Banter and autographs
The children clearly knew their stuff, and put the USA international through his paces with their questions. There was a lot of talk about the 6-1 defeat in Bremen (which is clearly still fresh in the mind), and also about the last game of the season against Cottbus, who beat the Reds 5-1 before Christmas. “You have to live with a little derision after these kinds of games,” reckons ‘Dolo’ who was in good humour despite the defeat and promised to make amends on Saturday. By means of an apology for the slip-up last weekend Steven signed autographs for his little fans and left them with big smiles. The kids from the MHH’s bilingual kindergarten even got to practice their English with the Hannover player!

“Dolo” with plenty of appointments
While at the hospital Steven Cherundolo took the chance to go up a floor from the Kids Arena to visit a very ill child in the cardiology unit. The 96 player has been involved with the charity "Kinderherz Hannover e.V." for a long time having been a founder and currently a board member. Its aim is to aid research into faulty heart valves in growing children. It also places great importance on the surroundings children have when being treated in the MHH. To this end Cherundolo with be helping to redecorate some of the young patients’ rooms, “We want to renovate them so that it’s possible for the parents of sick children to stay here overnight without any problem, and stay close to their loved ones.” Three out of the planned ten rooms are already finished.

Family visit
Also along for the trip to the children’s clinic were Steve Cherundolo’s mother Ann and her husband Mike, visiting all the way from the United States. The Cherundolos are spending a week in the almost California-like weather in Hannover, and will be in the stands for the last game of the season against Cottbus. Ann Cherundolo watched the 6-1 thrashing in Bremen at home on television, and was getting pretty nervous, “After Steven got a yellow card early on I was praying he wouldn’t get another and be banned when we were visiting!” But after Steve managed to avoid another booking Ann and Mike, who is visiting Germany for the first time, are now really looking forwards to watching him live.
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