Monique’s mission in Austria: Enthusiasm and a long-term plan

For 30 years, the Dutchwoman has been part of the handball business, and her network is widely spread, as Tijsterman is a lecturer for both the IHF and EHF, a member of the EHF Methods Commission and among the lecturers for the EHF Master Coach courses.

“When I started my mission, I thought: why not me? I can do it. And I asked the federation if I can apply on my own. And from the first moment, there was this enthusiasm on both sides. In the short term, we agreed,” she says.

Tijsterman signed a contract until 2025 and became successor to Herbert Müller, who had coached the Austrian women for 19 years from 2004 until 2023 in 236 matches including five world championships and three EHF EURO tournaments.

“Herbert did a really, really wonderful job with the team. I take over a roster which is well-rehearsed, which has a great mixture of youth and experience and which is hungry for success. But of course, as a new coach, you want to adapt and change some things – but in general I can rely on the great work of Herbert Müller in the past years,” says Tijsterman, in praise of her predecessor.

The time for a change after such a long time had come – and the first ever EHF EURO on home soil ahead was seen as the perfect setting for this change. “Of course, everything is focused on the European Championship. Our major goal is making it to the main round in Vienna. If we make it there, everything can happen,” Tijsterman hopes.

Currently Austria is in a state of handball euphoria after the men’s team finished eighth at the EHF EURO 2024 in Germany, with draws against top nations such as Spain, Croatia and Germany, and their first ticket to an Olympic Qualification Tournament in the federation’s history.

“We hope to keep this huge interest in handball until the Women’s EHF EURO and we hope to turn the spotlight on the women’s team also,” says Tijsterman. “There could be nothing better for Austrian handball than this success in Germany. The people talked about handball at a time when usually they are only interested in winter sports.”

And the men’s team will act as a kind of role model for the women.

“Everything can happen when you function as a team. This is the story behind the success, and I hope my team can write another chapter of this Austrian handball book in December. Definitely, we need to enjoy it, we hope for full arenas and we know that women’s handball in Austria can develop in the right direction, if we are successful,” says Tijsterman. “I really hope that our men’s team make it to the Olympic Games, then we have a perfect handball year with highlights in January, July and August, and December.”

To become Austrian head coach was also the perfect role for the 54-year-old. After 28 years working in different positions for the Dutch Handball Federation – most recently as event coordinator and for the talent programme - Tjsterman switched her job on 1 February to become project leader for Limburg Sport at Watersley Sports & Talent Park in her hometown of Sittard. She will work in parallel with her job with the Austrian team.

One of her main successes in the Netherlands was bringing talent to the top, mainly in the famous Papendal Academy and as coach of youth and junior national teams, who clinched the bronze medal at the 2010 IHF Women’s Youth World Championship and won another bronze and two silvers at the YAC EHF EUROs in 2007, 2011 and 2019. During the 2021 Women’s World Championship, she was interim coach of the team which had become world champions two years before, with many players coming from the youth programme, led by her. In between, she was the first female coach to lead a men’s team in an EHF European Cup competition, steering OCI Lions to the EHF Cup group phase.

And from all those tournaments, she knows the Austrian team and most of the players very well. She has already met all the members of her coaching staff and had phone calls with all players.

“I cannot wait until my mission starts with the first training camp and the first matches,” Tijsterman adds. “I have a first overview on the players already – and I have a lot of things in my head which I want to implement in our first week.”

The first opponents could not have been bigger. Austria played current EHF EURO champions Norway in the first of their EHF EURO Cup doubleheader matches on Wednesday, losing 22:43 in Halden. The return fixture takes place in Innsbruck on Saturday. 

“We have nothing to lose against one of the strongest teams in the world. We can only get better and definitely we do not have any pressure. Of course, it is the most difficult task, but we only have 10 months until the EHF EURO, and we have to start somewhere. Now it is the perfect time to integrate some young players in our roster,” Tijsterman says.

Tijsterman nominated 18 players for her debut matches, but two experienced cornerstones will miss due to injuries, Stefanie Kaiser and Mirela Dedic. Twelve of these 18 players come from clubs abroad - Germany, Croatia, Hungary and Switzerland. Some of them are key players in the EHF European League like Johanna Reichert, Josefine Huber and Sonja Frey at Thüringer HC, the Pandza sisters Ana and Katharina at Podravka Vegeta, Ines Ivancok of Motherson Mosonmagyaróvári, and Kristina Dramac and Antonija Mamic at Lokomotiva Zagreb. “We have to go step by step, but my first focus will be on the cooperation of defence and counter attacks.”

In the long term, Tijsterman wants to establish a model for all national teams from youth to seniors together with the YAC coaches in Austria.

“We want to implement a uniform system from an early age and close the gap between the young talent and the senior national team in the upcoming years,” she says.  

Main photo © Beate Oma Dahle / NTB
Other photos © Jure Erzen / kolektiff