Eight athletes to train in Iceland for semester

USA Team Handball is pleased to announce eight youth athletes will live and train in Iceland this fall semester until the middle of December. Five of the athletes, competing Sept. 3-10 in Germany with USATH’s National Teams, will fly to Iceland when their time in Dormagen concludes; all eight en route to Iceland participated at the U-18 National Team Selection Camp in August.

The students, all in high school, have been paired with host families and various club teams. They will take required courses online and study at their assigned schools as well.

“They’re going to get tons of game experience,” said Kathy Rex, handball Olympian and mother of Kobi Rex, one of the participating athletes. “They’re going to play five or six days a week with people who have been playing for years.”

Callie McDonald, who lives in Iceland with her daughter Morgan Thorkelsdottir of the U-18 National Team, originally proposed the idea during the spring of 2009. This semester is the beginning of more future exchange programs.

The students to train in Iceland are:

Nick Allan, 16, of the Colorado Landsharks – goalkeeper
Chris Hesser, 17, of the Colorado Landsharks – goalkeeper
Devin Holman, 17, of HSG Leimental/Oakdale, CA – back
Weston Holmes, 17, of the Colorado Landsharks – back
Kobi Rex, 17, of the Colorado Landsharks – right back
Holly Mikulas, 17, of the Colorado Landsharks
Toni Ernst, 17, of the Colorado Landsharks - goalkeeper
Rachel Francis, 15, of the Colorado Landsharks

According to McDonald, handball is widespread and played more aggressively in Iceland. The men’s national team won silver at the 2008 Olympics and came close to upsetting now-2009 World Champions France.

Kathy Rex, who trained briefly in Iceland at the age of 17 like her son, said, “The potential is incredible. The level of handball in Iceland has grown significantly; this is an experience they can’t have here yet.”