Partille World Cup

IFK Hammarö have been throwing snowballs and sledding for practice

When the pandemic hit and the courts were closed, the coaches at IFK Hammarö were forced to be creative and find new ways to practice. Throwing snowballs and sledding were put in the practice schedule, the players enjoyed the activities that brought them even closer together as a team.

The team from IFK Hammarö consist of girls born in 2004 and 2005 and they are very close as a team and enjoy practicing together. During the pandemic the team was forced to split, when only the girls born 2005 were allowed to practice, due to restrictions. Even though the girls really did not like this, only a few of them quit the team. Now when the restrictions have been lifted the girls who quit are now back playing with the team.

When the courts closed down, the coaches had to be creative and find new alternative training methods for outdoor practice. To keep the girls shoulders in shape they started to throw snowballs, as well as going sledding and ice skating. The girls enjoyed the different practice sessions so much that they later carried on playing frisbee golf, went bowling, played padle and minigolf. Even on very cold winter days, with a temperature of -15°C, the girls have kept going and never complained.

Outdoor training became a part of the girls regular practice when the courts were closed last winter.

This spring the municipality created a handball court on the artificial grass where the team could practice, the perfect way of training for Partille Cup says the coach Christofer Finnsgård. He aslo says that the pandemic has forced him and the other coaches to be more creative about the practice and other activities, and it was during this time the ideas about snowball throwing as technical training and sledding as fitness training came about.

The team has played in one tournament since the restrictions were lifted, something they really enjoyed. The girls have missed playing tournaments, which many of them they think is the best part of playing handball, since the experience gives them so much more than just the matches.

Handball means a lot to me, I enjoy both practicing and playing matches. It is fun to belong to a team and in our team everyone is very close to each other and we are having a lot of fun. During the pandemic the handball and the team has been very important as the training sessions new when you have been able to meet your friends, and meant that you have not sat at home as much. - Clara, player in the team

Building snow towers and throwing snowballs became a part of the girls practice last winter.

For many of the girls the handball means a lot, especially during times when they have been home schooled during the pandemic. The handball practices have given them the opportunity to meet their friends during this hard time. Now they are looking forward to a season with a lot of handball, for them the season will end in the best way possible by playing at Partille Cup in July.