Empowering the Sustainable Future of Handball — from Grassroots to Top-level Play

The 8th European Handball Federation Scientific Conference (EHF 2025) aims to bring together scientific and professional experts to bridge the gap between theory and practice in handball, with a strong focus on sustainability and lifelong participation. Handball is evolving significantly, with an increasing focus on ensuring the sport's sustainability and enhancing participation at all levels. Recent initiatives aim to reduce the physical and mental challenges players face while fostering long-term engagement and development. However, there remains a gap between theoretical aspirations and practical implementations in many areas, including coaching, technology integration, and athlete education. The continuous evolution of how society views and interacts with sports like handball also plays a critical role, necessitating a better understanding of how broader societal changes influence the sport.

This Research Topic aims to explore the strategies to enhance the sustainable future of handball by bridging the theoretical and practical gaps, with a key focus on lifelong participation. Researchers and professionals are encouraged to dissect various components, including the 'Circle of a Handball Life', to investigate how athletes can gain long-term benefits and sustained involvement from youth through to elite levels. Central questions address how modern training methods, technological progress, and evolving societal needs can synergize to support the sport's sustainability and players' well-being over time.

To gather further insights into the sustainable future of handball, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- Grassroots handball development.
- Advancements and opportunities in women's handball.
- Innovations and methods in coaching.
- Approaches in prevention, rehabilitation, nutrition, biomechanics, anthropometrics, mental support, and training.
- Sustainability in sports, especially concerning both indoor and outdoor handball activities.