European Handball Manager

The first module focuses on the foundations of sports economics and sports law and the consequences for the management of handball organisations. The course highlights the special features of sport across all areas and how they can be utilized for the creation of added value in handball. The module consists of five themes with the following content:

a) Economic features of team sport:

• Introduction into sport economic aspects (their economic significance, special features and state intervention)
• Economic of sport clubs and leagues (aims, intensity of competition and regulation) 
• Sport arena and TV spectators (determinants and effects)
• Sport events (economic significance and risks)

b) Value creation in handball:

• Handball matches as services
• Value co-creation in handball
• Consequences of commercialisation

c) Special features of sport organisations and managerial consequences:

• Characteristics and special features of non-profit organisations in sport
• Organisational failure, transformation and related issues
• Cooperation and divergence of interests between clubs, federation and league

d) Food governance in sport:

• Principles of good governance
• Governance structures in European handball
• Ethical leadership and integrity
• Current governance issues in sport (e.g., social responsibility, match-fixing, doping, corruption) and their consequences for handball

e) Basics of sports law:

• Constitutional and European law
• Competition and anti-trust law
• Club and association law

• Sport jurisdiction/arbitration law

On the basis of the Module 1 (sports economics and sports law), Module 2 aims deepen the participants' knowledge about the strategic and operational management of sports teams. The main focus is on managing professional sport teams, leadership in team sports and labour law aspects. This module consists of four main topics with the following content:

a) Strategic handball management

• The process of strategic sport management
• Analysis of internal and external strategic factors of success in handball
• Developing strategies for action

b) Managing sports teams

• Squad planning and development
• Talent development
• Sporting performance analysis and assessment
• Human resource management

c) Leadership in team sports

• Leadership roles, styles and behaviour
• Digital and intercultural leadership
• Communication as a manager
• Conflict management

d) Labour law in sport

• Characteristics of employees
• Conditions for an employment claim for team athletes
• Fixed-term employment contracts in sport
• Sanctions that a club can impose on players

This module deals with the motives and behaviour of handball consumers, how they are connected to each other and can be influenced effectively. This includes spectators, fans and club members. Furthermore, the module deals with the basic concept of identity-based brand management and its consequences for the management of sports brands. Course participants will gain a deeper knowledge of sport sponsorship, innovative marketing and digital communications. The five main topics in this module cover the following content:

a) Consumer behaviour in handball

• Motives and behaviour of active and passive sport consumers 
• Distinctive features of team sport consumption 
• Satisfaction and loyalty of fans, spectators and club members

b) Brand management in team sports

• Basic concepts of identity-based brand management
• Brand management challenges
• Brand management controlling

c) Sport sponsorship

• Sponsorship management (acquisition, development and termination of partnerships)
• Activation and congruence of sponsorships
• Sponsorship relationship management, incl. partner agencies
• Monitoring and controlling of sponsorship

d) Innovative marketing and digital communications

• Digital communications
• Innovative sports marketing

e) Sponsorship law

• Contents and components of a sponsorship agreement
• Performance failures in sponsorship agreements and consequences
• Consequences of tying agreements in sponsoring

During this module, participants will gain specialist knowledge about accounting and licensing in sports corporations and their distinctive features. The course will explain how sports corporations can be operated and controlled more effectively. Finally, the requirements, opportunities and limitations of the licensing process are addressed. The module is divided into five different topics covering the following content:

a) Accounting in sports corporations:

• Financial reporting and accounting obligations
• Sport specific financial reporting obligations
• Balancing and evaluation of active and passive positions
• The impacts of Basel III on sports corporations

b) Sport-specific financing options:

• External financing through bonds and asset-backed securities
• External financing through private investors/ strategic partnerships
• Going public on the capital market
• Financing of sports venues (incl. subsidies and public funding)
• Crowdfunding

c) Financial analysis of handball corporations:

• Financial indicators for the evaluation of sports corporations
• Evaluation of player assets
• Evaluating brands of sports corporations

d) Controlling of professional handball corporations:

• Challenges and strategies of risk management in team sports
• Basics of controlling in sports
• The Balanced Scorecard as a controlling instrument tool

e) The licensing process in handball:

• Financial criteria and financial reporting
• Possibilities and limitations of the licensing process
• Financial sustainability

Module 5 aims to develop participants’ skills in terms of sport of media and communication. Besides dealing with medial strategies and journalistic production processes, additional topics are interviewing, sales, negotiations and conflict management techniques. The module is rounded off with basic information on media law and personality rights. The specific topics covered are the following:

a) Media strategies in the sports media sector

• Strategy development of media corporations
• Strategy development of sport federations

b) Logic and processes of journalistic productions

• Editorial patterns of processing
• Journalistic selection criteria

c) Sales and negotiation management

• Selling licensing right
• Negotiating with player agents

d) Crisis communication

e) Media training

• Interview training
• Non-verbal communication, rhetoric

f) Conflict management 

• Conflict resolution strategies
• Internal and external communication channels/possibilities

g) Media and personality rights

• Defence claims in the event of a violation of media and personal rights
• Rights and restrictions of sports event organizers with regard to media and personal rights