USA Team Handball Announces New Leadership Appointments in the National Referee Commission and Education Initiatives

Colorado Springs, CO – USA Team Handball (USATH) is pleased to announce the election of Anahita Pirnia, Vafa Ahmediyah, and Bryan Cothorn as the newest Official Representatives to the National Referee Commission (NRC). They join existing Athlete Representatives Drew Bradley and Andres Espinosa, as well as Patrick Jalabert, who represents the USATH Board of Directors. Additionally, Vafa Ahmediyah has been appointed as Chair of the NRC by the USATH Board of Directors.

The NRC plays a pivotal role in the advancement and governance of handball officiating in the United States, ensuring high standards for referee development, certification, and performance at all levels of competition.

Concurrently, USA Team Handball has appointed Michelle Mensing as the Director of Education. In this role, she will lead initiatives to enhance digital and in-person education and certification programs in collaboration with the NRC and the USATH Coaching Curriculum and Methods Commission. Through the integration of eTrainU Academy, USATH’s digital learning platform, Mensing will oversee the development and dissemination of educational content to improve coaching and refereeing standards nationwide.

As part of these initiatives, USATH is proud to showcase the now-available Level 1 pre-Certification Courses for Coaching, Timekeeping/Scorekeeping, Technical Delgate, and Referee across indoor, beach, and wheelchair handball disciplines. These courses are currently accessible through the Learning Academy tab in Sport80 and are available at no cost to all active USATH members. This initiative aligns with USATH’s commitment to fostering the growth and professional development of handball officials and coaches across the country.

“We are thrilled to welcome Anahita, Vafa, and Bryan to the NRC and to see Vafa take on the role of Chair. The depth of quality and experience with whistle in-hand, at the table, and behind the scenes are as promising as they are critical to our sport's growth,” said Michael King, Chief Executive Officer of USA Team Handball. “Michelle’s well-practiced expertise in education and program development will be invaluable in continued advancement of digital learning, and supporting our in-person education--all broadening the impact of our CCM and NRC's core efforts. Her development of robust initial curriculum on our Academy platform has been a remarkable lift, that will be built even further by the collective work of these well-chosen leaders and the additional contributors they tab. These appointments are a tremendous step in bringing our administrative and development capabilities toward meeting the exceptional level of talent, potential, and growing demand across our country and existing community.”

USA Team Handball remains dedicated to expanding opportunities for referees and coaches, ensuring a robust support system for their education and professional development as the sport continues to grow nationwide.