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by, Braden Berg (for Ozarks Sports Zone)
You can judge a person’s character with how they act in defeat. Nobody likes to lose, but the way a person acts in response can be inspirational.
For the first time in his football career, Kaul Kleeman isn’t physically helping his team on the field, but rather helping them from the sideline. Over the summer he was told he wouldn’t be able to play football due to a blood condition. Kleeman first noticed a problem during a game his sophomore year.
“My leg would swell up really big, I couldn’t walk on it, it was super hot.” said Kleeman.
Doctors later told him that he had two blood clots in his leg.
“My body was building the clot, and wasn’t breaking it down.” Kleeman explained.
Kaul was able to play his junior year, but over the summer doctors told him that he would have to be sidelined due to the medication that he was taking.
“I didn’t show up to anything, I didn’t want to be around it. I couldn’t deal with it.” he added.
“It was sad for all of us because he was a big part of our team.” said Joel Kleeman, Kaul’s younger brother.
Kaul said he was a shell of himself, not wanting to be around football, and not hanging out with his friends all summer.
“One day my mom came home and she told me that my brother was talking and said it was weird me not being out there. So I broke down and had a pretty awful night that night.” Kleeman added. He drove over to his coaches house for someone to talk to.
“It was pretty emotional,” said Jamie Lasalle, the head football coach at Miller. “He just said he didn’t want to be around it this summer but he missed his friends and being around the game.”
They went through the options of how he could be apart of the team again and decided that he could help coach from the sidelines. And suddenly Kaul started becoming himself again.
“It really lightened the mood, and took a weight off of me,” Kaul said. “Finally getting out here and joking with them, and picking up right where I left off.”
“He has stepped up and tells them what to look for, where they need to be, and where they need to go and they will listen to him because he has been there.” said Lasalle.
“I think everyone liked that he was still dedicated enough… he can’t play but he is still coming out here everyday.” Joel added.
“Being out here and still having one more year with them, I don’t know it is just something that I will always cherish.” said Kleeman.
