Handball is a traditional German sport. Players with a migration background are rather a rarity in Germany. Sports are usually taught by the immediate environment, for example the family, but in many of the countries from which families come to Germany, handball is not part of the culture. Children with a migration background tend not to come into contact with handball. In this way, handball remains a sport with little diversity.
As long as nobody is discriminated against, this is not problematic per se. After all, you can’t force children with a migration background to be enthusiastic about handball. The problem is that generally too few children discover handball for themselves. In the last ten years, the membership of the German Handball Federation (DHB) has fallen by 15 percent – not a good trend for the sport.
Around 40 percent of minors in Germany have a migration background, and the trend is rising. A sport cannot survive in the long term if it does not win over these children. Handball has a disadvantage here. Not only is handball not passed on in families with a migration background, but unlike football and basketball, the sport is rarely played by children and young people on the street or on the sports field.
The DHB should approach children, especially those with a migration background, and make up for what it has missed in the last decade. They must be picked up immediately. This not only secures young talent for handball, but also strengthens integration and social acceptance. Sport connects. Handball is a sport that is firmly rooted in Germany.
The falling membership numbers are a wake-up call – initiatives must be taken to strengthen the sport. The DHB is taking a step in the right direction with initiatives such as “Handbball together” (which includes “all together”). Nevertheless, more time and energy must be invested in getting young people interested in the sport. After all, it’s about the future of handball.
