4 Lessons from the Best Handball Coaches in Denmark

Handball is a fast-paced, high-scoring game where athletes must jump, dribble, pass, and shoot in order to outscore their opponents on a court roughly the size of a basketball court. Like soccer, the game is simple: teams score points by shooting the volleyball-sized handball into their opponents net. In theory, a country like the United States, with a large population that loves action-packed sports where athleticism is king, should be consistently fielding the best teams on earth. Instead, northern European countries like Norway, Germany, and Sweden are the powerhouses of the sport. Among them, Denmark, a country of about 6 million people, is home to both the best national team and some of the best individual players in the world. In fact, while watching the 2019 World Championships in January, it was difficult to find a team that even came close to challenging the Danes, who are now both the International Handball Federation World Champions as well as the reigning Olympic gold medalists.

Why? Why is a country with a population and geographic-size smaller than the state of Michigan the best in the world at such a seemingly egalitarian sport? If I knew the answer to that question, well, I’d probably be driving a much nicer car than I do now. However, over the past 4 months, I have had the opportunity to live and breathe handball in the *former* happiest country on earth (darn it, Finland!). Not only have I been able to play and train here, I have also had the good fortunate of learning from some of Denmark’s best handball coaches. I expected these men to teach me how to improve as a handball player; which, they have (in all honesty, it would have been difficult for me to get much worse). However, I did not expect to learn lessons that would completely change how I view sports and life. While their tactical acuity and knowledge of the game have no doubt played a part in their success, I am convinced that Denmark’s dominance in handball is thanks in large part to the culture and philosophy that these world-class coaches teach and live by. Whether you’re a student, athlete, coach, or businessperson, I hope that the wisdom of these coaches adds value to your life and provides you with some insight into why Denmark is the best in the world at handball:  

1.) The logical answer might not be the best answer

I am short for a handball goalkeeper (well, I’m just short in general). Because of my size, I have always been taught to position myself farther from the net (in goalie lingo: to play with a “high arc”). According to conventional wisdom, being closer to the shooter makes me appear “bigger” in the net. A logical conclusion, and one that neither I nor any of my coaches have ever questioned until I came to Denmark. Michael Bruun, the goalkeeper coach for the Danish national team (as well as for the best handball goalie on earth, Niklas Landin) challenged my understanding of playing goalkeeper by teaching me to step outside my comfort zone, literally. During my first practice with Michael, he pulled me aside and said, “You should play closer to the goal line. It will allow you to use your speed and positioning more effectively.” It turns out that, rather than giving me an advantage, the conventional method for “short guy” goalkeepers was putting me at a disadvantage, because I was actually exposing more net than I was blocking. By forcing me to take a literal step backwards, Michael taught me that challenging conventional methods can create an advantage. Since implementing Michael's tactic, I have had much more success in goal, and feel empowered to find my own style, whether or not it's in line with conventional wisdom.

2.) Make practice about improvement, not perfection

For most of my life, I have been a disciple of the phrase “Practice doesn’t make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.” For a goalkeeper, perfection is simple: don’t let anyone score! In my mind, a perfect practice was one where no one scored on me: whether I saved the ball with my eyes closed or a shot missed the net completely. If a drill ended with a shutout, I considered it a victory. Conversely, if a shot did go into the goal, I had (and still have… I’m a work in progress!) a tendency to get frustrated with myself. Noticing this, my coach S?ren Ferl?v told me: “Stop focusing on the outcome. All you can control is the process, in this case, your technique as you try to save the ball. Worry about what you can control, not the outcome.” As cliche as the sentiment “trust the process” is, the wisdom in the saying clicked for me. Another coach, Morten Helwig, gave me further insight: if I’m going to spend energy on a shortcoming, make it a shortcoming I can do something about. In most cases, goals are scored because of correctable mistakes on my part. I can learn from that mistake, adjust, and move on. However, in some instances, a good shot is a good shot, and there isn’t much more I can do. With this mindset, I can simply acknowledge a nice shot and move on. Coming to this realization has taken a burden off of my shoulders, and given me the freedom to try my best while being less-than-perfect in practice. Focusing on improving rather than being perfect has yielded dividends in my performance, and, I believe, will continue to be a rewarding mindset for the rest of my career in handball and beyond.

3.) I'm a person first

Skjern Handball Club is the current champion of Danish professional handball, and competes regularly in the EHF Champions League. Few clubs in Denmark boast a more impressive resume than Skjern; yet, the club prides itself, above most else, on its ability to retain players. One of the first things a fan might see when they enter Skjern Bank Arena is a display with several large posters of nearly a dozen players who have played at least 300 games with the club. When I had the opportunity to speak with Skjern assistant coach Henrik Kronberg, I asked him why so many players stay with the club for so long. His answer was simple: “Here, players are people first, and they’re treated like it.” He went on to say that handball training comprises a minority of the day for nearly all of the players. All have lives outside of handball. For him and the other coaches at Skjern, it is important to take that into account, and that understanding, Kronberg believes, leads to loyalty to the club and better performance on match day. From what I observed during my time here, this theme is consistent across Danish handball: the well-being of the people in the club comes first. Even the fans are prioritized. Skjern relies on dozens of volunteers to help maintain and operate the arena, as well as create a fun and positive environment on match day. The wins and losses are important, but so is the atmosphere that the club creates for both fans and players. While outcomes are important, there seems to be an understanding among the Danish handball community that success should not prioritized over the well-being of people.

4.) Keep it in perspective

For the third time in his career, Mikkel Hansen was named by the IHF Best Handball Player in the World. He, along with Niklas Landin, Rasmus Lauge, and most of the roster of the Danish national team are international icons in the sport of handball. You might imagine that anyone associated with the development of these players might be entitled to bit of bragging rights, or at least a little bit of an ego. However, Claus Hansen (no relation to Mikkel), the former youth national team coach and leader of talent development for the Danish Handball Federation, played a pivotal role in developing nearly every player on the current Danish national team roster, helping to create one of the best generations of Danish handball players in history. Claus, the most humble and unassuming coach that I’ve ever known, understands more than most people that sports are sports. Nothing more, nothing less. For me, one example comes to mind when I think of his perspective on handball: A few weeks ago, I walked by Claus and his young son in the hallway. I said hi to both of them, then jokingly asked Claus, “Is he going to be the next superstar of Danish handball?” Claus paused, looked at me, and then lovingly looked at his son. He said, with a content smile and in his signature tranquil timbre, “He is going to be whatever makes him happy.” Here is one of the best handball minds in the world, yet he understands that there is more to life than sports and achievement. He genuinely wants the best for people, whether that person is an athlete, his son, or the best handball player on earth. Even with high stakes, if you remember why you do what you do (whether it’s to learn, to get a job done, or just to have fun), you will, at minimum, understand that your performance on at task is not who you are, and, at best, you might gain a deeper appreciation for the enriching role that an activity like handball can have in your life.