The fourth Olympic Solidarity course on the IHF programme for 2023 was held in Freetown, Sierra Leone, in July, with 28 participants and 26 successfully obtaining their IHF D Licences. 

The course was led by IHF lecturer Monique Tijsterman, also former coach of the Netherlands women’s side and a player in the past herself. Over the 10 days of the course, from 17 to 27 July, Tijsterman led the participants through a variety of topics across both theoretical and practical lessons. 

Topics covered included basics like the Rules of the Game for indoor handball, learning processes, didactical skills, training for young children and different age groups, phase theory and trainer qualities. Disciplines other than indoor handball were also addressed, including beach handball, mini handball and wheelchair handball. Each day, participants also completed group assignments with evaluations afterwards. 

For the theoretical test, Tijsterman tasked the participants with preparing a 45-minute training session for a set age group with a certain theme. 

The participants included a number of teachers, for whom the course represented a first introduction to handball. As such, the Sierra Leone Handball Federation aims to provide further training and support for these teachers, to aid in the handball knowledge being shared in schools. “The more licenced coaches, the more children can be taught how to play handball,” said Tijsterman, who also urged the National Olympic Committee to support the development of handball through the provision of more materials for schools and community groups. 

The OLSOL course was held with the full support of the Sierra Leone Handball Federation and the National Olympic Committee, with representatives of the governing bodies in attendance at the awarding ceremony that concluded the course. 

About Olympic Solidarity

Created by the International Olympic Committee, the OLSOL programme aims to help National Olympic Committees develop and strengthen their structures; support their athletes, coaches and administrators; and promote the Olympic values. The IHF organises a number of OLSOL courses annually, with the goal of assisting different National Federations in developing handball in their countries.

The first course of 2023 was held in Yemen in February, followed by a course in the Seychelles in May and two other courses in July, either side of the Sierra Leone course, in Vietnam and Niger.  

 Photo: Monique Tijsterman