Mia Rej retires as a player and continues as a coach at HØJ

Mia Rej retires as a player and continues as a coach at HØJ

Photo: Thomas Tvilling

This summer marks the final chapter of Mia Rej's impressive handball career, as she hangs up her boots for good.

HØJ Elite will therefore be 36-year-old Mia Rej's last destination as a player.

But the end of her playing days by no means signals her departure from HØJ. She'll continue as a coach in both the mother club HØJ and at HØJ Elite — at HØJ as assistant coach for the U19 girls' squad, while with the women's league team she'll take on a special role within the coaching staff, focusing on developing the players' individual skills.

And it's a great delight for Helle Rasmussen, chairperson of HØJ and HØJ Elite, that the club will continue to benefit from Mia Rej's qualities.

"Mia's career as a player speaks for itself. She's unfortunately been hit by several serious injuries over the years, but she has always managed to fight her way back to the highest level — and she's done that at HØJ Elite too. That says a lot about her strong character. Beyond her high level on the court, Mia has also contributed to our squad's development off the court with her winning mentality, strong values and good spirits," says Helle Rasmussen and continues:

"That's also why we're thrilled to have reached an agreement that will make Mia part of both our elite department and our talent development. Supporting the education of coaches is a key focus area for HØJ, and that includes elite players who want to use their experience and skills as coaches for youth players and young elite players. We're therefore delighted to be able to give Mia the opportunity to develop and gain coaching experience here at HØJ, and we're convinced she'll be a major asset to the club's development."

The right time

Mia Rej explains that she's at peace with the fact that her playing career is now in its final stages. She's now looking forward to throwing herself into coaching and sharing the experience she's gathered over many years at the top level.

"It feels like the right time to end my career. I'm grateful for all the great experiences I've had and the many fantastic people I've met along the way. Now I'm ready to start a new chapter, and for a few years now I've had the dream of testing myself as a coach," she says and continues:

"HØJ is a unique club with values that suit me perfectly, which is why it's exactly the right environment for me to begin my coaching career. The ambitions are high, and the club is in the middle of rapid development — I'm looking forward to contributing to that," says Mia Rej.

When Mia Rej plays her very last match this summer, the playmaker can look back on a long and impressive career with several titles on her CV.

Before joining HØJ Elite, Mia Rej played for clubs such as København Håndbold and Odense Håndbold. She has also taken part in two international tournaments for Denmark and has played 40 caps in total.

For further information: Helle Rasmussen, chairperson of HØJ Elite Tel. 30327273