Family or friends, goose or sausage, contemplation or a party – how do local athletes spend the Christmas holidays? We asked around.
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Mathis Mönninghoff, Basketball player of the Bundesliga club BG Göttingen, can not put his legs up for Christmas. The game was canceled on December 22nd in Chemnitz, but on the second holiday the team will be heading to Würzburg for the next away game. In between there are presents, Christmas dinner with the family – and various training units. “There are only four of us on Christmas Eve, my wife, our two sons and me. My parents and my sister will come on the first holiday ”, reports the 29-year-old, whose older son Leno had already experienced the pre-Christmas season this year with everything that goes with it:“ He had an Advent calendar for the first time and of course found it exciting, everyone Day to get a small present. “
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He will spend the holidays with his family in a “classic” way and is looking forward to “a few hours of time together”, says Jannik Burgdorf, Player of the handball league club TV Jahn Duderstadt. For Eichsfeld’s most successful goalscorer with 62 goals this season in nine games, this means switching off a bit when it comes to his sport: “I will certainly take a few days off,” said Burgdorf. However, as the handball player puts it again, he will try to “keep himself fit with loose units” and thereby “stay in rhythm”. Because: The season will be long – “and the program from January 15th is very tight”.
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Goran lojo, Coach of the women’s basketball Bundesliga club Medical Instinct Veilchen BG 74, is in Göttingen with his wife and two children. “We have lunch together, spend some time together, watch a couple of good films,” is how the head coach from Bosnia and Herzegovina describes the Christmas program, which takes place without a visit from the family’s home country. No guests have come from there since the beginning of the corona pandemic. There will be gifts only on December 25th – be it in the home tradition. A Christmas tree will not be missing. “Of course, the children especially love to decorate the tree.” The family does not have a traditional festive meal; that is decided spontaneously. “We plan what we’re going to prepare a few days in advance, mainly taking into account the children’s wishes.” Lojo and the team have a few days off before the next Bundesliga game on December 29th. Then the violets receive TK Hannover for the second leg. Training will start again from December 27th. He knows from the foreign players in the squad that they will mainly use their free time to relax. Some of them are expecting family visits. “The rest will probably get together and have a little celebration together.”
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Having a splint that protects a broken wrist will Neele Eckhardt-Noack spend the holidays. The three-jumper suffered the injury in a fall during training, initially had a plaster cast, which was replaced by the splint a few days ago. She will spend Christmas Eve with her husband Richard in Göttingen. “On Christmas Day, we will continue to my mother near Bremen”. She is really looking forward to “being able to celebrate with my grandma and grandpa again this year”. After duck in Göttingen, a game dish is on the table one day later. “When it comes to food, we have no tradition. But if I ever invite you out, I’ll choose a meal that will become a tradition, ”the athlete has resolved to do. Training will be on the program again from December 27th – but only to a limited extent in view of the injury. She still has to wear the splint until mid-January.
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The two standard formations of the Göttingen dance sport team are already preparing intensively for the Bundesliga start on January 8th in Ludwigsburg: “For once there is no training over the Christmas weekend,” says Sannah Burkhardt, Team spokeswoman for the A-formation. “I spend the holidays with my family. We take it easy, eat a lot, go for a walk and also spend the time playing board games, ”says the dancer with a well-filled program. After all, there will be another four-day training camp from December 27th to 30th. “We don’t worry about food over Christmas because every athlete deserves a break,” emphasizes Dancer Martin Davong. “And you can drive away wherever you want.” The Christmas break is also only short for the B formation: “Our training camp is also planned for the turn of the year from December 30th to January 2nd in Loccum near Nienburg.”
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By Kathrin Lienig, Filip Donth and Ferdinand Jacksch
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