New Formby club offers youngsters the chance to play Handball

First training session takes place at Formby High School and open to all abilities. A new club is giving children and young people in Formby the chance to take part in an up-and-coming Olympic sport.

This video is 2.5 minutes of highlights from GBR v FIN Sep 09 at the Echo Arena Liverpool. Courtesey of Felek. It shows you the great sport of British Handball.

Formby Handball Club will be launched later this month as a joint initiative between Liverpool Handball Club, handball coaching specialists the Community Sports Factory, Formby High School and Active Sefton.

Young people aged from 11-19 of all sporting abilities are being invited to the group’s first free training session at Formby High School from 4.45-5.45pm tomorrow (Wednesday, March 11).

Handball, which originated in northern Europe at the end of the 19th century, is played in teams of seven - six outfield players and a goalkeeper.

According to Community Sports Factory founder, Andy Clark, the new club is designed to build on the work that is being done to promote the sport in Sefton schools.

He said: “The great thing about handball is that it requires little equipment. It can be played in any sized space and is easy to set up.

“This makes it an ideal sport for youth groups, as it can even be played as a street sport or on a beach. It’s also much less gender specific than football or netball.”

The partners in the new initiative hope that it will help to encourage more teams to enter the flagship Liverpool International Handball Tournament at the end of May, which is being opened up to junior sides for the first time this year.

Andy added: “We’re hoping for a very good turnout on March 11 and at our subsequent training sessions.

“The young people who attend will find that as well as being an enjoyable and exciting sport, handball also helps players to develop social, team building and planning skills, all within the context of keeping fit and having fun.”

Children and young people can simply turn up for the free on March 11 session as no booking is required.

Further sessions will cost just £1 each, with a loyalty card system with rewards in place for participants.

Bobby White, Team GB Olympic handball team captain