Seven EHF Master Coaches defend post-graduate master’s theses

On Saturday February 23, seven EHF Master Coaches from six countries had the opportunity to defend their academic master’s thesis in front of an EHF and University Las Palmas academic panel at the EHF Office in Vienna. The event was another milestone in the established partnership between the EHF and the Spanish university.

The thesis defence allows EHF Master Coaches to enter the final stage of receiving a post-graduate master’s degree: Master of Science, EHF Master Coach.

For this degree, it is necessary that participants are already in possession of the Master Coach Diploma

within the EHF RINCK (Coaching) Convention, after having attended either national courses certified by the EHF or EHF courses. They then need to complete and pass a final project, a master's thesis, to gain the master's degree.

Diverse topics and same passion for the sport

The seven EHF Master Coaches chose various topics, covering all aspects of modern handball.

Kaj Kekki, Finland men’s national coach and a graduate of the EHF Master Coach programme in 2016, started with the topic ‘Attack with an extra player and goalkeeper’. His tutor during the process was Wolfgang Pollany, a well-known Austrian EHF lecturer.

Top Romanian coach Aihan Omer, who graduated from the 2014 EHF Master Coach programme, presented his thesis with the topic ‘Attack/defence in numerical superiority (last minutes)’. Omer’s thesis still needs some remedial work concerning formal and structural criteria but will be accepted by the academic panel thereafter. Dr Alexandru Acsinte from Romania, a well-known EHF lecturer, guided him as a tutor.

Dr Julian Bauer from Germany, a graduate of the 2016 Masters Coach programme, focused on ‘Attacking 7:6 in the German Bundesliga’ in his remarkable presentation. German EHF lecturer Dr Rolf Brack guided Dr Bauer in completing his comprehensive scientific research.

Siofok KC assistant coach Bent Dahl talked about ‘How discipline, culture and physical exercise affect the development of young players’.  Dahl was acknowledged as an EHF Master Coach in 2008. On his journey to the master’s degree, he was guided by Pollany.

Slovenian Klemen Luzar focused on a ‘Methodical approach in training for selected tactical attacking combinations used versus set-zone defence in handball’. His tutor was Slovenian EHF lecturer Marko Sibila.

Another Slovenian tutored by Sibila was Gasper Kovac, whose thesis was on ‘Attack with player superiority in handball’.

Austrian Harold Grünanger presented his thesis on the topic ‘Performance motivation test SMT and school marks in handball academies’. Grünanger was also tutored by Pollany.

The academic panel was composed of Professor Miguel Betancor (pictured second from the left); well-known basketball refereeing legend, EHF Methods Commission member and academic director of the programme, Pedro Sequiera (right); and EHF Competitions Commission member Carmen Manchado.

Responsibility for coordination of the project lies with Helmut Höritsch (left), the coordinator for the EHF Competence Academy & Network (CAN) and senior manager for education and development.

List of graduates, thesis topics and tutors:

• Grünanger Harold (AUT); Performance motivation test SMT and school marks in handball academies / Academic Tutor: Dr.Wolfgang Pollany (AUT/EHF Lecturer)
• Dr Julian Bauer (GER); The seventh court player in the German Bundesliga / Academic Tutor: Dr Rolf Brack (GER/EHF Lecturer)
• Aihan Omer (ROU); Attack/defence in numerical superiority (last minutes) / Academic Tutor:  Dr. Alexandru Acsinte (ROU/EHF Lecturer)
• Klemen Luzar (SLO); Methodical approach in training for selected tactical attacking combinations used versus set-zone defense in handball / Academic Tutor:  Marko Sibila (SLO/EHF Lecturer)
• Kaj Kekki (FIN); Attack with an extra player and without goalkeeper / Academic Tutor:  Wolfgang Pollany (AUT/EHF Lecturer)
• Gasper Kovac (SLO); Attack with man superiority in handball / Academic Tutor: Marko Sibila (SLO/EHF Lecturer)
• Bent Dahl (NOR); How discipline, culture and physical exercise affect the development of young players / Academic Tutor: Wolfgang Pollany (AUT/EHF Lecturer)