing of the past with Bolero.”
“Bolero is the pinnacle of professional wireless communication. When it comes to audio quality, connectivity and user-friendliness, I cannot think of anything better,” said Volker Jürgens, Head of Facility Management, SAP Arena. “We had the system set up once according to our wishes, and from then on, it was really plug-and-play — just plug it in and off you go.”
