USA Team Handball Announces Head Coaches for Senior and Junior Women’s National Teams Ahead of NACHC Championships

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by USA Team Handball

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – USA Team Handball (USATH) is proud to announce the appointment of Sarah Gascon as the Head Coach of the U.S. Women’s Senior National Team and Thomas Baeckmann as the Head Coach of the U.S. Women’s Junior National Team. Both will lead their respective teams in upcoming continental championship events in Mexico City.

Gascon will take the helm of the Senior National Team as they compete in the 2025 NACHC Senior Women’s Championship and IHF Women’s World Championship Qualifier, held April 6-13. A veteran of the U.S. handball community, Gascon has been a mainstay on the Senior National Team since her debut in 2003. She brings an extensive background in high-performance sports science, holding a Ph.D. in Kinesiology from Auburn University and experience as a performance coach across multiple disciplines. Most recently, she was instrumental as Team Leader for USATH’s inaugural Wheelchair Handball National Team, which won silver at the 2024 IHF World Championships.

Baeckmann will guide the U.S. Women’s Junior National Team at the 2025 NACHC Junior Women’s Championship and Junior Pan American Games Qualifier, taking place March 30-April 5. A German native, Baeckmann brings years of coaching and management experience, serving as Team Manager for Leichlinger TV in his last role before moving to the United States. In his years stateside, he has worked closely with the U.S. women’s national team program and notably stepped in as Senior Women’s Head Coach at the 2023 Pan American Games Last Chance Qualifier.

Both Gascon and Baeckmann have been actively involved in USATH’s Coaching Curriculum and Methods Committee since early 2024, helping shape the future of handball development in the U.S.

Their appointments follow a competitive selection process conducted by a five-person committee, which reviewed applications from more than three dozen candidates.

Athlete selection for both teams is currently ongoing. U.S.-based athletes can enter their candidacy through the Sport80 platform, while video submissions are being accepted via GMTM - https://www.usateamhandball.org/registration-open-for-selection-process-for-upcoming-senior-junior-women-s-nachc-indoor-championships

For more information and updates on the U.S. Women’s National Teams, visit usateamhandball.org.

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Media Contact:
Michael King

Michael.king@usateamhandball.org

Chief Executive Officer
USA Team Handball

About USA Team Handball #

USA Team Handball (USATH) is the National Governing Body for the Olympic sport of team handball in the United States. USATH is responsible for the development of the sport at all levels, from grassroots to elite national teams, and oversees domestic competitions, national team programs, and international representation of American handball athletes

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