Upcoming Coaching Education Events#
The USATH CCM will strive to provide online and in-person learning opportunities throughout the United States and throughout the year. The location for in-person opportunities is largely informed by the people that signed-up for the coaching Community and funding received.
Handball Coaching Education System in the US #
The main focus of the USATH coaching education system is to develop new coaches that can facilitate the growth of grassroots efforts and domestic college and club competition in the US, while the continental (NACHC) and international handball federation (IHF) are driving the development of elite and national team coaching education programs.
To join the USATH Coaching Community, please sign up here: Coaching Community Sign Up
US coaches participating in domestic certifications can be nominated by the CCM for programs where they can obtain official IHF licenses, based on their experience and performance. Coaches acting as domestic lecturers can be nominated to the continental CCM Lecturer.
If you are interested in becoming a lecturer, please sign up here: Coaching Lecturer Sign Up
USATH Coaching Structure #
Commission for Coaching and Methodology (CCM) #
The commission for coaching and methodology, a working group of USA Team Handball, is committed to shape and facilitate coaching education opportunities for the domestic US handball community. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at coaching@handballusa.org.
CCM Members #
Michelle Mensing currently serves as the chair of the USATH - Commission for Coaching and Methodology. Michelle has represented the US as head coach and assistant coach for the USA Women's Beach Handball National Team at the 2018, 2022 and 2024 World Championships, the 2022 World Games and the 2023 IHF Global Beach Tour. In 2023 Michelle was named as Continental Lecturer for the North American and Carribbean Handball Confederation (NACHC).
Martin Bilello currently serves as the vice-chair of the USATH - Commission for Coaching and Methodology. He has represented the US as the head coach and assistant coach for the USA Men's Youth Indoor National Team at the North American and Carribbean Championships and IHF Trophy since 2022. He has also lead the US Men's Junior Beach Handball National Team as head coach during the 2022 World Championships. Domestically Martin has been successful in launching middle, high school and college grass root programs in the San Francisco Bay Area and is currently working as a lecturer for San Jose State University.
Julio Sainz holds an IHF Master Coach license and with an extensive international record - working with teams including both the American men’s and women’s squads, Puerto Rica, Colombia, Costa Rica and American Samoa - is one of the continent’s most experienced international handball coaches. He currently serves as the head of technical coaching for USATH, is an IHF lecturer and the Vice-chair of the North American and Carribbean CCM.
Thomas Bäckmann holds the B Handball Coach License of the German Olympic Sports Committee DOSB / German Handball Federation DHB and is a certified goalkeeper coach. Since moving to the US from Germany he has worked with the USA Women's Indoor National Team and assisted the USA Wheelchair Handball National Team in their preparation for the 2024 World Championship. In Germany he was one of the founding members of the „Deutsche Trainerschmiede“ (German Coaching Forge) an organisation that organized and offered handball education for coaches.
CCM Athlete Representatives #
Sarah Gascon
Elizabeth Hartnett Wyatt has competed in both indoor and beach handball disciplines, representing Team USA in prestigious international events such as the 2019 Pan American Games, the 2018 IHF Beach Handball World Championships, and the 2019 ANOC World Beach Games. She is a two-time champion of the SoCal Beach Handball Championships (2019 and 2024) and won the 2018 U.S. National Championship. Liz has represented USA in over 60 international matches in her career for indoor handball, and over 25 international matches for the beach discipline. She holds an MBA from UC Irvine and is committed to growing handball in the U.S. while mentoring future athletes.