As the new European handball season throws off, over 300 young handball fans will get to experience just how important the sport can be for their development thanks to the Share & Play programme.

The start of the year saw the EHF move into a partnership with Share & Play, the programme which was created by former player Carlos Prieto. It has been running since 2017 and has already helped more than 400 children. The methodology is designed by professionals in the fields of education, sports and psychology.  

The programme focuses on three main themes: education, health and social inclusion. The collaboration between Share & Play and the EHF started in February 2021 in Germany, specifically in four schools in the Hessen region, where it will run for one year and allow more than 300 children to participate on a regular basis.

Thanks to its methodology, which is closely linked to social needs, the programme manages to connect with children in a very direct way, offering them the opportunity to participate regardless of their physical abilities. This will increase participation and interest in our sport among both young people and their families.

The programme is supported by a large number of professional players who are part of the Share & Play community and who collaborate with the programme in its social work.

The collaboration will show how much potential handball has for children to find a way to develop personally and feel part of a group.

Carlos Prieto said: “Having the support of the EHF is crucial for the programme to reach so many children and to get the younger handball community more involved. At Share & Play we have a clear vision of what we are looking for, we want not only more handball players but also more quality handball supporters and that means working properly with our young people in a holistic way.

“The EHF has a very strong product and we know how to reach out to young people, awakening their interest in our sport and giving them a sense of belonging to a group.

“From my position as the programme director and with my experience as a former player I can say that the result that Share & Play has achieved in the last years has been very successful. Now with this partnership with the EHF, we can significantly increase the number of mentors we have and achieve much greater impact.”

For more information on the work of Share & Play, visit their website.