Handball360 Pilot: HVSH Shapes New DHB Management System
In Heidelberg, state association leaders debated member growth and the rollout of the Handball360 management system.
Key points
- State association leaders gathered in Heidelberg from September 17 to 19, 2026, to discuss member development and structural challenges.
- Participants used World Café formats to debate six key areas, including talent promotion, governance, and the roles of volunteers.
- The HVSH acted as a pilot for the Handball360 system, helping to define implementation steps for different adoption stages.
Heidelberg’s conference halls hummed with the low, urgent buzz of strategy. For three days in September 2026, the air was thick with the scent of coffee and the sharp focus of leaders gathering to dissect the future of German handball. It was not a passive seminar; it was a collision of ideas, where state association presidents and managing directors leaned in, voices rising over the clatter of notebooks, to solve the sport’s most pressing structural puzzles.
Sascha Zollinger and Malte Butzlaff, representing the Schleswig-Holstein Handball Association, stood at the center of this whirlwind. As the days unfolded, the conversation shifted from the playgrounds of primary schools to the complex architecture of digital governance, each session building on the last to forge a unified path forward for the national body.
Roots in Primary School Education
The opening day pierced the heart of member development. Participants dove into workshops that felt less like lectures and more like urgent briefings. They mapped out the logistics of school action days and league structures for young players, weighing the impact of full-day schooling on club participation. The discussion extended to the critical role of referees and the looming shadow of the 2027 World Championship, with best-practice examples from various states serving as the fuel for debate.
World Café Discussion Formats
On the second day, the energy shifted to a circular, dynamic format. In a World Café setup, leaders rotated through six central development fields, from talent promotion to marketing and lobby work. Zollinger and Butzlaff took the helm, moderating key sessions that dissected the delicate balance between volunteer and professional roles. The conversation was raw and structural, acknowledging the diverse organizational realities that each state association faces while seeking common ground in governance and finance.
Handball360 System Implementation Strategy
The final day was a stark contrast, laser-focused on the new Handball360 management system. After a critical review of recent months, the room divided into two distinct camps: those running the system and those still in the late check-in phase. The DHB signaled a pivot, promising to tailor future formats to these groups. As a pilot association, the HVSH brought hard-won experience to the table, pledging to continue shaping the implementation with constructive, hands-on engagement.
As reported by shz.de, the three days concluded not with a single declaration, but with a wealth of exchanged impulses. The leaders left Heidelberg carrying a shared understanding of the challenges ahead, ready to translate their intensive discussions into concrete actions for their respective regions.
