Handball Adventure in Rwanda: Teaching, Coaching, Playing (Mini-) Handball

From Germany to Rwanda: My handball workshop adventure

In Rwanda, handball is mainly organized through schools and local clubs. On the one hand, schools compete in six different leagues, which are assigned to specific districts/regions. On the other hand, the clubs compete in a first and second division (with 10 teams each). In terms of training facilities, I have seen a variety of ways to build a handball court. From well-established courts made of concrete to meadow fields with goals made of tree trunks. In one school I discovered a handball court with lines of stone markings in the ground. I was fascinated by the way the children skillfully played around these markings or even respected them. But let's move on to the main topic at hand, the workshop.

The Workshop

In October I went to Rwanda to coach a handball workshop. In cooperation with the Rwandan Handball Federation, Never Play Alone, the Gorillas Handball Club and three German handball experts, 45 participants from all over the country gathered for an intensive five-day D-license coaching course. As one of the German experts, I had the honor of teaching/coaching the particpants of the workshop. The course was designed for local teachers and handball coaches to obtain a national coaching license from the Rwandan Handball Federation. The setting? A youth sports center near the capital city of Kigali, with a concrete pitch as the daily course/training location.

The sports center was the perfect location for the workshop and the weather was fantastic. Wearing SPF 50 sunscreen was a must for me as we spent the whole day moving, teaching and playing outside. This was also the reason why we had scheduled a two-hour lunch break. Before and after the lunch break, there was a morning and an afternoon block consisting of a practical and a theoretical sessions. During the five days we focused on the following topics:

• Day 1: Getting to know each other, basics, introduction to mini handball with a methodical series of games

• Day 2: Basics of offense and defense

• Day 3: Collective game, Small-Sided Games + instruction/feedback

• Day 4: Mini-games/transition to normal handball court, physical requirements

• Day 5: First aid, refereeing, tournament

We started from 0

We started with the basics, as many of the participants in the course were handball coaches or teachers and therefore familiar with the sport, but new to coaching. For those who have read my previous posts, the content was almost the same as what I had taught in America. The focus was on understanding the basic principles of teaching, designing efficient drills, coaching and leading a team/training or small games in accordance with the license orientation. The enthusiasm of the participants during the workshop and for the game was palpable. The mini-games in particular were well received and highly motivating. They were especially suitable in cases where there was no handball court and limited resources (space).

Learning content:.

When teaching sports and small games, we emphasized the age and target group appropriate design of small-sided games (SSG). The listed constraints were key aspects of our workshop, which should help to design a rich learning environment for children (Koekoek, Dokman & Walingen, 2023).

1. group size

2. field size

3. equal number / outnumbered

4. physical contact

5. rules (bounce balls, movement with ball allowed?)

Daily challenges

Everyone spoke English, but at different levels. In order to communicate successfully, a simple and clear way of expressing things was required, both in practice and in during theory lessons. Demonstrating or drawing on the flipchart was the be-all and end-all. Be it with your hands or with your feet :D. When all else failed, instructions were translated into the local language by team members. Apart from that the practical sessions depended on the weather conditions. One day we moved to the gym next door because of rain. The acoustics there were so incredibly loud that you almost couldn't hear your own words. A new form of handball was born: "silent handball". A visibly interesting experience for the participants, as perception and anticipation now played a greater role. It was no longer possible to shout "here, I'm free". An important lesson on the way to becoming independent players who make their own decisions.

The End

On the last day, all the skills learned were put into practice on the handball court. The tournament was the highlight of the workshop. The Gorillas HC played against the team of Never Play Alone. It was a successful end, which was rounded off by the award ceremony.

Many thanks to Never Play Alone, Gorillas HC and the Rwanda Handball Federation for this unique opportunity to support handball in Rwanda. Thanks to your support and cooperation, we were able to provide the participants with an unique learning and handball experience. Thanks also to all the participants who made this workshop so unique.