“Class of 2024” to gather for sixth Respect Your Talent camp

The EHF launched the RYT initiative in 2019. Six years on, the project has evolved to a holistic talent support programme unique in European sport. Approximately 2,000 male and female players have been part of the RYT programme, which aims to help prepare talented athletes for the current and future demands of high-level handball.

The 2025 camp will see players from across Europe gather, after they stood out at the younger age category events in the summer of 2024 by being awarded either Player of the Match in a game at the EHF EURO or EHF Championships, or being named a member of one of the All-star Teams.

Specifically, the training sessions forming the camp will include the following:

• Manage your journey (dual career)
• Fuel your journey (nutrition)
• Stabilise your journey (mental fitness)
• Protect your journey (sports law and anti-doping)
• Share your journey (interviews and social media)

Ambassadors — former and current top players — have a crucial role in the RYT programme, helping to shape the values and behaviours of the aspiring elite athletes by serving as role models on and off court and sharing their expertise and experience. Taking part in the 2025 camp will be long-time ambassadors Vid Kavticnik and Carlos Prieto, as well as new ambassadors Hans Lindberg, Viran Morros and Ljubomir Vranjes.

“The most inspiring players are not just game changers on the court but strong in life overall, combining peak performance, personality, and social awareness with a solid foundation for success beyond the game. This new generation of players is what Respect Your Talent aims to contribute to, and thus, is the basis for the selection of our ambassadors,” says Secretary General of the EHF Martin Hausleitner.

Access RYT anywhere through app and online sessions

The RYT app was launched with the goal of making the valuable content delivered through the programme available for all, aiming to help every young handball player take control of their own journey in the sport. Currently, the app offers 20 specialised training sessions covering the same topics that will be addressed in the upcoming camp: Dual career, mental fitness, media, anti-doping, sports law, and nutrition.

Developed by a team comprising world-class handball players and renowned experts, the app aims to equip aspiring athletes with strategies to navigate challenges across sports, education, and personal life. The app is accessible for free via the App Store and Google Play Store and is specifically recommended for players aged 16–21 years, their trainers and support staff.

Also available online are the ambassador sessions, which are virtual question and answer events that connect top handball stars with aspiring players. These live online events encourage participants to engage openly and ask questions on diverse subjects.

With the support of an expert in each area, up to 15 young athletes per session have the chance to discuss and reflect on their challenges, both on and off the court, with their sporting idols. Past sessions have featured current top players such as the Netherlands’ Kay Smits, Slovenia’s Ana Gros, France’s Kentin Mahé, Serbia’s Andrea Lekic and Croatia’s Luka Stepančić.

Photos: kolektiff images