Category Archives: Podcast

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USA Handball Talk (Episode 44): West Point and USA Men’s National Team Right Back/Wing, Gary Phillips

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:33 — 7.1MB)

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Gary Phillips is one of the best prospects to ever come out of a USA Collegiate Handball club. Earlier this month he led West Point to a 17th straight Collegiate Handball title and was selected as the tournament MVP. At the IHF Emerging Nations Championships he was selected to the all star team. An unprecedented accomplishment for a handball athlete still in college.

I sat down with Gary during the Collegiate Championships to learn more about his background and plans for the future. Here are some of the topics we discussed:

  • Air Force upsetting West Point in Pool Play (West Point came back in knockout play to win their 17th straight collegiate championships)
Phillips on attack vs North Carolina; Photo courtesy of Rod Apfelbeck
  • The three players in the past 40 years that had John saying, “Who the hell is that guy…”
  • Playing on the national team with Americans who’ve learned handball in another country
  • Playing at the Jr World Championships in 2023 with “glue” and against more experience goalies
  • Playing with the Sr National Team at the Emerging Nations Championships in March and getting selected as the all-star right wing
  • Playing right back vs playing right wing
  • Gary’s backgound and being recruited to playing QB for West Point football
  • Transititioning from American football to handball
  • West Point competing at Club Nationals in May
  • Gary’s chances of joining the Army’s World Class Athlete Program (WCAP)
  • The challenge Europeans sometime have in properly assessing the potential of stateside Americans who started playing handball at older ages
  • How playing for a top club on a daily basis can accelerate player development

Watch on YouTube or listen/download the mp3 file at the top of the page.

If you have any suggestions for future topics that you would like us to consider please let us know on social media.

Don’t miss an episode:

  • Subscribe on YouTube: Link (Earliest Availability)
  • Subscribe to the  podcast in iTunes: Link
  • Follow the  Team Handball Handball News podcast on Spotify: Link
  • Or use this RSS Feed to sign up for the podcast in your favorite podcast aggregator: Link

And, be sure to check out the podcast archive with interviews and great  handball discussion going all the way back to 2006: Link

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USA Handball Talk (Episode 43): USA Men’s National Team Center Back, Benjamin Edwards

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:46 — 8.2MB)

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(Benjamin Edwards at the 2025 World Championships in Norway)

Benjamin Edwards is just 18 years old, but has already played for the the U.S. Men’s national team at the Youth, Junior and Senior levels. During the 2025 World Championships in Norway I sat down with Benji to talk about his handball journey to date and plans for the future..

Here are some of the topics we discussed:

  • Playing for top club, Veszprem in a pre-season tourney
  • Getting started with handball
  • His connection to the U.S.
  • Moving to the Veszprem Academy at age 15
  • Potentially getting “loaned” to another club
  • Playing in Hungary’s 2nd division
  • How USA national teams develop a team spirit
  • Prospects for the U.S. at the 2028 Olympics and beyond

Watch on YouTube or listen/download the mp3 file at the top of the page.

If you have any suggestions for future topics that you would like us to consider please let us know on social media.

Don’t miss an episode:

  • Subscribe on YouTube: Link (Earliest Availability)
  • Subscribe to the  podcast in iTunes: Link
  • Follow the  Team Handball Handball News podcast on Spotify: Link
  • Or use this RSS Feed to sign up for the podcast in your favorite podcast aggregator: Link

And, be sure to check out the podcast archive with interviews and great  handball discussion going all the way back to 2006: Link

USA Handball Talk (Episode 42): A Board Meeting Revelation Explains a Pivotal and Puzzling Judicial Committee Decision

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 18:43 — 19.7MB)

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On 12 February, 2025, the USA Team Handball Board of Directors held their monthly meeting and I recorded the open public portion of the meeting. The meeting started out with a seemingly mundane discussion regarding a proposed new member, Margaret Rubin for the Nominating and Governance Committee.

However, I was agape to find out that Rubin, who also serves on the Judiciary Committee had a 7-8 year relationship with USA Team Handball CEO, Michael King. This is relevant because she had played a pivotal role in 3-2 Judiciary Committee decision that prevented the board from reviewing Board decisions that had taken place while Ebiye Udo-Udoma had been improperly removed from the Board. Which, of course, included the infamous 3-2 board decision to remove Martin Branick from the CEO position and immediately replace him with King. The entire sequence of events can be seen here: Link

This podcast focuses on the most recent revelation and some of the inherent problems with the way everthing went down this past summer. Yes, if your “means” to achieve your “ends” is crappy enough… you don’t get the ends you thought you were getting.

Watch on YouTube or listen/download the mp3 file at the top of the page.

If you have any suggestions for future topics that you would like us to consider please let us know on social media.

Don’t miss an episode:

  • Subscribe on YouTube: Link (Earliest Availability)
  • Subscribe to the  podcast in iTunes: Link
  • Follow the  Team Handball Handball News podcast on Spotify: Link
  • Or use this RSS Feed to sign up for the podcast in your favorite podcast aggregator: Link

And, be sure to check out the podcast archive with interviews and great  handball discussion going all the way back to 2006: Link

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USA Handball Talk (Episode 41): Handball Great, Magnus Wislander

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 3:33 — 1.2MB)

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(John Ryan on defense against Magnus Wislander at the 1993 World Championships)

Magnus Wislander played 384 international matches for Sweden and is considered one of the all time great handball players. Two of those 384 matches were against the U.S. at the 1993 World Championships and the 1996 Olympics. He was in Oslo at the 2025 World Championship for Swedish Radio and by chance, we were both asking ourselves the same question: How would the U.S. national team of the 1990s fare against the current U.S. National Team? This short 3:30 minute discussion addresses that question and how the game has changed in the past 30 years.

Commentaries from 2023 comparing the 1993 and 2023 USA National Teams

  • Two Handball World Championships in Sweden Separated by 30 years (Part 1): Nostalgia and and a Little Bit of Deja Vu: Link
  • Two Handball Championships in Sweden Separated by 30 Years (Part 2): From 0% to 83% Dual Citizens- Does that Matter?: Link

Watch on YouTube or listen/download the mp3 file at the top of the page.

If you have any suggestions for future topics that you would like us to consider please let us know on social media.

Don’t miss an episode:

  • Subscribe on YouTube: Link (Earliest Availability)
  • Subscribe to the  podcast in iTunes: Link
  • Follow the  Team Handball Handball News podcast on Spotify: Link
  • Or use this RSS Feed to sign up for the podcast in your favorite podcast aggregator: Link

And, be sure to check out the podcast archive with interviews and great  handball discussion going all the way back to 2006: Link

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USA Handball Talk (Episode 40): USA Men’s National Team Back Court, Alex Chan

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:39 — 9.5MB)

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Alex Chan joined the U.S. National Team in 2021 and has been a key contributor ever since. I sat down with Alex during the U.S. rest day after their first match vs Portugal at the 2025 World Championships.

Some of the topics we discussed include his handball career, his time playing for club Cisne and being one of the leading scorers in the Spanish Liga Asobal and playing for his current club, Burgos.

Watch on YouTube or listen/download the mp3 file at the top of the page.

If you have any suggestions for future topics that you would like us to consider please let us know on social media.

Don’t miss an episode:

  • Subscribe on YouTube: Link (Earliest Availability)
  • Subscribe to the  podcast in iTunes: Link
  • Follow the  Team Handball Handball News podcast on Spotify: Link
  • Or use this RSS Feed to sign up for the podcast in your favorite podcast aggregator: Link

And, be sure to check out the podcast archive with interviews and great  handball discussion going all the way back to 2006: Link

USA Handball Talk (Episode 39): USA Team Handball Board of Directors Candidate, Harald Wuesthof

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 13:05 — 12.0MB)

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Harald Wuesthof is one of the candidates for an upcoming election for one of the General Membership Director seats on the USA Team Handball Board of Directors. Listen or download the mp3 file at the top of the page or watch on YouTube below.

USA Handball Talk (Episode 38): USA Team Handball Board of Directors Candidate, Viva Kreis

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:10 — 10.2MB)

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Viva Kreis is one of the candidates for an upcoming election for one of the General Membership Director seats on the USA Team Handball Board of Directors. Listen or download the mp3 file at the top of the page or watch on YouTube below.

USA Handball Talk (Episode 37): USA Team Handball Board of Directors Candidate, Kurt Shaffer

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 17:14 — 19.4MB)

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Kurt Shaffer is one of the candidates for an upcoming election for one of the General Membership Director seats on the USA Team Handball Board of Directors. Listen or download the mp3 file at the top of the page or watch on YouTube below.

USA Handball Talk (Episode 36): USA Team Handball Board of Directors Candidate, Richard Hesketh

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 13:18 — 13.4MB)

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Richard Hesketh is one of the candidates for an upcoming election for one of the General Membership Director seats on the USA Team Handball Board of Directors. Listen or download the mp3 file at the top of the page or watch on YouTube below.

USA Handball Talk (Episode 35): USA Team Handball Board of Directors Candidate, Aaron Hamm

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:28 — 10.0MB)

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Aaron Hamm is one of the candidates for an upcoming election for one of the General Membership Director seats on the USA Team Handball Board of Directors. Listen or download the mp3 file at the top of the page or watch on YouTube below.

USA Handball Talk (Episode 34): USA Team Handball Board of Directors Candidate, Thomas Rosenberger

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:41 — 9.4MB)

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Thomas Rosenberger is one of the candidates for an upcoming election for one of the General Membership Director seats on the USA Team Handball Board of Directors. Listen or download the mp3 file at the top of the page or watch on YouTube below.

USA Handball Talk (Episode 33): USA Team Handball Board of Directors Candidate, Chris Brase

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 15:07 — 14.7MB)

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Chris Brase is one of the candidates for an upcoming election for one of the General Membership Director seats on the USA Team Handball Board of Directors. Listen or download the mp3 file at the top of the page or watch on YouTube below.

USA Handball Talk (Episode 32): NYC Team Handball Right Back, Togba Aboubacar and his Remarkable Journey from Guinea to the U.S.

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 17:33 — 6.0MB)

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This past weekend the New York City Team Handball Club beat the hosts, Denver Wolves in a shoot out to take the Samala Cup title. Their stand out performer was the tournament MVP, 21 year old, right back, Togba Aboubacar. After the tournament I sat down with Togba to discuss his handball journey and his remarkable life journey from Guinea to the U.S.

Here’s a summary with links to some of the items we discussed:

  • His handball beginnings in Guinea and playing for the U18 National Team there
  • His finding the NYC Team Handball Club after a few false starts with wall handball
  • How NYC has taken the concept of “club family” to a higher level
  • Unrest in Guinea which led to his decision to move to the U.S. at the tender age of 16 and living in foster care
  • Togba’s essay about helping someone in a wheel chair: Link
  • Learning English
  • On being a nursing student and his goal to eventually become a doctor
  • On becoming an American citizen and playing for the U.S. National Team
  • On possibly playing handball in Europe

Watch on YouTube or listen/download the mp3 file at the top of the page

If you have any suggestions for future topics that you would like us to consider please let us know on social media.

  • Subscribe on YouTube: Link (Earliest Availability)
  • Subscribe to the  podcast in iTunes: Link
  • Follow the  Team Handball Handball News podcast on Spotify: Link
  • Or use this RSS Feed to sign up for the podcast in your favorite podcast aggregator: Link

And, be sure to check out the podcast archive with interviews and great handball discussion going all the way back to 2006: LinkPosted in College Handball, Handba