Stroke, comeback, title?
A stroke of fate brings new lightness to foxes
2/8/2023 4:41 p.m
For the first time, the foxes Berlin start as front runners in the second half of the season. Coach Jaron Siewert can even enjoy such positive experiences after surviving a stroke. Nobody at Falkplatz wants to dream of the title yet. But the handball first division team is on the right track.
Four weeks between fear and hope have impressively shaped the world view of Foxes trainer Jaron Siewert. “First and foremost, of course, I’m happy to be able to stand on the sidelines, like I was in the years before. And to be able to live out the hobby again, which I do with the utmost enthusiasm,” said the 29-year-old. On August 11 last year he had a drastic experience: the young coach suffered a stroke while training. That changed a lot.
An operation followed and the uncertainty of how things would continue. During this difficult hiatus, manager Bob Hanning deputized for the head coach. “I thought about what is best for him and how I can help him in the best possible way. All decisions were influenced by this, from the choice of doctor to the situation that I would stand in for him until he was healthy again,” said Hanning.
The healing progressed faster than expected. On September 10th, the youngest coach in the Handball Bundesliga was back on the sidelines and led his team to the top of the table until the end of the first half of the season. Today he is completely recovered, he just has to take medication regularly. “I’m glad that I survived the heavy blow of fate without any real after-effects,” said Siewert.
Mental stress after stroke
The care of Hanning and Füchse board member Stefan Kretzschmar helped him, as he emphasizes. “Proof that not only success is important here, but also that interpersonal things are really important. It is of course a huge sign of trust,” said Siewert. A proof that has welded the club managers even more together.
Mentally, however, the stroke left its mark. This made him realize that it could be over quickly, said Siewert. That’s why he’s now trying to see things more calmly. “Of course, I get annoyed about defeats just as much as before. But I can tick them off more quickly, and since then I’ve been able to be happy about positive experiences and enjoy the moment better. The joy of success is a bit greater,” he reported.
That is certainly easier because the sporting success is there. For the first time, the Berliners went into the World Cup break as leaders in the Handball Bundesliga. “If someone had said six months ago that we were first with five minus points, we would have already signed it,” said Siewert. “Representative” Hanning gives Siewert an excellent reference: “I have absolute confidence in his work and in what he does. He really does an excellent job.”
The Füchse coach, who has three players from world champion Denmark in his squad, doesn’t want to use the word championship just yet. “If we’re in a position to play the championship before the last matchday, then I’m ready to talk about it – before that it would be a bit presumptuous. It’s just matchday after matchday. So much can happen and that’s everything so close together.” This also applied to Siewert last August and September.