Helle Thomsen, a former Danish player, is considered one of the best women's handball coaches in the world. She coached the Swedish national team to a bronze medal in Euro 2014, as well as the Dutch national team to a silver medal in 2016 and two bronze medals at WCH 2017 and Euro 2018.

How do you think sports science and sports medicine has influenced your coaching career?

This has influenced me to become more knowledgeable in certain areas. I have acquired this knowledge from various people, focusing on what players can tolerate, how they should perform at their best, and when they should perform at their best. Knowledge has come from courses, information I read, but also people. I have, however, noticed differences in how clubs apply this knowledge between countries.

Have you seen attitudes to sport science and sports medicine change over your coaching career?

Many things have changed over time. Physical conditioning is now considered more important, and players today can train more than they could years ago. The focus on nutrition has changed over time. I am now working more with experts, making it possible to consider more aspects. E.g. when to train, how many sessions per day before matches, when to do treatment with the physios, when and how to use a mental coach, and what to eat when.  I think that handball teams now embrace more experts and expertise.

What were the major contributions of sports science and sports medicine you have implemented in your coaching activities?

The way we train and how I can integrate different experts. The main contributions come from working with experts who are becoming more and more skilled in their fields and can really help coaches like me.

I have coached in different parts of the world, and there are differences in many things. For example, doctors abroad are more on the floor than physiotherapists as compared to Scandinavia. Also, food and nutrition habits are completely different in different countries. To ensure that athletes were adequately nourished and recovered after training, I had to adapt and modify their diets to align with scientific guidelines on e.g timing after training. Something simple like the timing of nutrition of supplements intake may make a difference but, in some cultures, players are not used to eating immediately after training so I had to adapt.

How has handball changed over the years and what have you changed in the way you prepare your players?

The game has changed a lot; it is much faster, there are more goals and the game changes quickly. You may be ahead of a few goals, and then suddenly you are down. Women’s handball has much more movement than before, and it is much more physical than before. There are many more games, which means more travel. The trips are tough for the players, and we are not in a sport where there is so much money, so there is no private jet travel. It is often long trips when you are away, and having to travel means a lot in terms of diet, rest/sleep, training. This applies to both the domestic league, the EHF/CL, and the national teams where there are more games, and all the federations think about themselves and their product, so it is not always optimal for the players

Therefore, focusing on training and improving fitness and recovery is key to achieving a high level of performance in modern handball.

I have changed my way of training and planning, not only by spending time on the annual plan but also by taking the national team players into great consideration. I try to find times when their bodies (and minds) can get breaks and place a lot of emphasis on physical training to keep them injury-free. This means that even though I need the field training on court for the sake of the 'team,' I instead prioritize strength/cardio to avoid injuries for the national team players.

What are the biggest impacting changes you have seen in sports science that have benefited your players in recent years?

Definitively the physical aspects. We can achieve a completely different level of training nowadays than what we achieved before. Strength and conditioning have changed the game and players need to be strong not only to perform but also to reduce the risk of injuries.

Nutrition, physical preparation, recovery are all important to succeed at international level. How have players’ attitudes changed towards these aspects? Are players taking more responsibility about lifestyle choices to improve performance?

I think this is still very individual. Also, I noticed differences in the different countries I have been coaching. Some players are better educated than others and take this information on board. As a coach I don’t always know what’s right. But I can see players that take care of themselves and the positive effects it has on them. I try to make sure players take responsibility for these aspects and their own performance.

For the next generation of coaches, what simple advice would you give to help them get the most out of sports science and sports medicine?

Listening to experts, engaging with real experts, it is not enough to go on google and find out about cardio or strength training. It is important to have real experts to talk to. When I started, I thought it was just all about tactics on the handball court. Coaching involves so many aspects now and collaborating with various experts really helps. I work a lot with a physical trainer (strength and conditioning coach) and mental trainer. I trust them a lot as I recognize that these people are much better than me in those areas, so I have become better at listening. However, it is important to find the right ones who know the sport well and are true experts.

What do you think is the future of handball and how do you see sports science and medicine helping coaches and athletes?

Rule changes will dictate how the game evolves. It may become faster or more physically hard. I think players will keep developing, more science in this field means that they will be able to maximize their performances.

I have to say that the game system has not changed much, but there is more physicality, more speed, more pace, more players with fast shots. Players do their movements a lot faster than before. But still they try to attack a space performing typical moves (center-cross, change of direction, change of position etc.).

Importantly, I think that the future of handball should put more emphasis on young players. Sometimes, I see young players in gyms performing exercises without the correct technique. Unfortunately, I think sometimes clubs do not invest in good- quality expertise in young teams and leave the physical training to volunteers who may not be best placed to safely develop the physical abilities and capacities of future handball players. Therefore, sports science and medicine should start to have an earlier impact in handball clubs.

Interview by Merete Moller

Translated by Marco Cardinale