29 coaches took part in the IHF D Licence course in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which took place between 20 and 24 November 2024.

As with all IHF coaching courses, the programme included both theoretical and practical components, with the participants being assessed to determine whether or not they are qualified to receive their certificate. At the end of the course, 26 of the 29 coaches enrolled into the course received their D Licence.

The course was led by Rolando Jorge Costa de Freitas, IHF CCM Lecturer, and contained several intermediate to advanced handball and sport science topics, with three of the five days of the course starting with practical lessons of basic handball principles and concepts. The theoretical part saw different topics breached, such as basic principles of handball, identifying talent and different tactical concepts.

The course also theoretical and practical sessions in the afternoons, with different demonstrations which underlined the theoretical aspects on the court, with the final day seeing an evaluation of the coaches.

Costa de Freitas noted that he was impressed with the commitment of the coaches and their pursuit of additional knowledge and education. According to the IHF CCM Lecturer, the level of the discussions and training sessions was high and the coaches who were awarded the D licence have a good level of knowledge in handball, being actively involved in their clubs and have access to former players from the women’s team who can assist in promoting and developing handball.

26 of the 29 participants received their certificate at the end of the coaching course in Puerto Rico.