What is a continent?

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In recent time I have followed with interest the initiative of USA Team Handball to have the issue of splitting up the PanAmerican Team Handball Federation (PATHF) put on the table. For many reasons, I think this is a good initiative, so my comments below are not intended to provide arguments against it, or even to make me the ‘devil’s advocate’ on this issue. Rather, I am more inclined to point out the complexities of the issue and how difficult it is likely to be to achieve success.

First I should emphasize that there is no such thing as a standardized definition of the concept of a continent in the world of sports. For instance, the International Olympic Committee does not insist that all sports use the same definition. It is really up to each international federation to decide what suits its circumstances. Just as an example, Kazakhstan is in Asia as far as handball is concerned, while it is part of Europe in soccer. Another example is Australia, which in most sports is the ‘superpower’ of the otherwise modest Oceania continent but in soccer has been allowed to join Asia. In fact, they have recently qualified as an Asian representative for the 2010 World Cup in soccer.

So while one might try to point to soccer and the CONCACAF vs. CONMEBOL configuration as an argument, as this ‘splits off’ 10 South American countries from the rest of the Panamerican continent, it does not really show that this approach is more ‘correct’ than the PATHF concept that covers the whole continent in one entity. It merely shows that such a model seems viable, even if the parallels are not so strong. First, CONCACAF came about not as a breakaway from the rest of the continent but as an amalgamation of a previously existing North American federation and a Central American/Caribbean federation almost 50 years ago. Moreover, CONCACAF has 35 member countries, not counting some French and Dutch territories. So it is really a strong grouping with long traditions.

What would then be the practical advantages of a change? It is then necessary to look a bit at the history and the politics of handball in our continent. Briefly put, the early influence came from Europe and was primarily affecting countries such as the U.S, Canada, Mexico and Argentina. Much of the early influence was German. Spain did not become a handball power until relatively recently, so there was no Spanish impetus, as is otherwise often the case in Latin America. Brazil and Cuba gradually became continental powers, but were not part of the picture in the early going. So the influence of the U.S. on continental matters was quite strong, both politically and on the court, with perennially good chances to qualify for World Championships and the Olympics.

Gradually, however, the Northern dominance came to an end, as USA and Canada were unable to build much on their early advantages, while at the same time the major sports countries Argentina and Brazil made rapid progress. Suddenly the power base has shifted, and the new leaders do not hesitate to reap the benefits. While they are ‘politically correct’ in expressing the hope that the U.S. will regain its former status, they do not exactly mind that the competition for the World Championship slots is weaker. Moreover, both the resource distribution and the allocation of events are now de facto in the hands of people who mainly look after their own interests and do not care to give the Northern countries a break. Costly travel is only one of the many disadvantages in this scenario. Unfortunately, there is no reason to believe that the traditional ‘North-South tensions’ will give way to a new situation where the re-emergence of U.S. handball is strongly supported within the continent.

But how would then the rest of the handball world and the IHF react to the idea of a split? Right now the IHF has a ‘neat’ and easy situation with three continents (Africa, Asia and Panamerica) having basically equal status and equal rights as regards slots in the World Championship qualifications and the representation in the IHF Council. A split would complicate matters considerably, and none of the other continents (incl. Europe) would accept that Panamerica got a better deal through a split than it currently has. So it is unclear what each of the two parts of a split continent could count on. Moreover, serious talks about a split in Panamerica might raise similar issues in the Asian continent, where East and West do not live very happily together. (This is a mild understatement if one remembers the perennial scandals in the Asian qualifying for IHF events). This is not the kind of chain reaction and resulting complications that the IHF would relish.

The reactions within PanAmerica are also uncertain. Argentina and Brazil may be less affected, at least as long as Canada and the U.S. are not so competitive, but while that is the case, there may still be some prestige involved in leading a continent where one can beat up on the Northern rivals. The rest of South America would clearly feel very threatened. They are now part of the race for a third Panamerican slot, but would there even be a chance for them after a split? Being beaten by Argentina and Brazil in fruitless efforts every time would not be a thrill. Where the interests and loyalties might lie among the Central Americans and the Caribbeans is less clear. With the exception of some of the Caribbean islands, they are all Latin American, of course. But the practical implications may be more important. A good competition structure, with less expensive travel, within a North/Central/Caribbean setting may seem enticing as it could help the progress of all the countries. In the end, much may depend on the IHF reactions and the potential status and opportunities for a new grouping.

To go back to where I started, while it may turn out that the obstacles are insurmountable, there is really not much to lose by trying. Some Panamerican countries could possibly be offended by it, but let’s face it: they are never going to love us that much in any case… Moreover, it may actually be helpful if U.S. handball shows in this way that it does mean business! And the potential gains, in the case of success, are real enough that the effort clearly is worthwhile. So let’s get the ball rolling!

Handball-World Reports on U.S. Under-18’s in Europe

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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

2016 Olympic Host City Vote: Future U.S. plans undoubtedly hinge on a Chicago victory

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On October 2nd the IOC will vote to decide whether Chicago, Rio de Janeiro, Madrid or Tokyo will host the 2016 Olympic Games. It’s hard to understate the importance of this upcoming decision and its future impact for USA Team Handball. A Chicago victory means automatic qualification and likely a sizable amount of sponsor funding. How much remains to be seen, but if the Weather Channel gave USA Team Handball a Million dollars in 1996, it stands to reason that a lot more could be secured twenty years later. And that funding is vital to implementing a whole host of developmental programs that are envisioned. Ancillary benefits like national teams willing to come to the States and media exposure are also likely.

Not being selected won’t be the end of the world for USA Team Handball, but unquestionably it will result in a different income statement and, in turn, scaling back on whatever plans have been drafted for development, tours, and staff.

My colleague, Christer Ahl, did a good job describing the fickleness of the “very important” IOC voters and several pundits in the mainstream media have implored President Obama to travel to Copenhagen and work some magic on the voters the way that Tony Blair did four years ago. What’s been under reported for the most part, though, is that the smart money is still solidly behind Chicago. Yes, people can bet on where they think the Olympics will be held and Chicago is still a solid favorite despite the Olympic Channel debacle and the potential Obama no-show. Of course, bettors can be wrong, but I’ll generally go with people willing to put some skin in the game as opposed to pundits with nothing to lose and an axe to grind.

As to why Chicago is favored the biggest factor is the cash that a Chicago Olympics will bring. Sure there’s always a little bit of anti-American sentiment and deal making behind the scenes, but there’s also a realization that in this down economy it might be a little foolhardy to not cash in on the sure thing. Then again, Paris was a solid favorite 4 years ago when London edged them out. I’ll never forget the crestfallen faces of my colleagues in Paris and the dejected crowd at the Hotel de Ville on TV. Here’s hoping that there will be plenty of smiling faces in Chicago and Salt Lake City come October 2nd.

USA Team Handball: Overheard in Chicago: http://www.usateamhandball.org/blog/post/1237
Washington Post: For Chicago's Bid, Yes, He Should: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/11/AR2009091101753.html?hpid=news-col-blog
Chicago Sun-Times: IOC member: Get Obama to support bid: http://www.suntimes.com/sports/olympics/1771541,oly-obama-091509.article

Intrade.com market: https://www.intrade.com/jsp/intrade/contractSearch/index.jsp?query=olympics
Bwin.com: https://www.bwin.com/olympics-specials

French Cup won’t return to Florida

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Several French outlets are now reporting that the French Coupe de la Ligue will not return to Florida for it’s final four championship next year. Speaking to reporters last week, French Professional League (LNH) President, Alain Smada, indicated that the league had broken it’s contract with the U.S. organizers New World Sports and that they had legal concerns. The tournament held in Miami last April was a major disappointment in terms of attendance. In breaking the contract, the LNH is backtracking on comments made shortly after the event in Miami that they had confidence in the events long term prospects and that a 3 year plan was in place to eventually turn a profit.

Le Monde: The American Dream Ends: http://www.lemonde.fr/sport/article/2009/09/07/handball-le-reve-americain-prend-fin_1237106_3242.html#xtor=RSS-3242
RMC Info (April 2009): The sponsor knew there expenses wouldn‘t be covered initially: http://www.rmc.fr/edito/sport/75827/smadja-le-sponsor-savait-qu-il-ne-rentrerait-pas-dans-ses-frais/
THN Commentary (April 2009): If you build it, will they come?: https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.734

Posted in LNH

Obama and Chicago 2016

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It is almost too tempting to become ironic and lighthearted about an issue that may be quite important, if one realizes that one has absolutely no influence on the matter and that, even worse, there can be no expectation that it will be decided in a fair, rational, and transparent manner. So, even if right now, less than 3 weeks before the day of reckoning, there are many who nervously ponder the chances of Chicago to land the 2016 Olympics, I hope I am forgiven if I am slightly cynical about the whole process.

My reaction is triggered by the many ‘interesting’ comments in the media about the (final?) decision by President Obama to send the First Lady to the IOC Congress instead of going himself. The comments are interesting in two ways: first in the sense that they involve an amusing speculation as to which member of this couple would have the best chances of having a positive impact, and second because they reveal some rather naïve or ignorant ideas about the decision-making by the IOC members.

It seems that some people believe that the decision-making process is entirely rational (sort of: ‘may be the best city win’, whatever ‘best’ happens to mean), while others hint at an awareness that other ‘arguments’ may be more important. I don’t want to get into a lot of examples here from the very nasty history of IOC’s host city selections. Instead I would recommend that you read at least one of the very articulate and revealing books by Andrew Jennings about such matters. But it is quite clear that the greed and vanity of some IOC members has always played an important role over the years.

So it is quite conceivable that the presence or absence or President Obama could be a factor, not because he would be able to use his eloquence or because it would somehow show that the weight of the entire U.S. government is behind the Chicago bid, but because it just might be taken as a snub by some voters that the President sent his wife, in the full knowledge that the King of Spain, the Crown Prince of Japan, and the President of Brazil will be present. Yes, those IOC members are used to being treated as the equals of kings and presidents, so they are not easy to please.

But international politics may matter more after all. At the beginning of the year, it may have been seen as a foregone conclusion that it would be a big plus for Chicago to have Obama as the new U.S. President. Where it now stands may be less clear. But the status of the U.S. in the minds of those who vote has many more dimensions. Money is a key factor in many ways, and the yield from the Olympics, including sponsor contracts and television deals is high on the list. Traditional political and cultural ties are also vital. For, instance, it seems like a certainty that Madrid and Rio will pool their resources and their votes as soon as it is clear that one of them is out of the running.

Of course, questions have also continued to be raised: is it really such a good thing if Chicago wins!? The tax payers of Chicago and Illinois may be less than sure about that. But if you look at it selfishly as a sports fan, and particularly a fanatic in a small sport such as handball, it seems you must argue that ‘there is everything to gain, nothing to lose’. I guess it would (quite hypothetically) be even better to have a handball World Championship on U.S soil as a PR weapon, as an Olympic handball tournament is more likely to ‘disappear’ within the overall event. But certainly it could provide a boost for handball (and other sports that are similarly situated on the U.S. sports scene) that one would hope might be better utilized than what seems to have been the case after 1984 in Los Angeles and 1996 in Atlanta.

I will finish on that note for the moment, in the expectation that John Ryan will write something less ‘ironic and light-hearted’ on the topic, either before or after October 2. But, just for the sake of ‘full disclosure’, I feel obliged to reveal my biases: unbeknownst to most of my handball friends in the U.S. and around the world, I have roots in Chicago!!! Yes, I am a native of Sweden, but it so happens that my mother’s father was born in Chicago in the late 1890s, before his parents moved back with him to Sweden. So would it not be great to have the 2016 handball tournament take place in Andersonville… (although that is not quite what the Chicago proposal suggests).

1 on 1: Jennifer Farrell

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The "[link=http://houstonhandball.org/content12.html]1 on 1[/link]" interview series debuted back in 2005 as an add on feature to the [link=http://houstonhandball.org/]Houstonhandball.org [/link]website. What better place – and time – to revive this feature than right here, on THN.

While navigating the cyberspace over the summer, I caught up with my old friend, USWNT member, Jennifer Farrell. You may recall that she was the subject of [link=https://teamhandballnews.com/request13.html]my first THN podcast interview[/link], in the spring of 2006. Since then, Jen and I tried to get together for another interview but the timing was never right. Given Jennifer’s travels, we figured cyberspace may be our best option. We were both right. And just in the nick of time. Jennifer is, once again, on the move…

[color=#0000ff]Jennifer: – Hi Bogdan! I have a few hours before I get on the plane and thought I would answer some of your questions…[/color]

[color=#ff0000]Bogdan: – Hi back at you! First things first. Where the heck have you been, Jen?[/color]

[color=#0000ff]Jennifer: – Let’s back up to 2007. In August of that year, I left for Montpellier (France), after the WNT residency program ended when we lost our Olympic/World Championship qualifications. I was one of three WNT players who went off to France, the other two being Kathy Darling and Megan Ballard. I spent 2007 playing with a team in Montpellier, in the National 2 division of the French League, which is actually the fourth division. I was very lucky to be part of a great group of players, but the most exciting part was my coach, Laurent Puiseguer, who was the former captain of the French National Team. He was an amazing coach, and worked really hard to integrate me with other players on the team. My first pre-season was SO hard, but at the end of it, we went off on a [link=http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?&id=1302828&s=6&hash=6e6c831d0630c00893619dddb23d0a86#/album.php?aid=2073312&id=1302828&op=12]weekend camping adventure in the Pyrenees[/link], and went climbing and canoeing and it really brought us close together. I enjoyed the camaraderie of the French teams a lot. [/color]

[color=#0000ff]In the beginning of 2008, I had an opportunity to move up to the National 1 division with a team in St. Etienne, so I took the opportunity to go and play there, but unfortunately I broke my foot within the first few weeks and spent the rest of the season on the sideline. Not the highpoint of my French handball experience!
In August 2008, I moved to Lyon to play with a team in Division 2, where the level of play made a significant jump to what is considered the semi-professional level. There were some players on pro contracts, others on developmental contracts, so the level varied player-to-player the but the league play was extraordinary. Again, I was very lucky to have a great coach who was very understanding of my situation and really interested to help me improve. The team practiced 5-7 times a week, up from 3-4 times at the National 1-2 level. The intensity was much greater.[/color]

[color=#ff0000]Bogdan: – Looking back – what do you make of the opportunity to play and live in France?[/color]

[color=#0000ff]Jennifer: – I am really glad I had the opportunity to go to France. When the US residency program ended, I knew that the only way I could improve my skills and really get handball experience was to go to Europe, and we were lucky that at the time our former WNT coach Christian Latulippe had some contacts there. In June 2007, I went to try-out for the team in Montpellier and was pleased when they decided to take me, and help me work out a place to stay and a way to live. The handball in France is extremely organized, and I think we learned a lot in the first year about how it works. There are a lot of complications that go along with playing in the French league: contracts, paperwork, and player licenses. The rules about licenses were very complicated, especially for players from outside of France and the European Union, things were heavily regulated. That was one reason that Kathy, Megan, and I could never play together- only one foreign player from outside the Europe Union could be on a roster. That limited our choices for teams, as we couldn't go to any other team with a Canadian or Chinese or Brazilian, or whatever, and clubs had to be picky about the foreign players they took.
The first year in France was the hardest- by far. Handball-wise, it was stressful, because I didn't know the drills, the plays, and couldn't understand what the coach was saying 80% of the time.
By the second year, things were going MUCH better, and I had a greater sense of how things worked within the teams, the club, the league, ect. I felt much more at ease and knew what to expect from the coaches, players, and club administrators. [/color]

[color=#ff0000]Bogdan: – Was there culture shock? If so, how did you deal with it?[/color]

[color=#0000ff]Jennifer: – I had taken French in high school, so I arrived being able to understand most of what people were saying to me, but even still it was ten times harder than I ever imagined. Kathy, Megan, and I were split up all over France, so when I arrived, I didn't know anyone. There were a few girls on the team who went out of their way to help me out, but I wasn't prepared for the isolation I felt. I am an outgoing person, but most of the girls on my team had played with each other for years, some of them since they were children, so breaking into the group was kind of hard. Most of my teammates were really nice, but they would tease me about the little things like my socks, or my accent, or the way I cheered for my teammates on the court when they did something well (they thought it was hysterical, apparently cheering during practice isn't part of French handball culture!). For the rest of my life, I will always be sensitive to people who come from somewhere else, because it is hard to be different.

As far as life goes, it seemed like nothing in France could ever be done quickly- even getting a bank account, or internet (Kathy and I laugh that it took us like 8 months to get internet, right in time for us to leave!). Getting my residency permit was a nightmare the first year, and I couldn't play without it. I spent several months ineligible to play because the French government took such a long time sorting out my paperwork. However, once you figure out the system, you can make it work for you. By year two, I think Megan, Kathy, and I were all experts on how to get things done in France, because we had hit every hurdle in the first year.
For all of its difficulties, there were a lot of great things about the French culture. They know how to enjoy life, they spend a lot of time with their families and friends, and the social aspect of life is important.[/color]

[color=#ff0000]Bogdan: – What was your impression of the French socialized healthcare system? Have to ask, given that healthcare is currently at the forefront of US politics? :)[/color]

[color=#0000ff]Jennifer: – The medical system was incredible, and I don't have enough positive things to say about it. Whenever I was hurt or sick, I got great care, at almost no cost to me, and it was fast and efficient. I also think that within the club, there was a big emphasis placed on athlete health and well-being. There was a team doctor and trainer, and injured athletes almost never played. Kathy and I used to laugh that we were afraid to tell the trainer when we had a small problem, because he would want you to get treatment twice a day for a week and you would definitely not practice or play. I think we come from a culture of "tape it up" and get on with it, but they definitely don't roll like that in France. The trainers didn't even have tape- if you needed tape, you didn't need to play.
We were also surprised by the athletes attitude towards health. A lot of the athletes smoked and drank during the season, which shocked me, especially when we would have to pull the team bus over every two hours for a team smoke break. That would NEVER happen with the US WNT!! Even dessert was forbidden when we were at competitions, and drinking and smoking were definitely prohibited.[/color]

[color=#ff0000]Bogdan: – Please describe how your game fit in with the French style; US vs France club level — if you will. Generally, American athletes/players – save for the NBA – tend to be more physical than skillful. Was this the case in your situation?[/color]

[color=#0000ff]Jennifer: – Yes. From a physical preparation perspective, I think the US culture puts more emphasis on it. When I was in Div. 2, we would do 5 pushups once a week, and there was no weight lifting. We did a lot of running, having one day a week of hardcore high intensity interval stuff, but for the most part, practice was spent doing practice. Pre-season was for running until you die so that you could do train and play from August until June. The season lasts forever.

I don't think anything could have prepared me for all of the challenges I faced in the first year, it was easily the most difficult year of my life. Thankfully Kathy and Megan and I would stay in contact by text messages or emails, and we got together once or twice during the few breaks we had, and that helped. Although it was challenging, I learned a lot and had some really incredible experiences, and I think that is why I really wanted to stay another year, so I could benefit from my experience and really get a lot of my time there.

Handball-wise, I learned a TON. Not just from a skill-perspective, but about what real handball looks like from an organizational level. The French Handball Federation is amazing, there is so much going on from the National team level down to the kiddie club level. It was great to be a part of that, to see how things could be. I think it was an inspiration for the three Americans to see what we would like to see the USA doing in the future.

There is no doubt the level of play is higher in France. I played in the second, third, and fourth division and at each level there were several incredible players that, had they been American, could have easily been the star of our national team. At the higher, professional level, like Division 2, some of my teammates had played for National Teams of other countries (Ivory Coast or Tunisia) and some that had been on the Youth National team for France. Athletically, they were good athletes, but not necessarily better than the girls on the US WNT, but their skills were just amazing. They saw the court better, they had three times as many moves in their repertoire, they had incredible foot speed and precision.

Even at the U-18 level, the sophistication of the play was better. But these athletes had also been playing since they were young kids, and there was a system in place to identify talented young kids and put them on regional teams "Pole Espoirs" (the regional hopefuls) so they could train and prepare for the National Team or professional level.

There was also a concept that within a large club, a talented athlete could move up through the club, from the U-16 to the Pre-National to the National 2/3 and eventually to the Division 1/2. There was upward mobility for talented athletes within a club and lots of opportunities to play at every level. Even the younger kids would play a full-season of 20-30 games against 12-14 different teams, not counting friendly matches and summer tournaments.

Kathy and I have also discussed how some of these concepts could be useful in USA handball. The older players from the Division 2 or National 1 team would often coach the younger kids of the club, and it gave coaching experience to the older players, saved the club money because they didn't pay for separate coaches for the younger teams, and also gave the young kids something to aspire to. The mentorship role of the older athletes in the club was great. I think if the USA WNT ever had a residency program again; it would be great objective to have the WNT players coaching the youth clubs in a particular region.[/color]

[color=#ff0000]Bogdan: – I really am happy that you had the opportunity to witness and experience firsthand the developmental team handball process. I also believe that for all their work, the current US handball hierarchy continues to miss the point on what it takes to grow the sport of handball in the US. Yet, even to an American, the blueprint is rather obvious. How about your game. Has it improved?[/color]

[color=#0000ff]Jennifer: – I like to think I made some improvements. I definitely learned a different way of doing many things. I think it was really frustrating in the beginning because my coaches wanted me to un-learn many of the things I had learned in the USA. They didn't like the way I did some things, and would try to teach me a different way of doing things, which was very hard in the beginning. When you've always thrown one way, or jumped one way, and suddenly you have to re-learn how to do that, it can be difficult. I think the French coaches probably had a good laugh sitting around talking about all of the ridiculous things that the American kids did on the court.
The best part about playing in France was seeing what good handball looked like, at games and in practice every day. Being surrounded by better players, makes you better. When you have people playing harder defense on you, you have to work harder to make a pass or get to the goal. When you have better goalies, you have to be smarter and more precise with your shooting. That kind of everyday challenge makes you better, no matter what.
Tactically, defensive strategy was different as well. I learned a lot about what a good, team defense looks like. It is not an individual skill, it is a team skill, and I think the French did that very well. Offensively, I learned a lot of techniques as a circle, and how to watch my backcourts, because we didn't use a lot of plays. The offense was very fluid, and I had to learn how to move with my teammates. In the beginning I would run into them, because they moved a lot faster, or had better fakes and faster reflexes than what I was used to with the WNT, but eventually I picked up on it, and learned to adapt.

Even though I always struggled to be at the same skill level as my teammates, the one thing I definitely brought with me was a sense of hustle and dedication. My teammates laughed at me in the beginning because when the coach blew his whistle, I would run, because that's how things worked in the USA. Hustle and attitude is very important with the WNT, and I tried to maintain that even if it wasn't so much a part of French culture. Even if I couldn't be the best person on the court, I always wanted to work hard, and I think my teammates respected that.[/color]

[color=#ff0000]Bogdan: – You make some great points. I too had a hard time adjusting to the American style of handball. As a pivot playing in Romania, I would always feed off of what the offense offered/showed. In the US, “coaches/trainers/experts” would often have plays set for the circle runner which took away from the beauty and fluidity of the game. Be that as it may – let’s change gears a bit. What have you heard from your French counterparts regarding this year’s Miami “Coupe De La Ligue”?[/color]

[color=#0000ff]Jennifer: – I was surprised that I didn't hear as much about this as I expected. To be honest, I think the idea was brilliant, and I was really looking forward to seeing how it turned out. I guess at that point in the season, my team was struggling to maintain their place in Division 2 after a couple of difficult losses, so my club and team were really focused on our own season. I will say that everyone definitely seemed to know it was going on in Miami, and all of them thought it was cool (and wish they could have been there!), but as far as how it turned out, I never heard much feedback from the French side of things.

As an aside, the year before, France hosted the Women's World Championship, and that was a REALLY big deal. I went to see a lot of games that were held regionally during the preliminary rounds and even made it to Paris to see the semi-finals and finals. The club got tickets for a lot of the early rounds, and we went to see the games as a team. When I was there, I recognized tons of people from around the French handball community, and it was great to see the stadiums filled with people. As a WNT, it was hard to watch since we had tried to qualify and lost, I couldn't help but wonder what it must be like to be on the court. But I had an amazing time as a spectator, and once again it was really motivating to watch these teams perform at such a high level. I think it gave us all a sense of where the US will have to be if we want to really compete on the world stage.[/color]

[color=#ff0000]Bogdan: – What are you up to now?[/color]

[color=#0000ff]Jennifer: – I am back in the US now, finishing up a Master's degree that I began in France. I am also applying to medical school in the USA, so hopefully I will start that in the fall of 2010. Having spent the last 5 years doing nothing but handball, it is hard to see myself prioritizing something else in my life, but I am looking forward to going to medical school, since I've been wanting to do that for a long time. I hope I can find opportunities to play and be involved in handball in the US, and of course hope I can stay in the WNT pool as long as I am able, there really is no greater joy than getting on the court with my old teammates and putting on a USA jersey.[/color]

[color=#ff0000]Bogdan: Speaking of the USA jersey. What are your thoughts on the new US Federation and how do you feel that it compares with the former?[/color]

[color=#0000ff]Jennifer: – It is funny, I feel so far removed from anything going on in USA handball right now. When I was with the WNT residency program, I think all of us felt like we were a major part of things, mostly because at the time there was no Federation, so everything we were doing, everything we wanted to do, we kind of had to do for ourselves. I think we were really resourceful during those years, with the support of a lot of great people in the handball community, including former players, WNT committee and members of the Foundation.

Now, I am not sure if I have actually even met anyone from the new Federation, and I feel like I'm way outside of the loop. However, based on what I'm seeing on their website, and twitter, it sounds like they have a lot of great things going on, so good for them. They are definitely getting things done, putting camps together, sending players overseas, so we've definitely come a long way from not having a Federation. I have to applaud their efforts to put their ideas into action.

I would like to see more happen with the WNT, in the two years that I've been gone, we have only gotten together once for a week-long camp in Chicago and then a competition in Mexico. I understand there is a lot going on in the development of regional camps and teams, but I think we need to keep a senior WNT in place, training, together on a regular basis, and playing games.

I am hopeful that this new Federation will move the USA in the direction of international success, but there is still a lot of work to be done. I would love to see the club system evolve to something like what I saw in France, with many players aged 3-50 playing at all different levels all over the country, even in the really small towns.[/color]

[color=#ff0000]Bogdan: – What are your thoughts on the current USWNT situation.[/color]

[color=#0000ff]Jennifer: – I don't know what's next for the USWNT, but I hope there is more to come. By the sounds of it, there is some young talent coming up, and I think it is great that we still have a core of girls who trained in the residency program that are still interested in playing. We also have three girls, who played at the Division 2 level in France, and Jen Haubrich is in Germany now, no doubt making excellent progress, and I think that can only do great things for us.

However, individual skills will only take us so far, I think part of what we need to do is have more opportunities to play and train together. The foreign players I played with in France always spent the summers doing camps and tournaments with their National Teams, but we're not there yet.

I also think, in an ideal world, there will be another residency program for the younger girls, to get them opportunities to train and play on a regular basis so that they can eventually go to Europe. I really believe that we need to have 10-15 players in the Division 1/2 level in Europe if we are going to be competitive. Ivory Coast, for example, has almost their entire team playing in France right now, and that is how they are making progress at the international level. And trust me, having played with some of the Ivorian girls, their resources aren't nearly as good as ours are, so we should be making better use of them.

When I got back from France this summer, I talked with Marko, who is the head coach for the WNT, and I think he is hoping to organize more training and playing opportunities this year. I think it is nice that we have someone on staff full-time who knows who the players are, has been to competition with us, and is working closely with the Federation to organize things. It is not an easy job, but I think he is really dedicated to seeing results, so it will be interesting to see what happens in the next few years.[/color]

[color=#ff0000]Bogdan: – Well Jen, you have certainly experienced, learned and certainly shared a lot with me and the THN readers. I must also say that you have sacrificed a lot in order to dedicate yourself to playing the sport you love. Your determination and personal sacrifice are admirable as both are qualities that are essential to the proliferation of team handball in the US. Players such as you, Kathy and Megan represent the new generation of US team handball trailblazers. Having said that – what is next for you?[/color]

[color=#0000ff]Jennifer: – Currently I'm going to school and getting my life together! For the first time since I graduated from college, I will be in charge of my own life, so I am looking forward to having a bit of a break from going to handball practice every day. At the same time, I will continue to work out and stay fit, and play handball whenever I get the opportunity. I will be in New York city this fall, so I will try to work with Cap (Cappleman, Chris) and Fitzy (Fitzgerlad, Tom) to see if we can get some women together to play!

In terms of future – I don't know what it holds for me, but I don't think I will be able to continue my life without handball in some capacity. I know I will not be an athlete forever, but I think because of what I've experienced with the WNT and being overseas, I have a lot to give back, and at some point I hope I can do that in a meaningful way. We have a lot of progress to make if we want to see this sport grow, and I think those of us that have been given a lot by this sport- especially the National Team athletes- should try to give back in return, in whatever role they can.[/color]

Lemgo Fires Coach in wake of Champions League flame out

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Apparently, I wasn’t the only one pretty surprised that Lemgo couldn’t even win one match at their Champions League qualification group tournament in Leon, Spain last weekend. In a swift reaction, by handball standards anyway, they fired their coach Markus Baur and their sports director, Daniel Stephan. Co-favorites to win the tournament with host Leon, Lemgo lost close matches to Kadetten Schaufhaussen of Switzerland and Celje of Slovenia before being drubbed by Leon 31-21 in the final match.

What makes the quick firings even more surprising are the long relationships Baur and Stepan had with Lemgo. Baur had played for the club from 2001-2008, was one of the more popular players on the national team and had returned to coach Lemgo after a 6 month stint coaching in Switzerland. Stephan had been with the club since 1994 and was the Handball world player of the year in 98. According to Handball-World, it wasn’t just the performance in Spain that led to their dismissal as the club had performed poorly in a number of preseason events.

EHF: Lemgo fires Baur: http://www.ehfcl.com/men/2009-10/article/12573/Lemgo+fires+Baur
Handball-World: Lemgo: "Prolonged drought sporting" costs and Stephan Baur their jobs: http://www.handball-world.com/o.red.c/news.php?GID=1&auswahl=21908
Wikipedia: Daniel Stephan: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Stephan
Wikipedia: Markus Baur: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markus_Baur

Minnesota Team Handball feature article at Handball-World

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Handball-World, one of the leading German language Handball websites, has posted a feature article on the Minnesota Team Handball Club. The article highlights some of the challenges facing clubs in the U.S. and notes that one of Minnesota’s players, 16 year old John Bellard, is currently in Germany with the U-18 team. Also mentioned is the proposed Germany-Poland international friendly in the U.S. next July.

Handball-World: A rocky road: Team wants to establish handball in Minneapolis, Minnesota: http://www.handball-world.com/o.red.c/news.php?GID=1&auswahl=21895
Minnesota Team Handball: http://mnteamhandball.blogspot.com/

Editor’s note: Perhaps this is old news for some, but I for one sure appreciate the automatic Google translation bar that appears at the top of every foreign language website I check out now. Even did a Slovenian translation for me the other day.

Checking in.

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Oh yesss… The fresh smell of autumn is in the air. As in the … season, of course.
Well, maybe not so much in Houston, where we are blessed with 90 plus degrees temperatures year round and 110% humidity, but my guess is that those of you north of the Mason-Dixon line, are begining to savour the change of seasons.

For years now, fall has witnessed, among so many other things, the yearly coming out party for all things team handball in the US. Clubs will typically come out of their summer-long hibernation, looking to get back in the gym, in time to prepare for those great US tournaments.

On a personal note, I have had a wonderful summer, thanks for asking.

From what I've been reading, everybody in the US handball community kept plugging away, [u]seemingly[/u] building for the future (wink, wink!). Let's see:
– I dig the new Federation's website. Love the new setup. The regional coaches/directors "updates" are oh, so very cute. Timely and full of fluff.
– John Ryan's team handball manifestos are just so much fun to read.
– Did I just read somewhere that our dear US Handball Federation is now asking for money from the USOC? Say it isn't so! It's a good thing these guys don't run for political office. Truth is overrated.
– Is Rex's Colorado Springs handball club getting all the perks just because they're in the USOC's backyard? Just asking.
– Poland vs. Germany in Chicago next year? Awesome. I am buying my ticket.
– North American Handball Federation – if that is the only legacy the current US Federation leaves behind, I say go for it. Bring on Greenland. And, of course, watch your backs. PATHC will be out for blood. Losing revenue ain't cool. To them.
– The Olympic Network is DEAD. Shocker!
– So, [link=http://www.suntimes.com/sports/olympics/1748593,olympic-report-2016-finalists-090209.stng]the Chicago Olympic bid is shaky[/link] – not the kind of news you would expect a month before the official selection process. My pick is still Rio.

Good to be back! Thanks for all your emails. So you know, this summer I received over 150 of them(I got one from Mongolia!!!). Should make for an interesting "From the mailbag" feature.

As always, stay tuned. I have two great interviews for you — coming up.

USA Team Handball: Major youth initiatives launched

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If you haven’t noticed USA Team Handball has launched several new initiatives in the past few months, most of them focused on youth programs:

– Youth teams trip to Germany: http://usateamhandball.org/blog/post/1210
– 8 youths participating in a semester exchange program in Iceland: http://usateamhandball.org/news/article/15547
– Girl‘s futures program expansion: http://usateamhandball.org/news/article/15433
– Youth camp: http://usateamhandball.org/blog/post/1097

I certainly could quibble about the merits of these initiatives around the margins (How do we know are we getting our money’s worth? Are the youth teams maybe a little too Colorado centric?, etc.), but I (and others) sure can’t complain about the Federation sitting around doing nothing. Arguably, there has been more activity in the last month or so in terms of youth programs than there has been in the entire history of Handball in this country

And if I had to debate the merits of each of these initiatives I would feel a lot more comfortable taking the “good idea” side then I would be taking the “bad idea” side. I haven’t seen any of the youths in the youth movement playing, so I can’t really judge whether they are future stars or not. But they are under 18, like the sport enough to spend some of their own resources to play it and some are even willing to live a few months in Iceland to improve their skills. It’s hard to find much wrong with that. And to those who might complain that their region is getting short shrift I would simply say there’s not much holding you back to start your own program.

In terms of the development continuum these programs can principally be categorized as talent identification and the beginning stages of player development. Essentially what was outlined in the grassroots section of my series “A Framework for Creating U.S. National Team Success” https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.797 There’s bound to be some athletes that never materialize as Senior National Team players for a number of reason as taking these players and others to the next level in the critical ages of 18-22 will be a challenge. But, hey at least we have that as a challenge now.

VIDEO: Lemgo – Leon match available on demand

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Reale Ademar (Leon, Spain) is hosting a key Champions League qualification tournament this weekend. Also participating in the tournament are TBV Lemgo (Germany), Celje (Slovenia) and Kadetten (Switzerland). Due to the shrinkage of the initial field to 24 teams one qualification tournament among top flight teams had to be organized. The winner of this tournament will make the field, the rest will be assigned to another European tournament.

Games are scheduled Friday, Saturday and Sunday with the likely pivotal Reale Ademar – TBV Lemgo match scheduled for 1830 Central European Time on Sunday night. The on-demand link is available below.

Friday Results
Kadetten 30 – 29 Lemgo (Somebody forgot to tell Kadetten that they were the also ran team)
Reale Ademar 26 – 25 Celje

Saturday
Kadetten 27 -27 Reale Ademar
Celje 28 -27 Lemgo

Sunday
Celje 27-31 Kadetten
Reale Ademar vs. Lemgo [b]VIDEO:[/b] http://www.ehftv.com/ec/cl/men/2009-10/video/000673

Scenarios
Kadetten finished with 5 pts and an overall goal differential of +5. If Reale Ademar wins they will also finish with 5 pts. They currently are +1 in goal differential so they need to win by 5 goals to qualify. Should they win by exactly 4 goals the next tie breaker is total goals scored. Kadetten finished with 88 goals. This means Reale Ademar will need to score 36 goals to win with only a 4 goal victory

USA Team Handball seeks breakaway North American Handball Federation

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The USA Team Handball Federation has indicated that they are actively seeking to form a new continental federation by splitting the existing Pan American Team Handball Federation (PATHF) into separate North and South American components. The following was posted on the US Federation website in the meeting minutes http://usateamhandball.org/news/article/15556 for the July 27th Board of Director’s meeting:

“Dieter Esch introduce (sic) concept of North & Central American Handball Federation. Modeled after soccer’s CONCACAF or volleyball’s NORCECA, USA Team Handball will present motion at 2010 IHF Extraordinary Congress to add a fifth continental congress after Europe, Africa, Asia and PATHF (Oceania was not replaced after its demise). A NAHF would align with PATHF on many international issues, but also include an automatic berth(s) for NAHF to Olympics and World Championships, a seat on IHF Council and a share of globally distributed IHF revenues including television. 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.”

The PATHF was formed in 1973 and for several years was dominated by the U.S. Since 1996, however, Brazil, Argentina and other South American nations have exerted more control over the PATHF both on the court and off. In particular, a number of PATHF administrative actions have rankled North American nations. These actions include the exclusion of Canada’s participation at the Pan American Championships in 2006 and the arbitrary switching of a PANAM games qualification tournament from Puerto Rico to Chile and attempts to change Greenland’s membership status.

Aside from these political controversies a strong geographical case can be made for a separate federation. The cost of travel between North and South America is expensive and the North/South seasonal differences are sometimes problematic for tournament scheduling. And certainly, if it works for soccer and volleyball the case that it could work for Handball can also be made. A separate federation, however, will not be without controversy, particularly when it comes to Olympic/WC berths. Adding berths for a new region will mean taking them from some place else, with the likely loser being Europe.

THN (April 2006): Canada’s Exclusion from the men’s Pan American Championships- Commentary: https://teamhandballnews.com/news75.html
THN (Dec 2006): It’s a long, long way to Santiago: https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.215
THN (Apr 2007): Why the recent downgrading of Greenland’s PATHF membership is wrong: https://teamhandballnews.com/news312.html

EHF concludes referees seminar and trumpets 2 year deal with bet-at-home.com (The same day, no less)

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The EHF website posted two new stories today on their website:

EHF Marketing signs two-year partnership with bet-at-home.com: http://www.eurohandball.com/article/12540
EHF referees prepare for new season: http://www.eurohandball.com/article/12541

I live in Las Vegas and I’ve been known to make a bet or two (or three or four), but it never ceases to amaze me the incongruence of European leagues and teams sponsoring on-line betting services at the same time they must guard against match fixing. As Christer Ahl pointed out at the Play the Game Conference, the recent spate of Handball match fixing has likely been a result of the clubs themselves seeking a better result. One has only to look at other sports, however, and assess that it unfortunately is probably only a matter of time before gambling interests cause a handball match to be fixed.

Perhaps, though, this seemingly odd relationship is really beneficial with bet-at-home closely monitoring betting odds and an agreement to quickly inform EHF leadership should any unusual betting patterns emerge. As Kurt Streeter of the LA Times recently pointed out, all of the major scandals have been at least partially resolved with the support of sports books, who have a vested interested in results being on the up and up.

I can also only hope that gambling was discussed at the recent referee seminar. It may seem that a simple, "Just say no" policy is enough, but other scandals have shown how honest people can get in over their head with gambling debts and find themselves in a position where throwing a match or shaving a few goals can get them out of a jam. A seminar warning officials of gambling could be the ounce of prevention that avoids another scandal. Finally, the referees should be clearly warned of the punishment for match fixing– a lifetime ban from ever officiating again.

THN: The Euro Way: Fully Embracing Sports Betting: https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.490
LA Times: States should get a cut of the sports betting action: http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-streeter30-2009aug30,0,1852177.column