Monday July 10, 2000 11:09PM

Dear Boosters,

When I returned this summer from Hawaii I knew that I
will have to make a huge decision, a decision that is
going to influence my Iife as an athlete forever.

Am I going to stay in Austria or return for at least one
more season to play for the greatest fans? I want
everybody to understand that the primary reason for me to
even cross the ocean was the support, love and aloha that
is brought towards us players. I wanted to experience and
it will stay with me forever. This past season was the
most moving, influential and exciting one I have ever
played. I don’t have a shadow of doubt that playing in
the SSC will stay the highlight in my career as far as
these three traits mentioned above are concerned.

But I came to the conclusion that it is better for me not
to return. It is better simply because of the fact that
the huge personal differences between me and the coaching
staff and the, in my opinion, unsatisfying practices
would harm mine and the team’s development.

I have a great chance to play at home for a professional
team and for the country I love and cannot let his
chance slip away and return to team where the basis of
trust with the coaching staff is obviously shattered from
both sides. This kind of uncertainty is too much of a
risk to me.

I want to say thank you to everybody for the leis, the
potlucks, the picture taking, the wish of wanting to have
autographs which made me feel special and of course the
support in all the games even on the road.

I ask everbody to understand my decision and I wish you a
lot of fun supporting the 2001 Bows Volleyball team.

Mahalo and Aloha,

Stefan