Paolo Baresi's analysis about Italian women's handball

Paolo Baresi provides his detailed analysis about the current situation of Italian women's handball. If we bear in mind the great years of women's handball at the time of the legendary Cassano Magnago and the current crisis of the sport, what would you think had been lost over the years? "Well, a lot has been lost across the board! I have been saying it at least for the last 10 years! The Italian federation is guilty of not having provided a vision,a clear program, objectives and a strategy to apply to the sport.Because of it, every club has gone its own way, without being involved in a comprehensive development project. In the meantime, some managers started to lose passion in the sport, as well many coaches who had been working hard to grow the players'base.Eventually we ended up in the current situation which translated in little planning, less effort, fewer players and teams." I have heard several times the story that Italian girls are not suitable to play handball.Therefore they prefer to embrace other sports such as basketball and volleyball.What you think about it? "I think it is silly to state that ...Our problem is that we are failing to make handball an attractive sport to girls ...but mind you..I would not say that the situation is better in the men's side.. Yet in small Italian towns there are few available sport choices for women and young people! I live in an average town where the available sports for girls are:dance, gymnastics, volleyball and basketball .. if handball was available, I am sure few young players could embrace our sport and being supported by passionate and skilled coaches and managers!But who should be the one to motivate those managers and coaches?Well,the federation would be the responsibile body through its choices which would create the basis for a passionate work group who could spread the handball fever across the nation..I can guarantee you that we already had these people during the 90's! But the federation set them aside, because they were unable to share,to listen to the skilled coaches and passionate managers!The federation saw these group of skilled and enthusiast handballers as a bunch of reactionary fellows who deserved to be pushed to a corner." How would you grow the players'base in Italy? "There is not much to do: we would need to go back to the playing court,working on plans to grow the players' base .. and making resources available for youth activities.We should create the basis for a 7-8 years long plan to allow a growth of the players'base and only after that to focus on a talent drive. At present talented girls do choose volleyball.The question would be "How could we "steal" these girls from volleyball?" I think that we, coaches,should play our role as educators and spread the passion by keeping in mind a reasonable list of objectives set by the federation." The Futura project:What is your opinion? "Well I haven't got a positive opinion! I think it has been made in the wrong country (Italy), where players are a handful and at a wrong time!If made 15 years ago, it could have made sense ...but now it is too late! Now is the time to start again from the bottom by growing the players'base!" How much is this project? Could these resources had been spent in a different way? Why those resources had been used on a project which affects only a few individuals? Why did clubs agree to let Futura play in Slovenia? What does the Italian Olympic Committee have to say on the matter? What will the future hold for Futura players? Will they move to European teams? Or will they play in Italian ones..and if so..in what teams? These are just some of the questions I have been asking myself when I think of this project. I have got a feeling that the Futura project is a smokescreen for somebody and only an ego booster for others!" In the light of the current results,do you think that the federation should continue or not with the Futura project? "Obviously the project should end in my opinion!It has no reason to exist in a country where players are becoming fewer and fewer every year.We have got other more important priorities than carrying on with Futura at this stage!" Only 6 teams are playing in the women Serie A League this year(5 teams after Teramo exclusion).How many teams do you think will be playing in the next season? "Well I think that going for less than than six teams would be difficult ..... nobody follows this league,nobody!" Women's national team:What do you think of the results obtained so far? "There's little to say.. I think they are there for everyone to see!The national team is the mirror of the movement .... there is little quality in both cases!" If you had a magic wand what would you change immediately in Italian women's handball? "I would create a working group made up of the most skilled, experienced and passionate coaches.I would put aside all the provincialism and bickering which has been destroying handball.Then I would set the basis for a large youth activity project,by rewarding on a monetary basis the most deserving clubs on the basis of quality and quantity of their recruitment drives. I would also put aside resources for the historically most deserving regional working groups which have been a guarantee of a job well done amongst young players. I believe it is a mistake to look at the top ... it's time again to strengthen the players'base!A five years youth recruitment drive and we could start all over again!" You can follow Paolo Baresi on Twitter on: @pbaresi