Health | An experienced coach warns of an insidious occupational disease: “I got a second chance”

Women’s Pesä Ysit, who plays in the first division, spends a huge number of hours on the road. During the 2024 season, the Lappeenranta team’s bus accumulated 6,700 kilometers on its odometer. Traveling is hard for the players, but especially for the background people, whose working day does not end at the last fire.

Pesä Ysie’s 54-year-old game director knows this concretely Jerry Stenberg.

“We get home from away games quite late, and when I’m a fool, I watch the games again at night,” says Stenberg.

In the summer, during an away game, he noticed that he was not feeling well.

“Aching, and I didn’t feel normal.”

Stenberg held a fan in his hand until the end of the game and did not go to the doctor’s office the next day. Later, he texted with his good friend.

“He said that one day he would kill you.”

Last on Thursday of the week, the prediction was close to coming true. Stenberg’s left arm and shoulder had hurt for a week.

“I thought the spots were just stuck, but I still called a doctor I knew, who told me to go for an examination.”

“

The streak could have ended if I hadn’t believed him.

Stenberg believed and headed to the Central Hospital of South Karelia.

“Then there was a rush.”

From the first ward, we hurriedly left for the intensive care unit. It was a heart attack.

“I ended up with dialysis treatment and a coronary artery scan, Stenberg says and thanks his friend who made it possible to go to the hospital.”

“The streak could have ended if I hadn’t believed him.”

Stenberg is from Imatra and a sworn nest figure.

“I was involved in IPV from the very beginning, when my father (Matti Stenberg) were active in the club.”

Uncle was also swinging a bat on Linnala’s field Kari Stenbergwho was chosen as baseball player of the year in 1986.

Jerry’s playing skills were not in his uncle’s class, so he moved to the coaching side at a young age. First in Imatra and then for 20 years elsewhere in Finland. Stenberg has been seen as a game director or coach in Nurmijärvi, Hämeenkyrö, Turku, Mynämäi and since the 2023 season in Lappeenranta.

“Furthermore, I have once been involved in volleyball in VaLePa’s background team – Olli Kunnarin I said as a physio tape.”

As a dog person, Stenberg has had time to work as a physical trainer for the Finnish national agility team.

The everyday life of coaching has become familiar.

“Coaching is not from eight to four.”

Team or club issues follow home and run through the mind.

Coach often have to do work that would ideally be someone else’s responsibility.

“No wonder burnis (burn out) is a common disease among coaches.”

Stenberg is happy with Veliko, and he is not burnt out, but the limits have been reached. There was a need for blood pressure medication ten years ago.

Stenberg’s family has had a tendency to cardiovascular diseases.

Although Stenberg is a coaching professional, he has not taken enough care of his own health.

“On trips to games and with the team, you should eat properly and healthily, but at home breakfast may be a pot of coffee and the intervals between meals may be too long.”

“

I’m a typical Finnish junkie who doesn’t go to the hospital to be examined.

Stenberg can’t remember the last time he had a health checkup.

“I’m a typical Finnish junkie who doesn’t go to the hospital to be examined.”

After the heart attack, he received more medication and was told to take it easy.

“I go for a walk with the dog, but I have to keep my heart rate low, and I can’t go into the forest.”

The doctor advised to stay within sight of people, so that help would be available if another seizure struck.

“My grandmother used to walk outside with a can of nitro, and I do the same thing now,” laughs Stenberg.

A seizure seriousness means that Stenberg will not continue as a playmaker next season.

“I don’t get on the bus anymore. I’m not leaving the nest, but the game manager’s job will be transferred to another person.”

Pesä Ysie’s 2024 season was good until the end of August.

“In the semifinals, we then played the two worst games of the season and were relegated to Oulu Lipo.”

Besides baseball, Stenberg has worked with special needs students at the Kimpinen school in Lappeenranta. There was also a break of several weeks for that work.

“I already went to greet the children, but I won’t return to school work until later.”

Stenberg is grateful for the treatment he received and the congratulatory messages from his Facebook friends.

“I got a second chance. I urge everyone to get examined by a doctor”, if unusual symptoms appear in the body.