Adolf Insam, the end of an era in the Renon household.
The words of Adolf Insam
In the South Tyrolean sports world, it had been the news of the day and for some media even the news of the week, when on May 16, 2015, the Rittner Buam announced the hiring of Adolf Insam as their new sports director. 2881 days and eight seasons later, the partnership crowned with numerous successes and culminating in an Alps Hockey League champions’ title, four Scudetti and three Super Cups ended. Insam contributed massively to shaping the second half of the most successful decade for the blue-roses, mainly through his personnel decisions, in which he showed a happy hand, with few exceptions, in the course of his work.
It is a farewell that has been prepared for a long time. “Already two years ago we sat down with Adolf Insam and planned his departure for the end of the 2022/23 season. I would have hoped that our sports director could say goodbye to us and our fans with a title. Unfortunately, he was no longer allowed to do so. Nevertheless, he will leave his mark among us,” says Roberto Rampoldi, president of the Rittner Buam SkyAlps.
Adolf Insam happily reviews his eight years on the plateau. “First and foremost, I have to thank for the good years here. And for this I am especially indebted to one person. Thomas Rottensteiner a little over eight years ago, during a federal assembly in Trento, when I was still coaching in Milan, had told me about his idea of introducing a sports director to the Rittner Buam. At that time this figure did not yet exist in Italian ice hockey. I was immediately enthusiastic about it and then I also landed at Renon. In the first four years we won seven titles, then we decided to incorporate more young people who had grown up in the Rittner Buam into the team. It certainly wasn’t a mistake, although we didn’t win as many titles as before. These boys in the meantime have grown exceptionally well and will still give much satisfaction to the club,” says the experienced Gardena native.
Even as a player and coach Adolf Insam had won numerous titles. As a coach he had won seven Scudetti: two with HC Bolzano (1997 and 2012) and five in a row with Milan (from 2002 to 2006). He had also won two Italian Cups (2004 and 2005) and three Super Cups (2001, 2002 and 2006) with the Lombard capital team. As a player Insam had won four championships with HC Gherdëina in 1969, 1976, 1980 and 1981. With the Italian national team, the Ladin hockey player had played 185 games and scored 62 goals. At the end of the 1984 Winter Olympics Adolf Insam had ended his playing career.
