The woman making a difference in Swiss handball

Throughout Gender Equality Month in March, the IHF celebrates women in various roles in handball in a special series. Part two focuses on the post-playing career involvement in handball, highlighting Karin Weigelt’s role regarding the development of women’s handball with the Swiss Handball Federation.

Between 2003 and 2018, Karin Weigelt’s career for the Switzerland women’s national handball team was nothing short of exceptional. The former right back scored 400 goals in 130 games, the fourth most in the team’s history.

Weigelt has been somewhat of a globetrotter, playing in Germany, France and Norway after leaving her first senior team LC Brühl Handball, as she made the first steps in her hometown, St. Gallen.

She was one of the most seasoned Swiss players, her experience at teams like Frisch Auf Göppingen, Vipers Kristiansand and HBC Celles-sur-Belle proving invaluable for her post-playing career because she could not stay away from handball. And when the Swiss Handball Federation (SHV) decided to establish a new national Women’s Academy, Weigelt did not back down from the challenge.

Weigelt wanted to make a difference in Swiss handball and rewrite the history of a side that has never taken part in a major tournament. Building something from the ground up appeased the former player, who saw an opportunity.

The 36-year-old called it quits on her playing career in 2018, but immediately became the Project Manager of the new project, which aims to establish Switzerland among the top European sides in ten years’ time.

“My inspiration came from my playing career, as I have been travelling to many countries and playing in many club teams, with different systems. I learnt a lot during this time and I wanted to put this knowledge to good use for Switzerland. So it was like a win-win situation, as the SHV decided to build this Academy, to create new players and help them develop their careers,” said Weigelt.

The dream of a final tournament

Switzerland have never qualified for the Women’s EHF EURO or the IHF Women’s World Championship, but have secured their first European Championship berth as a co-host in 2024.

Therefore, Switzerland will need to up their game within three years and prove their mettle against the best teams in Europe. This is a challenge that Weigelt is relishing and she works every day to ensure that the Swiss side will be on par with other European powerhouses. 

Until that point comes, some time will pass and there will be many opportunities for the team to grow and to prove themselves. The next stop is the 2021 IHF Women’s World Championship Qualification Europe – Phase 1, where Switzerland will face Belarus and the Faroe Islands in a tournament played in Minsk, Belarus.

“To qualify for a final tournament is a dream for us. To progress to each and every major competition is our objective in the future and I definitely hope to be ready for the challenge for the EHF EURO 2024. We are working hard for it, we are trying to strengthen the team and be a competitive team at that point,” Weigelt added.

The pool of players in Switzerland, a country with a population of 8.5 million is not big. Only 6,000 women are currently playing handball, yet Weigelt did not back down from the challenge.

“Of course, it is difficult to build something from the ground up in women’s handball, as the funds can be scarce. We are trying to get even more, I advocated for gender equality and, luckily, things have gotten better and better,” says Weigelt, who supervises 16 players in the SHV Women’s Academy.

The purpose is to form good players, to instil a professional mindset and to build something from within, as clubs do not have the resources to grow players like in Germany, Norway or France, where Weigelt has played throughout her career.

The Project Manager has been trying to adapt different systems, but developed handball countries do not have centralised systems for young players, rather rely on clubs to help players grow and emerge on the big scene. Instead, she looked closely at another country with small number of players, but a cunning and ambitious plan. In 15 years, the Netherlands went from zero to hero and won the 2019 IHF Women’s World Championship in Japan and this is exactly what Weigelt aims for.  

“In my experience as a player, everybody bought in, everybody tried to chime in and trained very, very hard. This is the mentality we want to bring to Switzerland, as this is the only way we can develop even further,” said Weigelt.

Self-confidence and power

The men’s national team have had newfound success in the last few years, earning berths at both the EHF EURO 2020 and at the 2021 IHF Men’s World Championship, with former Bundesliga MVP, Andy Schmid, as a leader.

The situation is completely different, says Weigelt, as Swiss powerhouses like Kadetten Schaffhausen, who play in the EHF European League Men, have interest in homegrown players and develop them. The former right back of the Swiss national team is advocating for more of the same in women’s handball too.

Since ending her playing career, her life has changed as she gave birth and is now a woman on a mission: to give back to the sport she loves so much in her home country.

“I am proud that we are not trying to build handball players, rather than we are trying to build strong, powerful women, who are self-confident. This is what I am always saying to the girls: be confident, give it all on the court and you will be rewarded. Both in handball and in life,” concluded Weigelt.

After three years of constant work, the first improvements are there on display. The interest in women’s handball in Switzerland has piqued, the training sessions with the national team and at the clubs are more professional and players are trying to learn more and more.

As handball has become faster and more physical, new teams have emerged and Switzerland already have a role model in the Netherlands. Whether they follow in the Dutch footsteps is still to be seen. Yet, former players like Karin Weigelt are certainly making a difference.

Photos: SHV/FOTO WAGNER