USA goalie Joey Williams with Hungary’s Roland Mikler, fellow camper, Alex Djurdjevic, and getting tips from Croatia’s Mirko Alilović

Joey Williams is a 20 year old goalkeeper from Farmington Hills, Michigan. He plays for the Hope College Team Handball club, and was a member of the U.S. Junior National Team for the 2015 Partille Cup in Sweden. Last summer he attended the International Handball Goalkeeper Camp in Croatia and the following is his account of his experience.

One of the many perks of handball is that it presents the opportunity to connect with new people and places through a shared love of the sport. As the level of competition increases, so do the opportunities to make lifelong memories and friendships. For an American goalkeeper, chances to get proper coaching and bonding time with fellow keepers are few and far between. However, for one week this past summer, I was able to both meet goalkeepers from across the globe and receive personalized coaching from some of the best goalkeepers and coaches on the planet. To any goalkeeper seeking to bring their game to world-class standards, I would recommend attending the 2017 International Handball Goalkeeper Camp in Split, Croatia.

Split, Croatia is somewhere I never imagined myself traveling to when I first started playing handball in 2012. I discovered the camp while scouring the internet for handball drills, and was at first hesitant to travel half-way across the world for a sport that my friends were convinced that I had made up. Further research into the camp’s coaching staff (which had included superstars like Thierry Omeyer, Mirko Alilovic, and Roland Mikler, to name a few) and the realization that time was ticking away at my dream of playing professional handball convinced me that I had no choice but to attend. After months of frugal saving and hernia-inducing lawn work, I was on my way.

My leap of faith had paid off immediately as I brushed shoulders with handball superstar Nikola Karabatic when I was picking up my bags at the Split airport (a complete coincidence considering he was not affiliated with the camp, but I took it as a blessing from the handball gods nonetheless). From there, the sense of awe and wonder only continued. My driver happened to be German national who played professional American football in Germany (ironic,right?). It was difficult for me to chat about football or handball though, because I was busy picking my jaw up from the ground as I gazed at the scenery on either side of the road. To our right were striking mountains that provided a geographic backdrop to the city of Split, while to our left was the stunning blue of the Adriatic Sea. When I arrived for the opening meeting I was greeted by a round of applause from about 100 parents, campers, and coaches as handball goalkeeper guru Vanja Radic pointed me out as being the first American to attend the camp (and probably the first American handball player many of them had ever seen in person up to that point). Although being the lone American did little to help my handball skills, it did provide me with some humility that comes from both being a newcomer to the game and a representative of my country. Not to mention a level of gratitude that came from finally being immersed in the world of handball goalkeeping.  

The week was filled with sweat, memories, and more sweat. We had 2 training sessions a day with different coaches and a new emphasis at each session. The coaching staff included a variety of legendary coaches and players. Coaches Haris Porobic (KC Veszprem), Vladimir Vujovic (Croatian National Team),Vlatko Đonovic (Buducnost), and many others led practices and provided input and guidance for campers. Roland Mikler (KC Veszprem), Jelena Grubisic (Bucharesti), and Mirko Alilovic (KC Veszprem) both demonstrated drills and offered feedback to players. Some of the world’s finest young goalkeepers were in the mix among the campers. Egypt’s junior national team goalkeeper, a former Mauritius national team keeper, and an 18-year Serbian who rose through the ranks of Veszprem to be on the first team behind Mikler and Alilovic, were in attendance. Campers and coaches alike were able to bond during the 2 hour training sessions as well as during a half day boating excursion to a few of Croatia’s thousands of islands.

In addition to physical development, the camp offered a unique opportunity for both mental and social growth. Karina Aas, a sports psychologist for several Norwegian national teams, lectured on ways to increase mental toughness and resilience in both goalkeeping and life. I gained a lot of confidence and perspective from these sessions and they were definitely a highlight for me. Socially,  I was able to make friends with people from all over the world, from Scandinavia to Egypt. My friends Eske, Alex, Ludwig, Lovro, Sindre, and Magnus immediately took me in as one of their own both on and off the court. Their patience, kindness, and knowledge of the sport made my time in Croatia exponentially more memorable and fun.

In addition to creating new friends, this camp created an opportunity to expand my handball network, which is essential for anyone aspiring to play handball in Europe. The connections I made both personally and professionally, in addition to the experience and expertise I gained, made attending the 2016 International Handball Goalkeeper camp an incredible investment. To any handball goalkeepers seeking to take the next step in their development, make plans to attend the 2017 International Handball Goalkeeper Camp. I’ll see you there.

International Handball Goalkeeper Camp website: Link 

For information or questions, please email me: 14williamsj@gmail.com