It doesn’t show up in the game report, but it’s evident on the court. “Work environment” might not sound like something that belongs in a handball team, but at Bodens BK Handboll, the women’s team is proving that the opposite is true. By addressing issues related to well-being, communication, and team spirit, the team has found new ways to grow, both as a group and as individuals.
With Hartic, they’ve also gained a mirror to look into, one that clearly reflects both their challenges and their strengths. The result? A team that plays with both heart and strategy.
“In sports, people rarely talk about the work environment; instead, they tend to focus on team culture. But that actually pays too little attention to something that is absolutely crucial to performance—just like in a regular workplace,” says Kalia Klomp, head coach of BBK Handball.
She leads a team of players aged 17 to 38—a group with a wide range of experiences, personalities, and life situations. That is precisely why it is especially important to create an environment where everyone can feel safe, valued, and included. But that also requires more from leadership than just tactical knowledge.
– Leadership is something relatively new to me. As a former player and center, I’ve often taken on a tactical leadership role, but leading an entire group—in terms of personality and culture—is something else entirely. Hartic helps me structure my leadership so that I know what we should continue doing and what we need to improve.
A timely platform
It was through her connection with John Mannberg, one of the founders of Hartic, that Kalia first became aware of the platform.
– It’s great that he and the team are so passionate about club life and want to help us improve. The platform came along at just the right time for us. We knew we were facing challenges in integrating our younger players. We had already started working actively on this during the year, and with Hartic, we were finally able to measure how far we’d come.
And it quickly became clear that the work had paid off.
– I think the most important thing was that a lot of people actually enjoyed themselves. We got positive results, which I’m pretty proud of. We were also able to identify specific areas for improvement related to stress, how we interact with one another, and communication between coaches and players.
Team captain with his heart in the team
One person who has felt this positive change is one of the team captains, Alice Edholm. She describes the atmosphere at BBK Handball with pride in her voice.
– I’d describe our team spirit as really great, strong, and genuine. We have a lot of fun together, both on and off the field. We’re at different ages and stages of life, but I see that as nothing but a positive thing. It just makes it even better!
But it’s not just laughter and a sense of community that create a safe environment. For Alice, it’s also about being heard.
– Thanks to Hartic, it’s easier for us players to have a clearer say in our situation. It makes it easier to voice our thoughts and any issues we may have, which in turn will foster an even stronger team spirit. And it also makes it easier for coaches and managers to address these issues early on.
Being able to talk about well-being and job satisfaction isn’t a given in every team, but at BBK it’s an important part of the culture—and something Hartic is working to strengthen.
– We’ve always been pretty open about talking about how we’re feeling and what the team atmosphere is like. We haven’t been using Hartic for very long yet, but I’m convinced that the platform will help us talk about these things even more and on a more regular basis. It will be a way to pick up on things that might not otherwise come up as easily.
A club for life
For both Kalia and Alice, it’s clear that creating a positive work environment isn’t just about winning games—it’s about developing people. The team should be a place where people grow, both on and off the field.
“Sports, especially team sports, involve personal challenges. With Hartic, we can specifically identify and address these challenges. This allows players to take the lessons they learn on the field and apply them to their everyday lives. From young to old, we’re a club for life!” says Kalia.
And the young players who make it into the senior squad get to experience an environment where a sense of security, open communication, and involvement are just as much a given as training and games.
“I hope and believe that when we talk openly about well-being and happiness, they’ll learn that taking care of yourself is just as important as training hard,” says Alice. “I’ve been there myself—it’s scary and unfamiliar. That’s where the team atmosphere and sense of camaraderie play an incredibly important role.”
Looking ahead
Looking ahead, Kalia has high hopes for what the work with Hartic can lead to, both for the team and the entire club.
– I hope Hartic can help us build a bridge between the individual players and the team, between development and performance. We want to create the best possible conditions for both. Our goal is to return to Division 1 and produce elite-level players, and having the right tools is a crucial piece of the puzzle.
But perhaps the most important thing isn't the score on the scoreboard, but rather the sense of fulfillment the players take away from every practice and every training camp.
“The fact that we at BBK use Hartic shows that the club takes our well-being seriously and wants to create a safe and sustainable environment where we can perform well and feel good. For me, knowing that we’re actively addressing these issues is an extra source of motivation,” Alice concludes.
Photographer: Petra Söderström
