The revelations about the “psycho-terror” in women’s handball has shaken the sport. Psychological violence and abuse of power trigger an earthquake in the German Handball Association. There should be consequences. A commission is to prevent, a league representative has another suggestion.
The matter is clear for Emily Bölk. In view of the frightening allegations of psychological violence, there must be no “business as usual” in German women’s handball. “I think it’s extremely important that this presence, which the topic has received primarily in the media, is used to create sensitivity,” said the national team captain and called for a “culture of looking”.
Clubs and associations “and also the DHB” would have to carry out investigations and work-up “to see how such cases can be solved early and better in the future,” said Bölk in an interview with the sports information service. The allegations by Mia Zschocke and Amelie Berger, two of their teammates, against a long-time Bundesliga and association coach had triggered a severe earthquake. There is talk of abuse of power in the worst form, the “Spiegel” wrote of psychological terror and system failure.
The association, which had employed the accused coach on a fee basis as U20 national coach for three years until the end of August, announced the use of an independent expert commission. It is to be formed on Friday and “primarily to clarify which conditions and structures can lead to sexualized and psychological violence and what ways and means there are to better prevent this in the future and to strengthen the self-confidence of young athletes in particular”.
“Handball must not be a playing field for violence,” said DHB President Andreas Michelmann: “If we want parents to bring their children to sport with a clear conscience in the future, we must use the present case to uncover the structures that lead to a culture of silence and wafting in the realm of rumours.”
Bölk emphasized that it was “very important” that “external people and advice centers are involved”. And Zschocke, who started the case with Berger by resigning from Borussia Dortmund in early September, emphasized “that you need an external, neutral person to express criticism”.
The league has already made a concrete proposal to avoid similar cases in the future. Peter Prior, managing director of Buxtehuder SV, suggested “coaching with a psychologist” for “help and support for coaches”: “That’s not unusual in business.”
Bölk considers the advance “basically” an idea “that should definitely be pursued. The mental factor plays an extremely important role in handball and in sport in general.” As a national team, they want to represent “a safe place” for the players affected.
