Over the course of the past few months I’ve had a lengthy email exchange with USA Team Handball Manager, Steve Pastorino. We cover a lot of ground in the interview and it will be broken up into several parts. Herewith is the first part of the interview which addresses USA National Team Planning. In the interview Steve addresses upcoming plans for qualification, as well as long term plans heading towards 2016.

[b]National Team Planning[/b]

John Ryan: At the Town Hall Meeting it was noted that USATH would not expend funds in an attempt to qualify for the 2012 Olympics, but that the Federation would also not stand in the way of athletes self financing a qualification attempt. How exactly would a self financed trip effort work in terms of coaching and player selection?

Steve Pastorino: USATH created coach and player selection processes in compliance with USOC. The head coach, technical director and a representative chosen by the AAC rep will comprise the player selection committee. Women will make their selection after Tar Heel Invitational in October; Men will make their selection after camps in LA and Birmingham (Oct). The selection committee will have to balance reports from European players/tours, the various camps, etc. Both teams are receiving substantial grants from USA Team Handball Foundation, so “self-financed” is not exactly the right word.

JR: What competition format is envisioned for PANAM Games qualification? When would it take place?

SP: Canada at USA on Dec. 21; USA @ Canada on Dec. 23. Times/venues TBD. We’re pushing for West Point; and they will host in Montreal area. Lake Placid is on hold as our backup choice. In event of tie on points, aggregate goal differential is the first tiebreaker, followed by most away goals. If still tied, we’d go to a mini-game, then shootout.

JR: Should the U.S. lose to Canada will the U.S. Men and Women participate in the 2nd chance tournament? Would the U.S. be a potential host?

SP: We haven’t made this decision yet.

JR: The Men didn’t attempt to qualify for the 2011 WC, but the Women could still try. Will the USA send a Women’s team to the D-1 Championship in Cuba this November?

SP: This is being discussed as we speak. Most likely not.

JR: What about 2013 WC qualification for the Men’s and Women’s Programs? Will attempts to qualify for these events be self funded?

SP: We’ve set 2013 as the timetable to formally re-enter international competition. However, as you know, PATHF qualifying starts 12-18 months beforehand, which really means those funds are required next fall (Men’s D-1) and then fall 2012 (women’s D-1). If USATH cannot fund these competitions, we will encourage US TH Foundation to assist

JR: How hard a decision was it to forgo 2012 Olympic qualification?

SP: The Board of Directors has been consistent as far back as summer 2008 that participation at the 2012 Olympics was not planned for, nor anticipated. That being said, if this young group of athletes qualifies, it will be a very positive reflection on our direction – as the majority of athletes are new.

It’s very hard – when we have committed athletes that want to demonstrate what they can do; but at the same time, if we don’t get a lot more players into the game at a young age, we’ll just be repeating the mistakes of the past. So we’ve focused less on immediate results and more on long-term plans.

JR: What about the argument that the U.S. could use 2012 qualification as a test run for 2016? In theory at least some of the athletes involved in the 2012 run would still be around in 2016 and they’ll be more prepared as a result.

SP: We anticipate that the majority of athletes in the 2012 Qualifying process are young enough to be candidates for 2016 as well.

JR: Yes, but I was referring more to the level of resources being expended. Qualification for and participation in the 2011 PANAM Games would be an excellent dry run for the task in 2015. We’ve funded friendly trips to Germany. Wouldn’t it make more sense to have funded qualification events first and then if there was money left over use it to fund friendly tours?

SP: We have our sights set on competing with European national teams, not just Pan Am teams. The caliber of games, facilities, training sessions, coaching, support that we receive in Europe dwarfs what we can achieve in the Pan Am region, so we made the strategic decision to attempt to compete there instead of here.

JR: Let's discuss the plans for 2016 qualification. Will there be a resident national team program in the U.S.? When?

SP: Not necessarily. That being said, we have 10-12 men living and training daily (in better conditions than we can offer stateside) within driving distance of one another in Germany. I think we can get this number to 30+ by 2015; and our numbers are catching up on the women’s side as well. The athletes are starting to get together to train on a regular basis – and we’ve had men and women conduct multiple tours in Europe since 2009. I wouldn’t rule out extended camps/residential program in Europe.

JR: When will the U.S. have full time coaches? Will they be U.S. based?

SP: When we can afford salaries that full-time coaches require. F/T coaches also need players to train, facilities to use, funding for travel, and multiple other areas of support.

JR: What age range do you envision for our 2016 rosters?

SP: Men: 22-35; Women: 18-30; Average age of women’s team in Bremen last week was 18.5!

JR: Will USATH have the necessary funding to proceed with this plan?

SP: We have built a business model in two years based on events, sponsorship, television, membership, donations, etc. We have to prove we can sustain it, but the intention is that the funding will continue to grow.

JR: Can you give me rough idea of where you expect the U.S. program will be in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016?

SP:
2013: More teams competing (youth/junior/senior) in a variety of international competitions at home and abroad; Longer camps, broadly defined player pool; More athletes in Europe at higher levels; Progress in USA developmental programs producing international-caliber young athletes for competitions, international training opportunities; First USATH-funded Pan Am and/or World Championships competitions. Women finish Top 3 in Pan Am Championships to qualify for 2013 World Championships

2014: Continuation/expansion of 2013. Ramp up activities, camps, tours towards Pan Am Games Qualification matches (if necessary) in fourth quarter. Men finish Top 3 in Pan Am Championships to qualify for 2015 World Championships

2015: Continuation/expansion of all programs; Focused team preparation with narrowly defined potential player pool for July 2015 Pan Am Games (could include residential camp[s] and/or protracted tours in USA or Europe). Vast majority of our PAG athletes playing at highest level possible in Europe. Women finish Top 3 in Pan Am Championships to qualify for 2015 World Championships.

2016: Virtually every 2016 USA Handball Olympian competing in Europe with a self-sustaining contract (salary/job, housing). Full-time camp/residency in January, May-July, most likely in Europe.

JR: That’s a lot to get done in 6 years time. Is this perhaps more realistically a plan for 2020?

SP: The program is a basis for decades to come. It’s a change in mentality, a focus on youth development, a raising of the profile of the sport in the USA; not just a 2016 plan.

This concludes Part 1 of the interview. Part 2 will discuss USATH efforts to place players with European clubs and its Futures Program

When I settled in the United States 36 years ago, I was already more of a sports fan than the average person. I had been a handball referee for 13 years and a football referee for almost 10 years, and I watched a lot of top games in both sports. Among many others sports, I particularly enjoyed icehockey. And when I came to the U.S., I continued this involvement. I was immediately roped in by the U.S. Team Handball Federation, where my experience was needed, and I signed up as a football referee in the leagues in the mid-Atlantic area. I was also happy to note that my arrival coincided with the start-up of the Washington Capitals in the NHL.

BUT, I also found it fascinating to get familiar with the top three American sports: baseball, basketball and (American) football. For me it was exciting to have a chance to see ‘real’ basketball, not the version that was available in Sweden. (International NBA broadcasts did not exist in those days). I also got hooked on American football (although I could never understand why it is called football…), and this remains my favorite among the three sports. I have to admit that, by comparison, my enthusiasm for baseball has never really grown, but part of the reason may be that I have never tried very hard to understand the fine details. In any case, my point is that these three sports, which were essentially new to me, were an interesting, [b]positive[/b] discovery!

During the World Cup in football (soccer) it has been nice to see the enthusiasm among people in this country and the enormous attention it has been given in the media. I wonder how many other countries in the world have been broadcasting all the 64 games live. But I know that much of the excitement will quickly abate, and that football will be a very modest topic in the sports pages and in the discussions among sports fans for the next 3 years and 11 months. What has made me think of the obstacles that handball encounters in the U.S., however, is the abundance of[b] negative [/b]reactions to football that have appeared on TV, in major newspapers and web sites, mixed in with the enthusiasm.

People have used very nasty words to comment on football, describing it as a boring and ridiculous sport that does not deserve attention and TV coverage. It has been said that it does not require many of the basic skills that make American sports so fascinating, and that there is far too little action. The fact that not many goals are scored in a typical game has been seen as evidence that football is a meaningless activity, and the fact that most games are allowed to finish without a winner is seen as laughable. It has been pointed out that other big countries such as India, China, Japan and Indonesia are not very big on football, so this is used as an alibi for the suggestion that the U.S. must resist football. In fact, I have seen comments essentially suggesting that involvement in soccer amounts to engaging in some kind of ‘un-American’ activity.

Over the years, I have heard similar, although perhaps not equally harsh, comments about [b]handball[/b]. People have wondered why it was necessary to come up with one more sport that involves moving a ball with your hands from one end of a court to the other, when we already have the beautiful game of basketball. Others have suggested that the game is too dainty, because it is not permitted to tackle an opponent or to tear the ball out of his/her hands. Then there are complaints about the lack of frequent time-outs, presumably as it removes the opportunity to go to the refrigerator or bathroom, whichever urge is the greater. And then people ask: ‘how could someone be so stupid to come up with a game where the court does not fit into a typical American high school gym’. Along the same lines: ‘why do you call it handball; don’t you know that there already exists a sport by that name (in the U.S)!?’

I am not unrealistic enough to believe that anything else will successfully compete for attention with the formidable combo of baseball, basketball and football. But would it be too much to ask for a little more tolerance and open-mindedness?? Here in America there is a lot of interest in things such as international food, music, movies; not to mention consumer products from all over the world, even foreign-made cars!!! So why does it have to be so awkward and even seemingly unpatriotic to broaden one’s horizons and get curious about a sport, for instance handball, that is NOT All-American??

I sometimes wonder if the lack of interest and tolerance is related to the fact that we Americans are used to winning in international competition in virtually all sports. So does this lead to a lack of interest in a sport where no gold medals are within sight and where we may be beaten by some ‘obscure’ country? Should this not instead, in the traditional American mindset, make us ‘roll up our sleeves’ and see it as a matter of prestige to catch up with those who have a head start on us in this Olympic sport!?

USA Team Handball has posted the Men’s and Women’s Elite Gold Medal matches from this past May’s National Championships. Kenn Tomasch gives the play by play and Team Handball News’ John Ryan provides the color commentary

USA Team Handball Video Library: http://usateamhandball.org/video

A 12 minute highlight video of the USA's match vs TV Korschenbroich is now available on line. TV Korsenbroich plays in Germany's 2nd Division (south) league where they currently are in 11th place (out of 18) with a 14-16-1 record.

USA Team Handball has also posted on line the video of the Men’s Collegiate National Championship game. As mentioned previously, the video stream is a significant step up in quality from previous offerings. The picture is clearer and there are multiple camera angles. Additionally, there is two man audio team with Jim Thome providing the color commentary.

USATH (5 May 10): USA falls 41-24 to 2nd Bundesliga Side TV Korschenbroich: http://usateamhandball.org/news/2010/05/05/usa-falls-41-24-to-2nd-bundesliga-side-tv-korschenbroich/35779?ngb_id=42

Team USA vs TVK: http://www.hand-ball-herz.de/fans/hoeren_und_sehen/tvk_player

Collegiate Champhionship Video: http://usateamhandball.org/video

Check out the live coverage of the USA Collegiate Championships. Women’s match is at 0900 and the Men’s is at 1100. (U.S. East Coast Time) Color commentary features former West Point coach Jim Thome. He should enjoy the all-army final.

Worth noting: The video quality is a significant step up from previous offerings.

Live Coverage: http://usateamhandball.org/live

The USA Team Handball Board of Directors (BOD) met yesterday in Salt Lake City. The meeting was its first as the fully sanctioned National Governing Body recognized by the United States Olympic Committee. On Monday, the USOC Board had removed the “probationary” status granted in April 2008. The move cements USA Team Handball’s status as the recognized Federation for Team Handball in the U.S. and is a significant milestone for the new Federation.

The Board of Director’s meeting covered a number of topics including USA Team Handball’s By-laws and budget. Although not explicitly stated it can also be implied that the Chairman and General Manager’s reports included some discussion in regards to the near term and long term plans for National Team competition and player/grass roots development. Team Handball News has put in a request for budgetary and planning information and will post that information when it becomes available.

USA Team Handball: Board of Directors to meet (15 Dec 09): http://usateamhandball.org/news/2009/12/15/board-of-directors-to-meet/29918
USA Team Handball: USOC formally certifies USA Team Handball (16 Dec 09): http://usateamhandball.org/news/2009/12/16/usoc-formally-certifies-usa-team-handball/29952?ngb_id=42
THN Commentary: USA Team Handball (Year 1 Report Card) (14 Oct 09): https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?extend.847

The defending U.S. National Club champions, New York City Team Handball will take on a Bundesliga All Star team featuring Stefan Lovgren, Ljubomir Vranjes, Peter Gentzel, Henning Fritz and others. The match will take place on 3 January, 2010 as part of the first ever Big Apple Handball Tournament. This match will be a one off event separate from the tournament itself which will take place from 2-3 January. Participating in the actual tournament will be NY City and 5 teams from Germany. The 6 teams will be divided into two pools of 3 teams. Round robin games will be played on the 2nd and semifinal/placement games, as well as the all star game, will be played on the 3rd.

As to why this New York City tournament will, with the exception of the host, essentially be a transplanted German event, Shkumbin Mustafa, President of New York City THC, indicated that the German travel company, TR Travel, was the principal sponsor of the event while NYCTH was responsible for organizing the tournament. Due to time constraints and the space limitations of the gym facility two additional German teams even had to be turned away. Mustafa also emphasized that the New York City THC focus for this event will be to expose Handball to their developing youth programs. He also noted that they have tentative plans to host a tournament for American and Canadian clubs later this year.

NYC Team Handball Big Apple: http://www.newyorkcityteamhandball.com/bigapple.php

USA National Team player, Gary Hines, is featured in a four minute profile on German television station TVtouring. The feature includes interviews with Gary, his coach and footage of recent matches. Hines is the top player for his club, DJK Waldbüttelbrunn, and has been frequently scoring in the double digits this season. His club is currently 2-4 and in 13th place in the 4th division Bayernliga. In the interview, Gary indicates that his dream is to play in the Bundesliga and judging by the athleticism in some of the highlights it shouldn’t be long before he moves on to one of the higher divisions in Germany.

Gary Hines Profile (video): http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=199840224253
DJK Waldbüttelbrunn website: http://www.djk-waldbuettelbrunn.de/index.cfm
Bayern Liga Standings: http://www.bliga.info/bl2_spiel/tabelle.php
THN (27 Nov 2008): Gary Hines Signs Contract with German Club: https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.641
Wikispace translation of video: http://teamhandball.wikispaces.com/Gary+Hines+Interview
(Note: German speakers, we need your help. If you have time to translate even a small portion of the interview please do so at this wikispace site. Anyone can edit this wiki. Just click on “edit this page” and start typing.)

Partial Translation (Thanks for those who've helped)

Announcer: In German we say high, higher, highest. Well, in Waldbüttelbrunn it's in english and slightly different. High, higher, Hines. Waldbüttelbrunn' crowd favorite Gary Hynes is the "jumping wonder" of the Bayernliga and he wants to reach higher levels. Therefore, we've met with him at altitudes he can't reach with his jumping abiliites. At Würzburg Climbing hall we did an interview at 20 feet above the ground.

Announcer: Does it feel for you here like doing a jump shot?

Hines: If I look down it is quite similar. If I jump I am used to looking down at the other players.

Announcer: Since november 2008, Hynes wears the jersey of DJK. He is not only convincing by his jumping ability, but also by a lot of goals. 18 in a single match is his personal best, regularly he scores more than ten times a match. Of course such a player has high ambitions.

Hines: I know that I am one of the top players of the US. Here, I have to prove my skills because nobody knows me. And if I can improve myself than I think that I will be seen as a very good player. My dream is to play in the Bundesliga and I hope to reach this soon.

Announcer: It is quite possible that he can reach this aim because he learns quickly and can quickly adopt different circumstances, as we can see during the climbing. Within a short time he is at 14 meter altitude. But, before the 25 year old player will move on in the "world of handball" he wants to reach high aims with his current club.

Hines: We want to avoid relegation and win next saturday. When I came here last year I didn't know what they call a "derby" here, but I know that we call it a "match between rivals". I'm looking forward to it and I know that we have to win and therefore we'll get out and win.

Announcer: The player from Georgia is feeling very well in Waldbüttelbrunn.

Hines: I didn't know what I should expect when I came here. When I first entered the hall I saw a banner with "heartly welcome, Gary and we wish you much success" and since then everything is great. I love to play at home, because our fan support is fantastic. Then it's fun to play.

Announcer: And therefore there will be some more matches of the player with the high jumpping skills at his "chosen hometown" of Waldbüttelbrunn.

——————————————————————————–

Interviewer: What role does Gary Hines play for your team?

Bernd Becker (DJK Waldbuttelbrunn Trainer): He is an exceptional player with a good feeling with the ball and a good feeling for game situations. He is a player who, through his spectacular goals, motivates the whole team and the fans. Therefore, he is indispensable for our team.

Interviewer: How dificult is it to keep Gary Hines in Waldbüttelbrunn?

Becker: At the moment Gary Hines is here. As long he is still here, we do not know if he has the possibility to play the higher category, he use it he wants it we hope that he stays long in Waldbüttelbrunn because it just makes fun with him. DJK is very satisfied with Gary and we hope he is too with DJK. I think he feels very comfortable here, therefore, we hope that he stays for a long time……

The Pan American Team Handball Federation (PATHF) Men’s Division 1 Championships will take place in the Dominican Republic from 2-7 November, 2010. Seven nations will be participating: Canada, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras and the host nation. The first and second place nations from this tournament will qualify for the Senior Men’s Championship this summer in Chile. The top 3 finishers from that tournament will then qualify for the 2011 World Championships in Sweden.

Notably absent from the tournament is the United States, which for the second straight time will not participate in Men’s PATHF Championship events. In 2008, the USA was originally scheduled to host the Men’s Championship tournament in Atlanta, but ceded that right to Brazil when the Dekalb International Training Center reneged on hosting commitments. Later in May of 2008, just as the new USA Federation was launched the U.S. also declined to participate in the tournament in Brazil due to lack of preparation. Prior to 2008, the USA had participated in the first 12 PATHF Championships dating back to 1979.

In June of this year, USA Team Handball had indicated plans to participate in this tournament as Mariusz Wartalowicz, Technical Director of USA Team Handball was quoted shortly after a Men’s team trip to Germany:

“We hope to use the momentum created by this trip and announce shortly the road map for all aspiring athletes to qualify for USA Senior Men's National Team which will be participating in PATHF's Division 1 Tournament in the Dominican Republic, Nov. 3-7, 2009.”

Additionally, the Men's PATHF Div 1 tournament is listed as an "event" on USA Team Handball's Events Webpage: http://usateamhandball.org/event
A one sentence note, however, in a Board Director’s meeting minutes from July, indicates that Team USA’s decision not to participate is probably related to the desire to form a separate North American Federation:

“As part of this process, USATH is orienting national teams towards Europe for competitions, friendly tours, etc. until the continental question is resolved. The Board unanimously voted to support this direction.”

An email request for more information/clarification from USA Team Handball has been sent.

Wikipedia: PATHF Championships: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Handball_Championship
USA Team Handball (11 Jun 09): Squad rivals European teams, signals rebuilding process: http://usateamhandball.org/news/article/13403
USA Team Handball (1 Sep 09): Board of Directors Meeting Minutes: http://usateamhandball.org/news/article/15556
THN (2 Sep 09)USA Team Handball seeks breakaway North American Handball Federation: https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.814
Almomento.net: Dominican Republic home of Pan American Handball Championship: http://www.almomento.net/news/130/ARTICLE/44720/2009-10-21.html

In the wake of Chicago’s disappointing first round exit, rancor in the U.S. Olympic movement has been ratcheting up with several sport’s National Governing Bodies (NGBs) calling for the resignation of CEO, Stephanie Streeter and Board Chairman, Larry Probst. Of particular, note is the results of a 63 question survey which was sent to NGB’s by the Association of Chief Executives for Sports (ACES) which queried NGB Chief Executives on a number of topics to include their confidence in the USOC leadership, funding, marketing and the proposed Olympic Network. Most telling were the overwhelming negative responses to questions concerning the acting CEO’s qualifications and effectiveness in her position. Whether the survey had any influence on her recent decision to not be a candidate for the permanent CEO is not clear.

In response to the rancor, USA Team Handball has issued a press release yesterday with Chairman of the Board, Dieter Esch calling for discourse, not discord. Specifically, Mr Esch stated that “Blaming individuals for the actions of the past six months is short-sighted. We need a thorough analysis to cure the fundamental chasm between the USOC and the IOC." Additionally, the release calls for a blue ribbon panel “that puts actionable plans, not finger-pointing, at the forefront."

USA Team Handball Press Release:USA Team Handball calls for discourse, not discord: http://usateamhandball.org/news/article/24425
Sports Features Communications: American NGBs call for immediate resignation of Probst and Streeter: http://www.sportsfeatures.com/index.php?section=olympic-article-view&id=46004
Association of Chief Executives for Sport (ACES) Survey Results: http://assets.teamusa.org/assets/documents/attached_file/filename/18045/NGB_-_USOC_Survey_Results.pdf

Addendum: Dieter Esch and former National Team Player Matt Van Houten are quoted in this NY Times Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/08/sports/08usoc.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all

Ralf Uhding, who is a Board of Director for both USA Team Handball and the German Bundesliga (HBL) has been quoted in the German Financial Newspaper, Handelsblatt that bold plans to establish a professional league in the U.S is in development. Working with Dieter Esch, USA Team Handball President, they have gotten interest from both Google and Facebook and are still searching for more investors. Further talks will wait till October after the Olympic vote. Chicago being selected is seen as a key aspect of the project, but it is not explicitly stated that the entire effort hinges upon its selection.

The article goes on to say that Uhding and Esch realize that it is an enormous and difficult project and that they hope not to repeat the mistake of soccer in the 70’s when a pro league, absent a parallel grassroots effort, ended in failure. One model under consideration is working with universities to establish scholarships for handball to develop more athletes.

Handelsblatt: Handball aims at the U.S. market: http://www.handelsblatt.com/journal/sonstiges/handballer-zielen-auf-den-us-markt;2460717

A recent article at Handball-World chronicled the French Ligue Nationale de Handball’s (LNH) decision to not play their Coupe de la Ligue Final Four again in Florida next year. As had been reported by several outlets, the French League has decided to unilaterally break their 3 year contract with the Miami organizers. The Handball-World article, though, has an interesting twist in that it also reports that USA Team Handball and the LNH are now discussing the possibility of hosting the event in New York City as early as next spring.

In email correspondence, USA Team Handball General Manager, Steve Pastorino, confirmed that preliminary discussions between the two organizations have taken place. As the translation of the Handball-World text is somewhat garbled he also provided a copy of his correspondence:

“The event in Miami was a disaster as the promoter misrepresented himself to the LNH and did not have the backing of USA Team Handball or any recognized entity in the USA. Less than 500 people per game attended, and there was no USA television distribution. It was handball played in an empty arena. We have met with Alain Smadja and LNH and are moving towards a partnership to play the Final Four in New York in 2010, with the full support of USA Handball. More details to come. We think events like this can be very exciting if promoted correctly. We have an agreement to host German National Team and Polish National team for a match in Chicago in 2010 that we will announce soon.”

As a final note, USA Team Handball President, Dieter Esch, indicated in a brief note that he will be meeting with LNH President, Alain Smadja next week in Paris to further discuss U.S. – French cooperation.

Handball-World: No American Dream – French LNH next Final Four will not deal with them in U.S.: http://www.handball-world.com/o.red.c/news.php?GID=1&auswahl=22029

The leading German Handball website, Handball-World has a feature article on the U.S Under 18’s that have been training and playing games in Dormagen, Germany. The article is primarily focused on Christian Hentschel, the director of the sports boarding school in nearby Knechtsteden where the team stayed and trained. Hentschel has also supported the U.S. at the 3 nations tournament this past summer and has assisted in finding teams for players.

The article also highlights the dual citizenship of several of the players and the challenges of training Americans who only discover the sport in their late teens. Hentschel does indicate, though, that Gary Hines, age 25, who currently plays on a lower division team in Bavaria is a tremendous athlete that a Bundesliga team might want to consider taking a chance on.

Boy’s scores (U.S. total listed first)
TSV Dormagen U17 (32:41),
TSV Dormagen U19 (23:34)
TSV Dormagen U19 2nd team (31:23)
TSG Benrath (40:23)

Girls Scores
SG Zons (25:9)
Pulheimer SC (25:14)
TSG Benrath (40:11)
Neuss-HV U19 (28:30)
TSV Bayer Leverkusen U19 (30:32)

Handball-World: Let `s go Dormagen: How Knechtsteden became a training camp for young American handball: http://www.handball-world.com/o.red.c/news.php?GID=1&auswahl=21999