Podcast (Episode 80): Colton Strickler of Colorado XO Rugby (Part 2): A Rugby Guy with a lot of Handball Questions and What Handball Might Learn from the New U.S. Pro Rugby League?

Colton Strickler is a media representative for DNVR Rugby. In the first part of our discussion we focused on the Colorado XO Rugby Club that is focused on rugby training for crossover or “talent transfer” athletes from other sports. In the 2nd part I let Colton ask some handball newbie questions he has as a rugby guy. Then we discuss Major League Rugby (MLR), the relatively new pro rugby competition in the U.S. and the inherent challenges with starting a new professional league.

  • Some of the topics discussed during our Handball Q&A session
    • Did Jake Plummer play handball? Yes, but the wrong handball: Link
    • The semantic problems of handball/team handball: Link
    • How should a newcomer watch a handball match?
    • The success/failure rate for handball keepers
    • Where handball can be seen during the Olympics: Link
    • How handball is organized in Europe
    • Who is the Handball GOAT and who are the top players today?
    • Handball in Denver: Denver Direwolves: Website Facebook Instagram
    • Rugby/Handball Parallels in terms of crossover development
      • Can athletes be convinced to transfer to new sports at younger ages?
      • Will those athletes eventually get overtaken by higher caliber athletes?
    • NFL Players playing handball vs a Pro Club in Hungary
      • Earlier podcast with former NFL TE Gary Barnidge: Link
    • Why did the Handball community get mad when Jay Cutler said he could lead U.S. to Olympic Gold?
      • Some background on Cutlergate: Link
    • Why some positions in both sports are harder to crossover to
    • What aspects of game play are easier to transition to in both sports
    • Why not going out of bounds in rugby is like learning to use 3 steps in handball

  • Major League Rugby (MLR) Discussion (MLR Website)
    • How the MLR is financed?
      • Similar to the MLS structure
      • Several multi-millionaires including, Adam Gilcrest, who owns the F45 Fitness Centers
        • Bob Rich, the billionaire handball player: Link
    • Challenges new leagues have with attendance and the optics of empty seats
    • Bottom Line: New leagues usually lose money… until they finally sign a good TV deal that pays
    • Player salaries: Low end to high end; Salary cap of ~$500K; and creative ways around the cap
    • The importance of making match video readily available. Handball: ehfTV Rugby: The Rugby Network

  • Colorado XO Website: Link
  • Colorado XO Rugby on Social Media
  • DNVR Rugby Website: Link
  • DNVR Twitter: Link
  • Colton Strickler on Twitter: Link

Don’t miss an episode:

  • Subscribe on YouTube: Link (Earliest Availability)
  • Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes: Link
  • Follow the Team 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

Podcast (Episode 79): Colton Strickler of Colorado XO Rugby (Part 1): Has this Rugby Club Cracked the Code for Successful Talent Transfer?

Colton Strickler is a media representative for DNVR Rugby. The Colorado XO Rugby Club is a rugby club located in Glendale, Colorado that is focused on rugby training for crossover or “talent transfer” athletes from other sports. In just 2 years time this program has had 6 athletes sign pro rugby contracts with Major League Rugby, the relatively new pro rugby competition started in the U.S.

On the podcast we discuss:

  • Why Rugby’s experience is applicable to handball
    • The XO athlete that triggered this whole podcast: Link
  • Colton’s rugby background
  • Rugby talent transfer: Rugby 7s vs Rugby 15s
  • How the Colorado XOs got started
  • Colorado XO Recruiting Strategies
  • Sports the XOs target
  • The limited post collegiate options for American athletes
  • Colorado XO finances (generalities, not specifics)
  • How the Colorado XO schedule is a bit like Notre Dame football
  • The program’s connection with USA Rugby
  • Coaching and training regimen

  • Colorado XO Website: Link
  • Colorado XO Rugby on Social Media
  • DNVR Rugby Website: Link
  • DNVR Twitter: Link
  • Colton Strickler on Twitter: Link

Don’t miss an episode:

  • Subscribe on YouTube: Link (Earliest Availability)
  • Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes: Link
  • Follow the Team 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

Shaq and Tim Tebow Throwing Handballs (Actually Dodgeballs, but it Gives you and Idea of What Might have Been)

Could of, Should of, Would of…. Tim Tebow and Team Handball

The other day, the NBA studio show, Inside the NBA, staged a dodge ball match. And, since Shaquille O’Neal has reportedly expressed some interest in supporting handball’s development in the U.S. it was fun to see him actually throw a handball sized ball around a bit. This video shows Shaq in action:

Shaq’s 49 years old now, though, so it was a bit hard to envision the theoretical dominant force I think he would have been if handball had been his chosen sport.

While searching for that video, this video of former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow playing dodgeball and drilling Shaq also popped up.

In my opinion, this video supports what has been discussed for 10 years now. That Tim Tebow would have been a phenomenal handball player. I know, I know…it’s just celebrity dodgeball, but you can still see it. He’s got the arm (lefty), the moves and the mentality of a handball player.

Alas, he continued to believe that he had a future as an NFL quarterback. Then he gave baseball a try. I had thought he had finally resigned himself to being just a football commentator, but earlier this year he announced that he was going to give the NFL a try yet again, this time as tight end.

This is yet more fuel to my theory that he could have been a great handball player. Why, in this commentary I posited that the the 2 best football positions to target for crossover potential to handball are tight ends and mobile quarterbacks. Now Tebow is actually taking a crack at an NFL career in both positions. (That’s got to be a first.) It remains to be seen if this latest venture will also end in failure. Now 33 years old, it’s too late for handball. And, it’s probably too late for tight end too.

Olympic Team Handball Information Page

The intent of this page is to provide a consolidated location for 2020 Olympic Handball information that can serve both dedicated handball fans as well as newcomers just discovering the sport.


  • Olympic Handball Competition Schedule and Results: Link
  • Team Information (Official pages, previews, rosters and handy Wikipedia pages): Link
  • USA TV and Web Streaming Information: Link
    • NBC TV Cable/Satellite Schedule: Link
  • Handball Betting Information:
    • Handball Betting Tutorial: Link
    • Where to Bet on Handball in the U.S.: Link
    • Olympic Handball Odds: Link
  • Mainstream Media Articles on Handball: Link
    • Hey, media person, just discovering handball: Think you’ve got a new idea on how the U.S. can win Olympic Handball Gold? Think again… Check out these articles dating back from 1996.
  • Handball FAQ: Link
    • Trending Questions
      • Where is handball popular in the world?: Link
      • What impact has the name confusion for Handball/Team Handball had on the sports development in the US?: Link
    • Have a question you want answered? Contact Team Handball News via social media or send me an email at john.ryan@teamhandballnews.com

Follow Team Handball News on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram


Handball Web Streaming this Weekend (25-27 June 2021)

The Rip Beach Handball Club will be in action this weekend in Spain.

  • More information on where to find web streams for National Team, Professional Club and USA Competitions: Link
  • For regular updates on when and where handball matches can be streamed online follow Team Handball News on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram

All times are CET which is 6 hours ahead of US ET. Odds courtesy of Bet MGM and/or OddsPortal.


American Athletes in Action

The Rip Beach Handball Club will be participating in the Orihuela, Spain stop on the Arena Handball Tour. Many of the athletes playing for Rip Beach are also members of the USA Beach Handball National Team. I will post the scheduled match times and results when they are available. They also will surely be available on Rip Beach Handball’s social media platforms

  • Rip Beach Handball: Facebook Instagram
  • Tourney Website: Link
  • Spanish YouTube Site: Link (It’s not clear what matches will be streamed yet)
  • Match Schedule: Rip Beach Handball is in Pool C of the Men’s Open Division: Schedule Standings
    • Rip Beach Handball vs Alusin Solar-Atletica (Friday, 2145 CET)
      • Rip Beach – Alusin Solar-Atletica 1:2 (24:22;18:20;6:8)
    • Rip Beach Handball vs SPIT ARHS (Saturday, 1320 CET)
      • Rip Beach – SPIT ARHS 1:2 (12:17;26:18;11:12)
    • Rip Beach Handball vs BMP Maravillas Benalmadena (Saturday, 1920 CET)
      • Rip Beach – BMP Maravillas Benalmadena 2:0 (30:22;25:22) Video Link (slide bar to left)
  • HBL 2 (Germany)
    • Dormagen (-1) vs Elbflorenz (Saturday, 1800 CET): Link (VPN required; More infoWhat I use)
      • Ian and Patrick Hueter play for Dormagen.
      • 6th place Dormagen hosts 4th place Elbflorenz in the last match of a very long season. A win here would put Dormagen level on points (40) with Elbflorenz.

Other Matches this Weekend

  • Euro Cup:  ehfTV
    • Spain (-7.5) vs Croatia (Sunday, 2000 CET)
      • The Euro Cup is a tournament for the European nations that had already qualified for the 2022 European Championships and this make up match is a tune up opportunity for Olympic bound Spain and a chance for Croatia to start their rebuilding effort.

Handball Web Streaming this Weekend (18-20 June 2021)

Ebiye Udo-Udoma and the rest of the U.S. Men’s Beach Team Handball squad will be in action several times this weekend.

  • More information on where to find web streams for National Team, Professional Club and USA Competitions: Link
  • For regular updates on when and where handball matches can be streamed online follow Team Handball News on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram

All times are CET which is 6 hours ahead of US ET. Odds courtesy of Bet MGM and/or OddsPortal.

American Athletes in Action

The USA Beach Handball Men are participating in a tournament in the Canary Islands. On Friday and Saturday they play round robin matches. The top two teams will play for 1st while the the remaining 3 teams will play a mini round robin for places 3-5. (Note: Local Time for the Canary Islands is 1 hour behind CET)

  • Tourney Website: Link
  • Spanish YouTube Site: Link
  • The USA Men’s roster: Link
  • Torneo Internacional de España de Balonmano Playa 2021 (Beach Handball, Canary Islands, Spain) Video Link
    • Round Robin: USA vs Spain (Friday, 1745 CET / 1645 Local / 1145 US ET)
      • USA – Spain 0:2 (16:29;18:20) [Video Replay: Link]
    • Round Robin: USA vs Germany (Saturday, 1130 CET / 1030 Local / 0530 US ET)
      • USA – Germany 0:2 (22:25;16:22) [Video Replay: Link]
    • Round Robin: USA vs Poland (Saturday, 1745 CET / 1645 Local / 1145 US ET)
      • USA – Poland 0:2 (17:24;10:24) [Video Replay: Link] (Currently Unavailable)
    • Round Robin: USA vs Portugal (Saturday, 2130 CET / 2030 Local / 1530 US ET)
      • USA – Portugal 0:2 (22:27;17:22) [Video Replay: Link] (Currently Unavailable)
    • 3rd-5th Placement: USA vs Poland (Sunday, 1130 CET / 1030 Local / 0530 US ET)
      • USA – Poland 0:2 (17:22;21:22) [Video Replay: Link]
    • 3rd-5th Placement: USA vs Germany (Sunday, 1345 CET / 1245 Local / 0745 US ET)
      • USA – Germany 1:2 (31:30;14:30;8:9) [Video Replay: Link]
  • HBL 2 (Germany)

Other Matches this Weekend

  • African Women’s Handball Championships:  CAHB Facebook Page Cameroon TV
    • 3rd Place: Tunisia (-1.5) vs Congo (Saturday, 1600 CET) 1st half 2nd half
    • 1st Place: Angola (-4) vs Cameroon (Saturday, 1900 CET) 1st half 2nd half
  • EHF/IHF Trophy Tournament:  ehfTV
    • 5th Place Andorra vs Azerbaijan (-7.5) (Saturday, 1200)
    • Semifinal Cyprus vs Moldova (Saturday, 1430)
    • Semifinal Georgia (-5) vs Bulgaria (Saturday, 1700)
    • 3rd Place Match: Moldova (-4.5) vs Azerbaijan (Sunday, 1430)
    • 1st Place Match: Georgia (-4.5) vs Cyprus (Sunday, 1070)

Breaking Down the U.S. Women’s National Team 2021 NACHC Championships Preliminary Roster

This past Wednesday, USA Team Handball released a preliminary roster for this summer’s North American and Caribbean Handball Championship. The roster lists 28 athletes and here’s a breakdown by age and where they first learned to play handball.

USA Preliminary Roster (Youngest to Oldest)

USA Preliminary Roster (Youngest to Oldest)

The ages on the roster range from 15 to 39 with an average age is 25.1. This is quite the range and is considerably more spread out then the typical women’s national team roster which is more bunched up with the bulk of the athletes in their 20s. For comparison, take a look at the rosters of the 24 nations at the 2019 IHF Women’s Handball World Championship

USA Provisional Roster (Nation Where they First Played Handball)

USA Preliminary Roster (Nation Where they First Played Handball)

All of these athletes are Americans, but the U.S. is a large nation with a global population. Estimates vary, but as many as 9M American citizens live in another country so it’s no real surprise that some of those 9M learned to play handball where they grew up. In fact, 57% (16 of 28) of the U.S. roster originally played handball in 8 different countries. Norway leads the way with 4 athletes followed by Germany with 3. Other nations: Cape Verde (2), Denmark (2), Sweden (2), Canada (1), Israel (1), Japan (1).

The fact that the U.S. has so many dual citizen athletes is sometimes seen as controversial, but it shouldn’t be. I addressed this reality and its implications for the U.S. National Team and the sport’s development previously in a series of commentaries Part 1Part 2Part 3)

In terms of the 12 U.S. athletes that were raised stateside, 3 athletes (Kaffka, Stewart and Taylor) are products of Collegiate Clubs, 6 athletes (Lombard, Hartnett, Vallone, Fithian, Gascon and Darling) primarily first learned how to play at a Residency Program (Cortland or Auburn University) and 3 athletes picked up handball either on their own or with a club (Da Cruz, Faulkner and Smet).

Final Roster Projection

My projection for the Final Roster is a mixture of logic and guesswork. The logic portion is primarily looking at the last major tournament roster (the 2019 PANAM Games) and penciling in any name from that roster that is also on the preliminary roster. Of course, just because someone made the team last time doesn’t guarantee that they will make the team again, but it’s usually a good starting point. Further strengthening this logic is the COVID-19 pandemic as it has somewhat frozen things in place since March 2020 with many athletes not even playing handball much since then. There are 11 potential returnees and assuming that 16 athletes will be allowed for this tournament that means 5 newcomers.

And, this is where some major guesswork is required as I am not familiar with many of the other names on the roster nor do I even know what positions some of them play. So, keeping this in mind here is a top level assessment of which athletes might make the final roster. To be clear, though, I’m not actually going to make any hard projections other than that I think all 11 athletes from the PANAM Games will make the final roster. I just simply don’t know enough about the newcomers.

Goalkeepers: Sophie Fasold was one of the 2 goalkeepers on the PANAM Games roster and the other GK, Bryana Newbern is not on the 28 player preliminary roster. Fasold has also been able to play a full season with her club team, Nord Harrislee in the German 2nd Division, so I think she will likely get the the bulk of the minutes. The coaching staff will have to choose whether they want 2 or 3 goalies on the roster and both Sanna Wheeler and Emily Mrymo have previously made Jr team rosters. Also, identified as a GK is McKenna Smet who is very new to handball.

Goalkeepers

Left Wing: Julia Taylor was the 3rd leading scorer for the U.S. at the PANAM Games and Maria Vallone was her backup. It would seem that these two spots are fairly locked in, but I’m not familiar with the other potential options.

Left Wings

Right Wing: Zoe Lombard and Elisabeth Hartnett were the U.S. PANAM Games participants, but they may be joined by 16 year old, Eden Nesper who played on the U.S. Youth team in 2019 and plays for both the U17 and U19 for her club team, Hannover Badenstedt in Germany. The Hannover U17 team won the Germany cup title this past weekend. She’s a capable player with a bright future, but that’s still a pretty young age to be playing against grown adults. It will be interesting to see what the coaching staff decides.

Circle Runner: Veterans, Sarah Gascon and Jennifer Fithian, should both make the roster and they will be joined by Shani Levinkind. Levinkind was selected to the PANAM Games roster, but did not participate due to injury. Karen Schultze, 20, plays in Germany and had previously been added to the player pool, so one can assume that she’s also a strong candidate. This position may seem to be set, but because there are some major question marks at backcourt some of these players might end up playing there instead of at circle.

Circle Runners

Backcourt (Left, Center, Right):While the other positions appear to be somewhat settled there are a lot of question marks as to who will be playing the three backcourt positions. Well, not all question marks. Left Back, Nicole Andersen, the 2nd leading scorer for the U.S. at the PANAM Games returns and will likely be called upon to assume a greater leadership role with the team. Also returning are veterans Kathy Darling and relative newcomer Sif Skov Christensen. And… that’s it, (as far as I know) when it comes to returning back court players.

Logically, this means some newcomers are probably going to be expected to play some really important minutes at the key backcourt positions. And, really not knowing these players means some major guesswork. I’ve heard some good things about Emma Ready and I’ve even played quite a few times vs her father long ago in California so perhaps she’s inherited some of his feisty quickness. Despite being just 17 she could be an option at Center Back. Cecile Brown and Emilie Johansson are also possibilities and as dual citizens perhaps they’ve gotten quite a bit of playing time despite their relatively young ages.

Backcourts

But, really for all I know several names on the roster that I haven’t even mentioned (see below) could well be the athletes the selection team goes with.

Roster Candidates (Unknown Position)

But, here’s one thing I do know: U.S. success or failure in Elgin this summer will likely hinge on these newcomers and their ability to make meaningful contributions at backcourt.

Roster Churn

Much of the above commentary focused on the likely returning players from the 2019 PANAM Games and some new gaps where newcomers will need to step up. So, for context I’ll highlight some players that were not on the preliminary roster and the contributions that will be missed.

First and foremost, center back Jence Rhoads, the U.S. leading scorer (24 goals in 5 matches) from the PANAM Games is not on the roster. Anyone who’s seen the U.S. play for the past several years knows that she’s developed some solid skills and has been the point guard directing traffic on offense, making the players around her more productive. Also, not returning are left back Julia Sayer and right back Ashley Butler. All told, those 3 athletes accounted for 44% (40 of 91 goals in 5 matches) of the live action goals scored at the PANAM Games. In terms of backcourt productivity they accounted for 74% (40 of 54 goals) of the backcourt scoring. Further limiting experienced options is the news that the long awaited return of right back Karoline Borg will be delayed due to pregnancy. Borg, age 30, plays right back for Aker Topphåndball in Norway’s top and league and had previously played for the U.S.

While these roster changes will impact the U.S. it’s more than likely that the U.S. won’t be alone with this problem as other NACHC nations are also surely encountering similar roster churn. Such change is inevitable and it will be interesting to see how successful teams are in integrating their newcomers and getting their teams ready after a long pandemic layoff.

Note: If there is any information in this table that is incorrect, drop me a line at john.ryan@teamhandballnews.com and I will update it.

USA Men’s Preliminary Roster prior to the 2021 WC: Link

Handball Web Streaming this Weekend (11-13 June 2021)

Final Four Weekend

  • More information on where to find web streams for National Team, Professional Club and USA Competitions: Link
  • For regular updates on when and where handball matches can be streamed online follow Team Handball News on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram

All times are CET which is 6 hours ahead of US ET. Odds courtesy of Bet MGM and/or OddsPortal.

American Athletes in Action

  • HBL 2 (Germany)
  • Youth Women’s Final Four (Germany)
    • Semifinal: TV Hannover-Bandstedt vs HC Erlangen  (Saturday, 1715): Video Link
      • Eden Nesper (#44) is a Right Wing for Hannover; Nesper was named to the U.S. preliminary roster for this summer’s North American & Caribbean Championship
      • Hannover won 30-23 and will play in the first place match on Sunday.
    • 1st Place Match: TV Hannover-Bandstedt vs HSG Blomberg-Lippe (Sunday, 1345): Video Link

Other Matches this Weekend

  • EHF Champions League Final FourehfTV 
    • Paris S-G (-3) vs Aalborg (Saturday, 1515)  
    • Barcelona (-5.5) vs Nantes (Saturday, 1800)
    • 3rd Place Match: Paris SG (-2.5) vs Nantes (Sunday, 1515)
    • 1st Place Match: Barcelona (-4.5) vs Aalborg (Sunday, 1800)
  • LIDL Star Ligue (France):  LNH TV
    • Istres (-1) vs Chartres (Saturday, 1800 CET) Video Link
    • Creteil (-2) vs Ivry (Saturday, 1800 CET) Video Link

Shaquille O’Neal Reportedly Interested in Supporting the Development of American Handball

Gauthier Mvumbi, Detroit Handball Club Ambassador… Shaquille O’Neal, American Handball Ambassador At-Large?

Gauthier Mvumbi, Detroit Handball Ambassador

During the 2021 World Championships this past January, Gauthier Mvumbi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo was a media sensation and was christened the “Shaq of Handball”. This got the attention of Shaquille O’Neal and he even reached out to Mvumbi via Instagram. For a while Mvumbi was the darling of the handball media world, but I figured his 15 minutes was going to be up pretty soon.

Then a few weeks ago, Detroit Handball announced on social media that Mvumbi had agreed to be a handball ambassador for the club. I greeted this announcement with skepticism and, in part, it directly led to a recent podcast discussion on social media with Detroit Handball Club President, Joey Williams. During the podcast, I tried to get a straight answer as to just what this “ambassadorship” entailed, and from my perspective I never really got a satisfactory answer. Being somewhat old school, I wrote the whole thing off as pretty much attention for attention’s sake.

The Two Shaqs are Still Talking

But, then I read that the two Shaqs have continued their friendship and according to a recent interview in the French newspaper, L’Echo Republicaine, they are still in contact with each other. Further, Shaquille O’Neal apparently has some interesting in helping out handball in the U.S.

Here’s a translation of a portion of the interview

Gauthier Mvumbi, you will become the ambassador of US handball. Explain to us!
I will help promote handball in the United States, help its development. I will participate in internships, summer camps, gala matches. I will go back and forth, but I remain above all a handball player in France or in Europe.

In which big American city?
The Detroit club contacted me. In the near future, Shaquille O’Neal also wants to be involved and take on some responsibilities. Shaq would like to explore possibilities to help make handball more attractive in the U.S.; With a 5 year time frame.

Are you still in touch with the NBA star?
We talk to each other regularly. The plan is to go to the U.S. in July and meet each other in person. That will be something!

Shaquille O’Neal as a Handball Ambassador?

Shaq wants to help make handball more attractive in the U.S.? Wow! It true, that would be a godsend of epic proportions. A few years ago I highlighted what USA Team Handball should look for in terms of new Board Members. I identified a need for millionaires (or even better, billionaires) and handball gospel spreaders, who could help educate the U.S. Shaq would be both in one package.

Shaq made a small fortune as an athlete ($292M on salary alone) and he continues to add to that fortune as a pretty effective ad pitchman for a number of different products. He’s got a fair amount of cash that could be put to good use. With the USA Team Handball budget at around $500K he could effectively buy out the organization if he wanted to.

But, where he would really shine is as a handball pitchman. He has millions of followers on social media and one Tweet or IG post from his Shaqness would effectively reach more new fans and players than a year’s worth of carefully crafted social media campaigns from various handball outlets in the U.S. and world-wide.

How Shaq Could Help Handball in the U.S.

Shaq as an ambassador and proponent for the sport could be an epic game changer in so many ways. Here are just a few ways he could help out:

  • Athlete recruiter: With a few targeted social media posts Shaq could reach hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of potential new handball athletes at all levels. Which, of course, would be really cool, but hopefully such a message could be coordinated with U.S. clubs nationwide so that they could be effectively prepared to engage with the new Shaq recruits.
  • TV and Web Streaming advocate: There currently is no TV home for handball in the U.S. beIN Sports TV and ESPN+ have failed to meet expectations. Shaq works for TNT and coincidentally, play by play for the Olympics will be provided by Matt Winer with NBA TV. Both properties are owned by Turner Networks which has been bought out by AT&T and will now be combined into a new to be named conglomerate with Warner Media and Discovery. A new media behemoth which will likely have a new streaming platform.
    • What if Shaq advocated for this new streaming platform to carry the EHF Champions League, the World Championships and other handball events?
    • What if they had Shaq, Kenny, EJ and Charles Barkley do an Inside the EHF Champions League show? And, maybe Matt Winer (with his newfound handball experience) could replace EJ as he has done in the past. Yes, those guys know nothing about handball, but, trust me, it would still be really entertaining!
  • Sponsor a college program: The interview states that Shaq wants to make the U.S. “Championnat” more attractive. Literally, that means the “National League” and the U.S. doesn’t actually have such a league. Our vast size and the amateur status of the sport pretty much makes that impossible and creating a pro or even a semi-pro league would require some major investment. While Shaq has the resource to create such a league, a more practical effort near term would be to beef up the U.S. collegiate competition. In particular, Shaq could support one college program with the intent of turning that program into a national power. As, I wrote last year a modest investment could very quickly create a national title contender. What college to choose, though? His alma mater, LSU is a candidate, but an HBCU would also be a possibility.

Those are just some possibilities. Share your ideas on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram

Earlier commentary: “What if Shaq had played handball?”: Link

Handball Web Streaming this Weekend (4-6 June 2021)


  • More information on where to find web streams for National Team, Professional Club and USA Competitions: Link
  • For regular updates on when and where handball matches can be streamed online follow Team Handball News on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram

All times are CET which is 6 hours ahead of US ET. Odds courtesy of Bet MGM and/or OddsPortal.

American Athletes in Action

  • HBL 2 (Germany)
    • Gummersbach (-4) vs Dormagen (Friday, 1900) CET): Link (VPN required; More infoWhat I use)
      • Ian and Patrick Hueter play for Dormagen. 
      • 7th place Dormagen gets a chance to play spoiler as they travel to 3rd place Gummersbach which is fighting for promotion to the HBL

Other Matches this Weekend

  • German Cup Final:  
    • Lemgo vs Melsungen (-1.5)  (Friday, 1730 CET)  Link (VPN required; More infoWhat I use)
      • Lemgo shocked Kiel 29-28 in the semifinal
  • K&H League (Hungary)
    • League Final (2nd Leg) Veszprem (-3.5) vs Szeged (Saturday, 1830 CET): Video Link (VPN required; More infoWhat I use)
      • Szeged won the 1st leg 31-28
  • LIDL Star Ligue (France):  LNH TV
    • Creteil (-1) vs Cesson (Saturday, 1600 CET) Video Link
    • Chambery (-2.5) vs Dunkerque (Saturday, 1700 CET) Video Link
    • Tremblay vs Aix (-3.5) (Saturday, 1800 CET) Video Link
    • Istres (Pick’em) vs Limoges (Saturday, 1800 CET) Video Link
    • Chartres vs St Raphael (-0.5) (Sunday, 1600 CET) Video Link
  • Liga ASOBAL Cup (Spain)LaLigaSportsTV
    • Semifinal #1 Cantabria vs Irun (-4.5)  (Saturday, 1810 CET) Video Link
    • Semifinal #2 Barcelona (-13) vs Huesca  (Saturday, 2030 CET) Video Link
    • Final (Sunday, 2030 CET) Video Link

Podcast (Episode 78): Detroit Handball’s Joey Williams (Part 2)


Joey Williams is the President of the Detroit Handball Club. In Part 2 of our two part conversation we cover several topics to include:

  • European vs American club naming conventions
  • Handball social media: Attention for attention’s sake? (3:30)
    • Rodger Sherman of the Ringer hyping Mvumbi on Twitter: Link (an earlier more viral tweet got taken down)
    • The need to back up the social media image
    • Detroit’s 3 on 3 handball league: Link (Clearly, not handball, but there was a point to it)
  • Detroit Handball Club’s future in 1 year… 5 years (21:00)
  • Mercenary club teams in the U.S. (26:30)
  • Detroit Handball Club training with Sporting Handball in Portugal (38:00): Link
  • Josh Forsthoefel questions sent in on Twitter (47:00): Link
  • What does success look like for handball in the U.S.? (52:30)
  • Detroit Handball Documentary (1:01:50) : Link
  • Detroit Handball Club on Social Media

Part 1 of our interview: Link


Don’t miss an episode:

  • Subscribe on YouTube: Link (Earliest Availability)
  • Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes: Link
  • Follow the Team 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

Handball Web Streaming this Weekend (28-30 May 2021)


The Women’s EHF Champions League Final Four: All Matches Live on ehfTV

For regular updates on when and where handball matches can be streamed online follow Team Handball News on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram


All times are CET which is 6 hours ahead of US ET. Odds courtesy of Bet MGM and/or OddsPortal.

American Athletes in Action

  • HBL 2 (Germany)
    • Dormagen (-3.5) vs Wilhelmshavener (Friday, 1930) CET): Link (VPN required; More infoWhat I use)
      • Ian and Patrick Hueter play for Dormagen. 
      • 5th place Dormagen suffered a heavy defeat, 35-27, to Grosswalstadt on Tuesday and will look to rebound with a win vs 16th place Wilhelmshavener.
  • K&H League (Hungary)
    • FTC Budapest vs Gyöngyös (Saturday, 1600 CET): Video Link
      • Pal Merkovszki is the #2 GK for Gyongyos
      • 11th place Gyöngyös travels to Budapest to take on 6th place FTC. This is the last match of the year for Gyongyos.
  • D2F (France)
    • La Rochelle vs As Cannes Mandelieu  (Saturday, 1900 CET): Video Link
      • Nicole Andersen plays defense and left back for Cannes
      • Thanks to a 24-22 win last weekend over Octville sur Mer is now assured of staying in D2F next season. This match will be their last of the season.
      • Playdown Standings: Link
  • Eredivisie (Netherlands)
    • KRAS/Volendam vs Aalsmeer (Saturday, 2000 CET): Video Link
      • Mark Ortega is Volendam’s coach and Alex Binderis (#4) plays circle runner for Volendam
      • 5th place Volendam hosts 2nd place Aalsmeer. This is Voldendam’s last match of the season and a win would enable them to move into 4th place in the 5 team league: Link
  • Liga ASOBAL (Spain)
    • Valladolid vs Leon (-1.5) (Sunday, 1900 CET): Video Link  
      • Drew Donlin plays defense and circle runner for Leon.
      • Donlin had a great game (5 goals) last weekend vs Barcelona.
      • 7th place Leon travels to 9th place Valladolid. This is Leon’s 2nd to last match of the season and will likely be that last match that will be available on Laligasports TV,

Other Matches this Weekend

  • EHF Cup Final ehfTV
    • AEK Athens (-3) vs Ystads IF (Friday, 1800 CET)
    • AEK Athens vs Ystads IF (Sunday, 1800 CET)
    • The first match was to be played in Sweden, but had to be cancelled due to positive COVID cases. Both matches will now be played in Athens and the winner will be decided by aggregate goals.
    • There is a U.S. connection: The U.S. national team played a couple friendly matches vs Ystads in 2020: Link
  • Women’s EHF Champions League Final Four:  ehfTV 
    • Gyor (-4.5) vs Brest (Saturday, 1515 CET)
    • Kristianstad (-1) vs CSKA Moscow (Saturday, 1800 CET)
    • 3rd Place Match Gyor (-4.5) vs CSKA Moscow (Sunday, 1515 CET)
    • 1st Place Match Brest (-0.5) vs Kristianstad (Sunday, 1800 CET)
    • This is the premier women’s club handball event and all 4 matches will have English commentary with Chris O’Reilly
  • LIDL Star Ligue (France):  LNH TV
    • Chartres (-1.5) vs Tremblay (Friday, 1830 CET) Video Link
    • Creteil vs Nantes (-4.5) (Saturday, 1600 CET) Video Link
    • Istres vs Toulouse (-1) (Saturday, 1800 CET) Video Link
    • Limoges (-0.5) vs Dunkerque (Saturday, 1800 CET) Video Link
    • Chambery (-4) vs Cesson (Saturday, 1800 CET) Video Link
    • Nimes (-4.5) vs Ivry (Saturday, 1900 CET) Video Link
  • Liga ASOBAL (Spain)LaLigaSportsTV
    • Barcelona (-16) vs Cangas  (Saturday, 1200 CET) Video Link
    • Guadalajara (-4) vs Puerto Sagunto  (Sunday, 1630 CET) Video Link
    • Nava (-3) vs Anaitasuna  (Sunday, 1630 CET) Video Link
    • Irun (-1.5) vs Granollers (Sunday, 1630 CET) Video Link

Podcast (Episode 77): Detroit Handball’s Joey Williams (Part 1)

Joey Williams is the President of the Detroit Handball Club. In Part 1 of our two part conversation we discuss the trials and tribulations of his efforts to start the Detroit Club. For the most part he’s been very successful getting the Detroit Club started in the middle of a pandemic, no less.

Here are some links related to our discussion

  • Joey’s 2016 experience at a European GK Camp: Link
  • Joey’s 2019 experience at the ISI Sports Academy in Denmark: Link
  • 2019 Commentary which discussed the hurdles of starting a new club: Link
  • Detroit Masonic Temple (Where Detroit practices): Official Site Wikipedia
  • Detroit Handball Club on Social Media

In Part 2 will delve into a pot pourri of topics including Detroit’s effective use of social media.


Don’t miss an episode:

  • Subscribe on YouTube: Link (Earliest Availability)
  • Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes: Link
  • Follow the Team 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