This is handball Sports team Two teams, each consisting of seven players (six players and a goalkeeper), pass the ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the opposing team’s goal. The beach version is four against four. A standard match consists of two 30-minute periods, and the team that scores the most goals is the winner.
The sport was developed at the end of the 19th century in Scandinavia and Germany, and made its Olympic debut in 1936. It is fast-paced and high-scoring, and while physical contact is allowed for defenders, players are not required to wear protective equipment.
“It’s like playing water polo out of water,” Caroline adds.
It is very popular in Europe and South America. Caroline was about 10 years old when a friend at school in São Paulo sparked her interest in the sport. Soon she was training with her school team and her city team. Later, her high school team won the São Paulo State Championship three times and finished second in the country twice.
“One of the things I love most about handball is making friends and connecting with others,” she says.
Caroline, who moved to Orlando from São Paulo three years ago, said she came to Eckerd College for its marine science program. She is an Italian resident advisor and tutor who also speaks Spanish and Portuguese. Sometimes, she says, when she plays handball on campus, “people see me playing it and ask, ‘What’s that?’
