Linda says: “The second module of “EHF Master Coach” took place during the M20 EHF EURO Championship, so we were able to visit the championship matches in the evening. If compared to the first module, which took place in January, in this module, we coaches already knew what to prepare for and the training schedule did not seem so intense. Communication in English also went smoothly, so we were actively involved in group work. This time, the emphasis was on team dynamics and how it affects the team’s model and performance. How to build a team culture and identity to succeed on the field. A lot of emphasis was placed on communication between the coach, players and team, as well as analysis of the opponent team’s game. We also listened and got involved in discussions about referee-coach communication, which was led by the Portuguese judges Marta and Vania Sa (IHF/EHF category). We participated in lectures on injury prevention, as well as not only theoretically, but also practically learned the special warm-up of goalkeepers before training and matches, led by Vanja Radic.”
In this module, trainers were much more involved in practical sessions. “We also had to conduct practical lessons. We were divided into six groups and we had to lead a training session for the Porto County national team players. It was quite a challenge because there was a large age range (16-19 years) and for a large part of the players English was not their strong point. I was in the same group with the Hungarian coach, our task was to lead the warm-up and come up with exercises for individual defense. One hour was given to prepare for the training, and the maximum time to conduct the training was 25 minutes. Everything went well, after a week when everything about and around handball is only in English, you can safely even conduct training, not in your native language. There were also practical lessons in beach handball, and there was also the opportunity to watch wheelchair handball practice.”
On the other hand, when asked what else is left for Linda in this learning process, she answers: “Now, by the middle of August, I have to finish the Master Coach Thesis that I started, which I am writing about the performance of the U17 girls’ national team last summer, competing in the EHF European Championship in Lithuania. During the third module, which will take place in Slovenia in November (during the Women’s EHF EURO 2022), we will have to defend this work, and we will also expand our knowledge in lectures and improve our communication with the media.”
In conclusion, Linda adds: “I would like to say that this is a fantastic experience and an opportunity to gain additional knowledge, share experience with coaches from other countries and expand my circle of contacts. In our group this year, there are mostly coaches who work directly with youth teams, so there is a lot of common things to discuss.”
Resources used:
https://handball.lv/news/linda-bogd…
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