Asiago Head Coach Ron Fogarty on the ups and downs and his special coaching style

“It's difficult to start with a thin squad and seven away games. We've let a few games slip away, but we're growing together as a group and looking forward to the rest of the season. It's a tough league and any team can win on any given night,” said Ron Fogarty, analyzing his team's difficult start to the season with seven away games in a row.

Nevertheless, it is remarkable that Asiago has won four of its five victories against absolute top teams. In addition to second-placed HCB Südtirol Alperia and defending champions EC Red Bull Salzburg, the Italians beat third-placed Moser Medical Graz99ers twice. When asked whether his team might be differently prepared and motivated against stronger opponents, Fogarty replies firmly: “No. our preparation is the same for every team. Perception of the strength of a team based on standings is a great misconception.”

The team from Veneto suffered a painful 2:10 defeat at EC iDM Wärempumpen VSV last Sunday. The 52-year-old has few regrets about the defeat, instead focusing on the team's learning processes and emphasizing how important it is to look ahead. With a wink, he quotes the fictional coach Ted Lasso: “As Ted Lasso said - we will have the memory of a gold fish. That’s one game of 48 and we will learn from it and move on. You can’t win a championship in November but you can learn and prepare for that run.” The goals for the season therefore remain clear: “We want to reach the playoffs and be better tomorrow than we are today.”

Fogarty's unconventional coaching style, which occasionally leads him to the fans in the Curva Sud during the game to celebrate with them, is remarkable. On his approach as a coach, he says: “I believe I do things organically and do not follow a perspective playbook of what a coach is supposed to be. Some people like it - some don’t. Let’s make the playoffs and see what happens in the Curva Sud then.” The support of the fans is particularly important to Fogarty and he sees his role as a coach in making decisions together as a team rather than alone: “I want the players and management t to have a say in our decision making. We all have ownership in our destiny, and more collaborating is better than a sole decision.”

In conclusion, Fogarty is grateful for the opportunity to coach in Asiago and emphasizes: “I appreciate the opportunity and am grateful to stand behind your Lions´ bench. The team and I want the city and the fans to be proud of Asiago hockey.”