Beautiful or boring? YAC female player perceptions of the women’s game

Naturally, the young women in the game are overwhelmingly positive about it — doubt only arises concerning how others see it. This polarity in how the young women coming up in our sport see their place in it highlights the gap the EHF and federations across the continent are working to reduce.

Is this how we want those who will shape the future of handball to be feeling? If young women already achieving the success of representing their countries feel that others think less of their game, how do girls who are not having such experiences perceive women’s handball, sport and, by extension, themselves?

“Elegant, strong, fast, physically hard, beautiful”

Among the answers regarding the perception of the women’s game from others were also many positives, but the fact that those negative conceptions were the most prominent among the athletes representing 31 countries is alarming.

Fast, fun, exciting, creative, strong, intense, intelligent and technical were all among the words used to describe the public perception. But so were slow, not known, underappreciated, weaker and “handball is for men.” This does not only reflect how the respondents think people see their game, but how they view women and girls — a concerning thought in a time when most European societies claim to be equal or close to it.

Regarding the players’ own descriptions of women’s handball, the words used were almost entirely positive. “Dynamic, requires intelligence and beautiful,” “Women’s handball is all about intensity, speed, and teamwork with one goal in mind: Scoring,” and “Fast, exciting and developing” were all answers to the question of their own perceptions.

The negative phrases in answer to their own perceptions focused on lack of visibility and finances. Visibility was also the key concept that emerged from the question on their wishes for women’s handball. The female youth players want to see more visibility, more spectators in the arenas and equality. Areas such as higher salaries and investment were mentioned, but mostly the young athletes simply wish to see their sport treated the same as the men’s game and have it receive the interest it deserves.

“Many see women’s handball as an intense and spectacular sport, but still too often [it is] less publicised and recognised than the men’s game” and “people see women’s handball as fast and competitive, but it often gets less media attention and recognition” were both answers regarding the public perception. Such ideas highlight the understanding that there are plenty of people out there who do appreciate the women’s game but may simply not see it quite as much as they do the men’s due to the different approaches to broadcasting, promotion and media — and underline the importance of an equal approach that gives the women’s game a chance to be seen and receive the attention it deserves.

Based on the survey results, it seems the first step to improving the perception of women’s handball, including among the young female players who will be a vital part of ensuring the sport’s future, is more visibility. Through that, young women and girls can gain the deserved confidence that their role on court is valued as much as that of their male counterparts. In turn, there is a higher chance of keeping female players in handball and thus ensuring the continued growth of the sport overall.

“Someone who is a leader on and off the court”

The second part of the survey focused on role models. 80 per cent of respondents said they have a role model in handball, and, for 83 per cent of those, the role models are female.

When asked how they would define a role model, some of the players focused solely on the court, with responses such as “someone that stands up for the team, take risks and play with heart,” “someone you look up to and someone you want to play like” and “a role model is a person that has achieved what you want to.”

Others gave answers that encompass more than only the sports side: “One that shows both bad and good things about life, handball. Does not show a façade” and “someone who has a strong character and good behaviour, that shows on and off court.”

The young players were also asked to name their role models. Interestingly, four Norwegians came out clear on top: Stine Oftedal Dahmke, Henny Reistad, Nora Mørk and Katrine Lunde. Kari Brattset Dale was not far behind her compatriots. Brazilian Bruna de Paula and Serbian Andrea Lekic were the next most popular choices.

It is interesting to consider what positions these women as role models in the eyes of the young players. We have already heard the general concept of how they define role models, but there seems to be more than only success and off-court behaviour here, given the Norwegian theme. No doubt the Norway women’s national team is one of the most successful sides in any sport, and the players named have all also won the EHF Champions League, but there are other national teams, like France, with runs of enormous success and players who have excelled on an individual level.

Considering Oftedal, Reistad and Mørk, it might be that the link between them is inspiring for girls as well — the trophies and medals achieved together, the support needed to do that, and the joy in each other’s success and the interactions witnessed when they are celebrating as a group.

In addition, the status of the Norway women’s team as one known to be so prominent in their own country — even more than the men’s side, the respect shown towards them and the loyal fanbase might also speak to girls when they dream of their own ideal futures.

Whatever the case, the qualities defined regarding what makes a role model speak to what the young players aim to be themselves, and it is about more than just the game on court. That is the power of role models and of sport itself in helping shape driven girls who will become empowered women in their communities.

A unique voice for women’s handball

The newly launched Her Playground, an EHF platform exclusively for women’s handball, aims to address one of the core findings of the survey results: Visibility. By giving the women’s game a unique voice, providing more content that is appealing to girls and women in the game and outside it as well as those who support them, and highlighting the continued efforts to develop the sport, Her Playground targets a gap that has existed until now.

In tandem with Her Playground, a role models project featuring Lunde, Lekic, France team captain Estelle Nze Minko and Dutch wheelchair handball phenomenon Joyce van Haaster has been launched. Through that, young players such as those responding to the survey will have the chance to see women they aspire to be like more prominently and in a different light.

These initiatives do not mean the job is done. They are a step in the right direction, but we should all ask ourselves how we can contribute to empowering the girls and young women in our sport further, so that they feel completely supported in their environment and the next survey results do not include any negative perceptions of women’s handball.

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