For everyone reading this post after watching handball in the Summer Olympics and wanting to get started, welcome! This post will hopefully serve as a primer for all of your basic questions, and to get you involved with DC Diplomats Team Handball.
ABOUT US
DC Diplomats (DCD) was founded in March 2001 to serve as a club and development program in the Washington, DC Metro Area. Over the past twenty years, hundreds of players has passed through our ranks from over sixty countries. Over the years, DCD has served as a second home for those from abroad, a USATH National Team player pool pipeline, and a vector for bringing trophies and medals back to the region.
In recent — pre-COVID — years, DCD’s Men’s team has won multiple tournaments, finished runners-up in the Northeast Team Handball League, and won the 2017 USATH Open Division National Championship. DCD’s Women has twice finished as runners-up in the Northeast Team Handball League and finished 3rd in the 2019 USATH National Championships. All of this occurred whilst having fun, traveling across the region, and contributing players to the Australian Men’s National Team and the USA Women’s National Team.
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR
As we re-emerge from the pandemic, DCD is looking to bring in about 40 members for the 2021/2022 season. Our goal is to have a full men’s (20 players) and women’s (20 players) team to compete in the Northeast Team Handball League’s 1st Division, various tournaments in the Northeast, and the 2022 USA Team Handball National Championships.
If you are at least 16 years of age and ready to come to practice with an open mind, we’d love to have you.
FORMS
We have two forms for you to complete before we can add you to our communications list. One is the Return-to-Play Registration Form which will give us an idea of your general area and when is best for us to schedule. The second form is the COVID-19 info form. Please complete these and then you’re good to go!
PREPARING FOR THE FIRST PRACTICES
Please bring comfortable workout gear, water, a mask (if desired/needed), and an open mind. If this is your first time playing handball, there will be people trying to give you advice and get you caught up so that you can contribute to the team. I also recommend continuing to watch the 2020 Summer Olympics games as well as EHF games broadcasted on ehftv.com. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask. We’ve heard them all before.
QUESTIONS/FAQ
Q – I live abroad and I would love to join your team. Can you sponsor my entrance into the United States or find me a college scholarship?
At this time, the sport in the US is fully amateur, and no team in the United States — including DCD — can sponsor visas and import players from abroad. To that end, college scholarships are not available at this time. Best of luck in your search for a new club.
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Q – Can you get me on the National Team? How do I prepare for the National Team?
Your first season is mostly about getting comfortable and finding how your unique skills translate to the facets of handball. Over the course of the season, we’ll not only prepare you for the on-court experience, but the general culture of handball globally. You’re free to post your combine information for USA Team Handball to view at any time on GMTM, but to really learn the game, we want you here with our system on a regular basis.
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Q -I may not play handball anymore, but I’d like to be involved in some capacity. Is there space for me?
Absolutely. We are always in need of additional coaches, refs, and administrators. Let us know if there’s something specific you’d like to do, and we’ll take it from there.
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Q – My son/daughter really wants to play handball, but they’re not 16 yet. What options are available to me?
Great to hear. Unfortunately, we have not yet received enough demand to create a youth program in the region. We ask you to reach out to the Parks and Recreation center in which you reside, and let them know your child would love to play handball. Please also let them know that DC Diplomats is happy to assist in the efforts of these Parks and Rec organizations to create youth programs for handball, and would gladly take an advisory of leadership role in this programs.
Contact info for area Parks and Rec Programs:
Washington, DC – https://dpr.dc.gov/
Prince George’s County, MD – https://pgparks.com/185/Parks-Recreation
Montgomery County, MD – https://www.montgomeryparks.org/about/contact-us/
Arlington, VA – https://parks.arlingtonva.us/contact-us/
Alexandria, VA – https://www.alexandriava.gov/Recreation
Baltimore, MD – https://bcrp.baltimorecity.gov/welcome-rec-parks
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Q – My question isn’t here. Now what?
Drop us a line at contact@dcdiplomats.com!
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Q – If the US had Jay Cutler and LeBr…
Stop.
