Alex Moise, the 25-year-old coach of CSM București’s U17 handball team, recently led his squad to the final of the Champions League, where they narrowly lost to Debrecen with a score of 39-41 after a thrilling match. His inspiring journey has garnered attention from the International Handball Federation, which featured Moise on its official website.
CSM București put on an impressive display at the EHF Youth Club Trophy, making it to the finals in Budapest after a remarkable comeback victory over Gyor, winning 41-39. Their gold medal match against Debrecen also went into extra time, but ultimately, the “tigroaicele” were unable to secure another miracle and fell short.
Coached by Alex Moise, whose mother Maria Iorgu represented Romania at the 1997 World Championship, the U17 team demonstrated skill and determination. Inspired by her career, Moise developed a deep love for handball from a young age. “I remember going to my mother’s training sessions when she was still a player, so I had no choice but to play handball with her. I enjoyed it a lot, and that’s how my passion developed,” Moise shared.
Diagnosed with a Rare Autoimmune Disorder: Alex Moise’s Journey
At the age of 18, however, Moise faced a significant challenge when he was diagnosed with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), an autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to produce antibodies that increase blood clotting risk. This condition can lead to serious complications, including deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, stroke, or heart attack.
“It was very difficult, as I had a unique situation. After medical evaluations, I found out I had a very rare autoimmune disease. I stopped playing handball at that time and was extremely disappointed. However, with the passage of time and the current developments in my life, I believe that what seemed bad at the time turned out to be the greatest blessing of my life, as it set me on the path I am on now. Without that health issue, I probably wouldn’t be in the position I am today,” Moise explained.
Consequently, he abandoned his athletic aspirations and entered a phase where he distanced himself from handball entirely.
“I had about a year and a half during which I didn’t want to hear anything about handball, sports, or anything. I studied business and tourism, but after a few weeks I realized that if I wanted to do something in life, it had to be related to handball. It was the only thing I knew and understood well. So, I returned to school, enrolled in a Sports Faculty, and graduated,” Moise recalled, as reported by ihf.info.
Moise decided to re-enter the world of handball, not as a player, but as a coach. He quickly discovered his passion for coaching and underwent a lengthy process of development and learning. After four years, he led a junior team of CSM București to the finals of the EHF Youth Club Trophy.
The Passion Behind Coaching: Alex Moise’s Perspective
“For me, it’s an obsessive process. You have to try to absorb any information possible, which, fortunately, is now available very quickly. There are many resources online, courses, exercises, and things you can learn from. You can improve at every training session, every weekend, and somehow, with every week spent as a young coach, you realize you’re gaining the necessary experience to know if an exercise is suitable for teaching a particular idea or if you need a different pedagogical approach,” Moise stated, emphasizing the passion required for coaching.
He defines this obsession as: “The desperation to seek every detail in anything you find online, in any book you read, or to be extraordinarily curious, talking to everyone, trying to absorb and learn something from each person, asking questions even if you seem foolish, and understanding how the mechanism works to become a successful coach. After that, you adapt it to your own values, principles, and emotions to create the coach you want to be at the start of your journey,” he elaborated.
Moise draws inspiration from coaches like Helle Thomsen and considers Adrian Vasile a mentor. He believes that handball has evolved into a highly physical game that must be played at a high intensity with exceptionally quick transitions.
“You need to understand how each person you work with functions, and it’s not an easy field to engage in daily, as it’s very demanding. You constantly have to adapt to many factors, and without that passion pushing you forward, it would be very difficult. You really have to be a bit crazy to do this job, especially with children, where it’s quite challenging. It’s also different from working with seniors, as you’re shaping players and teaching them the fundamentals they will use later at the senior level,” Moise noted.
“I have a dream, and I believe this is a dream for young coaches. But right now, I am very satisfied with what I do and believe I am on the right path. I just need to keep going, stay focused, and avoid mistakes,” he concluded.
