If you want to become a handball coach, know that the role is about far more than teaching players to defend or shoot. Above all, it’s about supporting, uniting and passing on a love of the game.
So whether you’re a volunteer at a small club or working towards a coaching qualification, your role is to build a team dynamic where every player finds their place.
1. The qualifications and courses to become a handball coach
England Handball first offers several routes depending on how involved you want to be:
- Handball Activator: a workshop developed with StreetGames that gives you game ideas and the basic rules to introduce handball to young people in your community.
- Level 1 Award in Coaching Handball: the first step into coaching, open from age 14. It uses blended learning with e-learning modules and a one-day practical, face-to-face course.
- Level 2 Award in Coaching Handball: for coaches aged 18+ who hold the Level 1 award. It also combines virtual classroom sessions, progressive coaching sessions in a club environment, a practical day and an assessment.
Because the Level 2 award is built around coaching sessions at your club, it’s the ideal moment to launch a project that goes beyond the court.
2. The team-building project: a pillar of good coaching
After all, handball is a game of cooperation: success depends on the whole team.
That’s why good coaches work to build connections between registered members, encourage everyone to get involved and strengthen club life.
For example, possible project ideas:
- Running an intergenerational handball day
- Creating a series of portraits of the club’s volunteers and players
- Setting up a project that unites everyone, such as a club sticker album that celebrates every member with a unique keepsake
3. The club sticker album: a model team-building project
For a new coach, in fact, a personalised sticker album ticks every box of a genuine club project:
- it involves every registered member, from juniors to seniors;
- it recognises the volunteers and coaches;
- it builds pride and a sense of belonging;
- it leaves a concrete, lasting record of the project you’ve led.
With no deposit, photos taken straight from our app and extra income from in-album sponsors and sticker pack sales, it’s a project with real social and educational value that shows exactly what a modern coach brings to a club.
4. Become a handball coach: in a nutshell
In short, becoming a handball coach means committing to the sport and to other people.
The courses are demanding. However, they’ll help you become a driving force for your team, both on and off the court.
