Training young talent in Northwestern Switzerland: Nati handball players light the European Championship fire

class=”sc-cffd1e67-0 fmXrkB”>

There is great excitement in the Bustelbach sports hall in Stein AG: More than 50 children from the youth handball team of the Stein gymnastics club have gathered to train together. The unit is not led by just any coach, but by international Chantal Wick (29).

The motivation of the girls and boys between the ages of 5 and 16 is already noticeable during the warm-up. They are not afraid of contact. Wick is peppered with questions during the first run. “How do I get into the national team?” a girl wants to know. “Why are you wearing number 2?” another.

The subsequent training exercises are age-appropriate: for the little ones it still concerns basic principles such as passing and catching. The older ones try out physical illusions and different throwing variations. Wick is there to help and advise. “I especially try to convey the joy of playing to the younger children. But I can give the elderly a handball tip or two,” says the 48-time international.

EM 2024 in Basel

After an hour and a half of training and a shared souvenir photo, Wick is confronted with many unanswered questions. “Didn’t the boys pass you the ball earlier?” a girl blurts out. Wick manages the question brilliantly. After all, she has a lot to say: During four years in Germany and Denmark, she gained experience as a professional abroad. And since the Zurich native returned to her home club GC Amicitia Zurich last summer, she learned the role of assistant coach.

The fact that Wick is now taking an excursion to popular sports at TV Stein is part of the campaign ‘Nati trains Northwestern Switzerland’. In the run-up to the home European Championship in November 2024, every handball club in the Basel region of Switzerland will receive a visit from a national player. Anything to really stoke the EM fire. The Swiss opponents are not yet known. In any case, the national women’s team, which is only playing at a European Championship for the second time, will have to rely on a full St. Jakobshalle (tickets now available at handbal.ch). Given the training euphoria, many TV Stein children will certainly cheer on their idols from November 28. (cmu)

Source : Blick