The handball clubs are actually preparing for the future these weeks. But the outbreak of the corona pandemic has ended all business games. How do the clubs deal with the situation? We asked around.
Spring in handball - March, April, May - is an exciting time in the life of Peter Seemann and his colleagues. They negotiate, plan, haggle, present, persuade, convince. Metaphorically speaking: They are looking for the right actors to implement their new script. It has the working title "Landesliga-Aufstieg". There is no specific publication date. 2022 was planned. But now Peter Seemann, chairman of the HSG Isar-Loisach, unwittingly announces: "For now, everything has been put on hold."
Discussions with new players, some even from distant regions, pause. You will only be able to exchange with patrons - if at all - in a few weeks. Many small and medium-sized companies support handball players. Before you think about sponsorship, it's about your survival. In a nutshell, this means: "Handball has moved back on the list of priorities," says Seemann.
HSG boss Seemann: "Don't expect any solution in the near future."
Peter Seemann, Chairman of the HSG Isar-Loisach
In the case of the HSG boss, this applies in a special way. As head of human resources management at Munich Re, he is constantly concerned with the corona pandemic and its effects on the economy. He also follows the association's decisions and broadcasts. The Bavarian Handball Association (BHV) wrote a letter to its clubs last week. It breathes confidence, it recognizes the solidarity of the scene and it reports on a task force that the BHV has set up. What an eloquent term. Ultimately, it should only convey that the officials take all eventualities into account. There will be no quick shots. Patience, patience - this is the central message that has reached all clubs. Seemann translates the communiqué for the district teams. "I don't expect any solution in the near future." The HSG is preparing for a longer phase of uncertainty, in which planning is meaningless.
Almost no one believes in a continuation among handball players. Until the worst phase of the pandemic is over, until the game plans are in place, until the teams have trained again, until the referees and halls have been found, until normal conditions are reached - yes, too much of the summer should have passed by then. "My personal opinion: I can not imagine that the season will continue," emphasizes Seemann.
Big question mark behind sponsorship money
His Bad Toelz colleague Christopher Jochem would have no objection to later games. He has not yet finished with the season, he emphasizes, referring to the excellent starting position. Three points behind the leaders of the district league, promotion and championship within reach - you don't just give up such a good position in the final sprint. "We would be good at kicking," he says. But in times when obituaries fill entire pages in Italian newspapers, everything else takes precedence. Neither handball maker knows what the association should do with the unfinished. "Just cancel it," says Jochem. He thinks the fairest for all clubs. From top to bottom. Seemann also believes this model is likely. In the district's top league, HSG competitor Immenstadt is pressing to freeze and evaluate the current status. Seemann considers such advances to be "premature and inappropriate". He prefers the “best possible solution with the least pain” for everyone.
It won't work without damage anyway. "We are not the victims anyway," emphasizes Jochem from the gymnastics club. The few euros that are missing from sales on match days can be put up with. At the HSG, the “notable amount” that the kiosk generates should balance itself out thanks to hall fees, referee and coaching costs that are eliminated. The great, incalculable danger, however, is the lack of sponsor income. "We cannot estimate how the sponsors react," says Seemann. The association cannot live from membership fees alone. In addition to the BOL selection, the HSG maintains a men's reserve, a women's team and eight youth teams, including the B youth in the Bayernliga. Trainers cost money. Likewise the equipment, the rides, the referees. The donors' contribution therefore forms a "very significant part of the income". The chairman of the HSG expects a tough transition phase in which far less will flow. But in the crisis there is a flame that does not go out: the HSG team, which currently ranks fifth and has delivered a strong first season. Seemann would like to build on this. And: "Try to go up a class."
