Finally the players in Handball for everyone get to play matches: "Have longed a lot"
The passionate leader Camilla Andersson has been looking forward to see her players in IK Sävehof's Handball for everyone team play real matches.
More than 30 people are in IK Sävehof's Handball for everyone team. Handball for everyone means that all players can participate regardless of their condition. During the autumn, they finally got to start playing matches.
– We have fought for this for a long time, says the coach Camilla Andersson.
Sometimes as many as 35 people train with the Handball for everyone team. They train together once a week, at Wednesdays.
– The players are between eight and 34 years old. The team has existed for six years. The best thing about coaching the team is seeing the joy, the camaraderie and how they treat each other. It's fun to see how they help each other, says Camilla Andersson.
It warms her heart to see players with different functional variations helping each other. They have each others backs all the time. The camaraderie is at least as important as scoring goals. She thinks more clubs should follow and start Handball for everyone teams.
– Yes, definitely. All clubs should have teams. In Sweden, between 20 and 30 clubs have Handball for everyone. In Gothenburg, there have been more and more. IK Sävehof, Önnereds HK, Torslanda HK, Kungälvs HK, HK Aranäs have teams and also Alingsås HK.
In the special class Handball for everyone in the Partille Cup, three teams participated last year; IK Sävehof 1, IK Sävehof 2 and Önnereds HK. The three matches were watched by many spectators at Heden. The players loved hearing the crowd's cheers and applause.
– We wish more teams would want to participate in the Partille Cup, but we are happy that Önnereds HK came with a group and participated. The matches were great. It can not get better. The players are happy. Who isn't happy during the Partille Cup? asks Camilla Andersson.
And she couldn't be more right. During the autumn, they finally got to play real matches. To begin with, it has been about a few summaries.
– It has been a long process to get here. It has been about that the Swedish Handball Association making sure that we get to play. Then corona came. We had a meeting with the Handball Association West and last year it was decided that we would be allowed to start playing in the fall of 2022. Finally, we get to play matches, just like everyone else. We're very happy about that, says Camilla Andersson.
The decision was a victory for all Handball for everyone teams in the country.
– Everyone in IK Sävehof has fought for this for a long time. Our players have longed for it very much and asked why they were not allowed to play matches. We've participated in Lundaspelen and met other teams. We've also participated in Skadevi Cup and Partille Cup. That is where we've played before, says the coach and continues:
– Then we have had some collaborations with Önnereds HK and Alingsås HK. Now it's more that everyone accepts that we exist and thinks it's funny. In IK Sävehof, we have everyone behind us. Everyone is very happy that we exist. Now things will happen.
What's the next thing?
– Then it will be a national team. The association has started a little lightly with it. But corona got in the way, so we've had to start over a bit. We have been lucky in IK Sävehof, as we've been able to keep all the players, even though we weren't allowed to train for periods. We've always been in contact with the players. It works well in the club, from the most responsible down. We have been allowed to train with the senior team and are included, like everyone else. That is what is so important. It's great fun, says Camilla Andersson.
