Individual development meets team development
One of the main goals of the camp was around the close interaction between the players and the ambassadors, which is why each ambassador had his own team to guide throughout the camp, so the team talks played a major role in the schedule. Everything culminated with each team’s presentation on the main takeaway after these three days.
The players also enjoyed some extra activities over their weekend stay, including skydiving and an EHF handball quiz. There was even time to watch the Men's World Championship matches together.
The ambassadors' views
Kavticnik, whose second RYT camp this was, spoke about the significance of such an event for young players, "The most important thing about this programme is that the ambassadors and everyone involved would like to share something with the young players. It is important that these players want to hear it because we can explain and we can share our experience. It is up to them if they want to listen to us!"
Knowing all about high-pressured situations from his own career, Stepančić was keen to pass on the importance of dealing with pressure to the next generation of players, "Knowing how to deal with pressure is very important, that will be their everyday life for them. In every training at that high level will be pressure, not just the games. And when it comes to little details that can be decisive between first and second place, this is where you have to be mentally prepared."
Olafur Stefansson spoke about the value of respecting one’s own talent: "I think it really means that you cultivate your garden. So what it means is to make the most out of what you've got and your potential and possibility. Because you don't want to be with 40 or more and think ‘I could have’ or ‘I would have’ or if this or that. You want to feel you've done the best of what the karma cards gave you, you've been given certain things and these are your options and you make the most out of them, that is respecting your talent or what you have been given."
With his own distinguished career, Stefansson is well-placed to talk about what makes a great player, "I think the keyword and we talked about it a lot this weekend is the responsibility, to take responsibility for everything around you and being open for mistakes. Be open to criticism. The guys who grow quickly or quicker are the ones who embrace everything that happens and make their notes, learn from it, and do it better the next day, or try to do it better the next day."
Telling your own story was a phrase often used at the camp, and Prieto draw a parallel between today's media landscape and the one when he was an active player himself, "The game developed itself, not only with what happens on the court but also around what happens off the court. The young generations have now an opportunity I didn’t have back then, to create their own identity. Before you would give an interview and the media created a story about you. Nowadays, you can tell your own story, and if they want, they can take it, but you have your own identity."
I think it's an amazing opportunity for us to, in the first place, sit and chat with these legends, with guys we just saw on TV. It's very important for us because it gives us a different perspective about the things maybe we don't think so much about like dual career, anti-doping and so. It's just amazing having a chat with these legends and, learning the insights of the high level handball.
