Theilig family celebrates Bremen’s EHF Champions Cup debut

Returning from a beach handball tournament leaves memories for each of the teams. For some, it is a sporting achievement; for others, friendships that last a lifetime. And sometimes, it is the beginning of a love story that takes an unexpected turn.

Tanja and Per Theilig first met at a beach handball tournament in Norderney. Four years later, in 2002, they got married. However, it would take another 12 years, before they set off on a new adventure together: sharing the bench as coaches in both indoor and beach handball and turning their shared passion into a family journey.

SPLITTING TASKS

While coaching the indoor team TuS Komet Arsten, Tanja was the head coach and Per was the assistant coach. On the sand, the roles are a bit different. At the EHF Beach Handball Champions Cup 2026, the duo is coaching the women’s Young Guns from the Beach Handball Club Bremen, which was founded only last year. Tanja is in charge of the offence, while Per controls the other side of the court.

“First, we prepare the matches alone. Usually, I have the defence and the goalkeeper, and she has the offence and the specialist. We have completely separate it, and then we come together and just talk. She also talks to me about defence one or two times, and I do the same to her,” explains Per, adding that the same principles apply to timeouts.

They also say that they might sometimes disagree, as anyone would, but that good communication, both at home and on the court, has always been their strong point.

“The communication works great. We don’t have a problem with it,” adds Tanja.

FINDING HARMONY

They share a rich expertise: just this year, it marks 30 years since they first played beach handball, and together they prove to have a perfect recipe, blending Tanja’s strictness and Per’s calmness.

“He’s very quiet and I think he has a good relationship with the players. He’s a little bit like a father figure to them. I’m a bit different,” says Tanja as her husband adds:

“I’m more fun, she’s more strict. And the best thing about her is her great experience. She played in the national team and at a higher level than me. She knows a lot about beach handball. I don’t think there are many people in Germany who know more than her.”

Tanja, the former Germany national team beach handball player, was part of the memorable German team that won a silver medal at the first EHF Beach Handball EURO in 2000, in Gaeta, Italy. She claimed another silver at the World Games in Japan the following year, when beach handball was introduced to the event for the first time as a demonstration sport.

At the time, playing indoor handball was equally familiar to her, with Bundesliga challenges keeping her busy throughout the whole season. It was around this time that the coaching duo got their two children.

HANDBALL FAMILY

Growing up in a handball family, the choice was simple for the younger daughter, Merle. The 21-year-old Young Guns Bremen goalkeeper enjoys playing alongside her parents in Porto Santo, Portugal and doesn’t seem to struggle with handball interfering with family life.

“I think it’s a little bit easier for me because I’m a goalkeeper. I have my own game to play, and of course my dad talks with me and gives me advice, but I’m still doing my own game and they are kind of coaching the others more than me,” thinks Merle, who is also playing indoor handball for her mum’s former club, TuS Komet Arsten, but is more in contact with her dad, the defence coach, during the match.

“Sometimes I like to play differently to what he says. Then it’s gets a little more complicated because he keep saying ‘Try this or that.’ I’m like, ‘Yes, I ‘ll do my own thing, but thanks for saying it, haha.”

Having a father next to the court can also bring plenty of advantages into the mix.

“I think they can understand me better than other coaches do. They know what I should do or what I need to hear to improve my play. If a coach doesn’t know me well, sometimes it can be difficult for them to tell me what I need to improve. It’s easier with them,” says the 21-year-old.

MAKING MEMORIES TOGETHER

“And when we finished second at the German championship, it was great to share it with the family. It was a great memory.”

Sharing happiness in celebration moments and consoling each other after a loss go hand in hand when playing next to your family.

“Together in family, together in handball. It’s normal for us. We win as a team, and we lose as a team. That’s not about family,” explains Per and jokes: “Best thing is that we spend a lot of time together. And the worst thing is that we spend a lot of time together, haha!”

But what about when they have to admit that another team was better?

“The discussions after losing at home are longer, and we talk about it. But then it’s okay. It’s not a very long discussion. We accept it for what it is and we say we’ll try to make it better next time,” shares Tanja, as they all agree that handball is the main topic at home and one that never dries out.

HISTORIC DEBUT

Preparing for the EHF Beach Handball Champions Cup 2026 grabbed their attention in the past weeks, as the team was gearing up to make their debut at the pinnacle event.

Young Guns Bremen open the tournament in group D, facing one of the favourites and 2025 bronze medallists Red Velvet, as well as two other debutants: Club Handbol Xàbia from Spain and Next Wave from the Netherlands.

“The atmosphere in the team is really good. I know a lot of them long time ago because we played together, and there are also some younger players who came last year. We have fun together and we also want to learn here,” says Merle, who is proud on her team that they stunned everyone in the German championship to secure a runners-up position.

Apart from handball knowledge, Tanja and Per try to pass on one more thing to the team: “Before every game we say three things: just have fun, have fun together and go get those points.”

Surrounded by the excitement and warmth of the beach handball community, it's easy for them to enjoy themselves, but difficult to put into words all their emotions and passion for the sport. Sometimes, though, it all comes together in one simple sentence.

“That’s a game where I met my wife, and we are still together, that’s beach handball.”

Photos: kolektiff