The trilateral, virtual youth coach exchange is a new international encounter format of PlayHandball, “Jugend-im-Ausland” and the Handball Association Schleswig-Holstein. Young handball players from Germany, South Africa and Kenya participate in virtual encounters in the context of developmental youth work.

As the sports world was coming to a halt due to Covid19, PlayHandball initiated the TYCE – Trilateral Youth Coaches Exchange. It is a new international encounter format of PlayHandball, “Jugend im Ausland” and the Handball Association Schleswig-Holstein. Young handball players from Germany, South Africa and Kenya participate in virtual encounters in the context of developmental youth work. The trilateral exchange aims to promote and inspire young people as multipliers to use sport as an educational tool for sustainable development. Over 6 months, 12 young handball enthusiasts met in virtual sessions and expanded their knowledge on handball training, the Sustainable Development Goals, and shared their personal experiences and particularities in their countries.

Linah is one of our first South African Youth Coaches and tells us about her experiences in the last months: “After the interview, I got an email that I was one of the chosen participants. It was the first time for me to participate in an online project. Meeting my colleagues was one thing I always looked forward to. Making new friends from other countries and reconnecting with old friends was an amazing experience. The TYCE gave me a lot: not only new friends, but also the knowledge on how to be a good player and coach. Further on, I learned a lot about the other cultures and countries, got life lessons from qualified people, an internship and was recognized by the Gauteng Handball Association as one of the Junior Coaches.
The TYCE has really opened a lot of opportunities for me and I am forever grateful. Getting out of my comfort zone was a different experience as it also helped me with my esteem issues. Having my own experiences and opinions valued by others showed me that we all share the love for sports and that we all have a different approach when it comes to our passion for sports: To provide more opportunities to our youngsters to learn more about environmental awareness through sports. Thank you PlayHandball!”