SCA Voices with Leticia Brunati, a dreamer with no limits. The coach of the Argentine women’s beach handball national team tells us about her experience at the World Championship in Croatia, where she led the team to the title.
“Dreaming,” “working,” and “planning” are words that recur throughout the conversation in Leticia Brunati’s remarks.
Years of hard work went into securing the top spot at the World Cup held in Croatia in June.
Team work
There is discipline and perseverance, but Brunati is not alone.
“Most of the planning is done by Andrés, the strength and conditioning coach, and me; then, of course, we take into account the input of the entire coaching staff, which includes Celeste Meccia, the physical therapist, and the team doctor.”
On this occasion, the national team traveled to Germany ahead of schedule and completed its final preparations, thanks to the efforts of the leadership of the Argentine Handball Confederation.
“Those days leading up to the tournament proved to be crucial in our preparation for what the two Argentine national teams went on to achieve at the World Cup.”
It is worth noting that Argentina won the bronze medal in the men’s competition.
A Love for Beach Handball
Brunati first encountered the sport at Sarmiento Park in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
“To be honest, I was just starting out—I was coaching Dorrego—and at the time, I thought it was really fun. It was very different from the beach handball we see today.”
“It struck me as a great place for both male and female players to get involved with handball from a different perspective.”
With the national team playing abroad, his first tournament was in Ecuador in 2011, where Argentina won a silver medal at the South American level.
“I have wonderful memories from that time, when I also got to know many of the people who are still working in beach handball today—perhaps no longer as players, but as coaches.”
How much is that first medal worth, and how much is the last one worth? Are they worth the same?
“I think each one has its own value. No two medals are worth the same. Each one has its own special flavor, each one has its own unique qualities—they’re all important, and they’re important for different reasons.”
Growth and Outlook
Following that experience in 2011, Brunati took an international course in the sport, and it was the Spaniard Fernando Posadas who took notice of her and recognized her strengths as a coach.
Brunati is a tireless worker; she rarely takes time off. Each tournament requires three months or more of preparation.
“It’s true that two or three months before the tournaments, it’s very hard for me to think about anything other than beach handball—whether it’s planning, preparing, or figuring out what I’m going to do.”
“I’m trying to find some hobbies to help me unwind a little. I’ve started reading again, which is something I’ve had a hard time doing lately.”
“look for moments to spend time with my friends, my family, and my partner so I can take my mind off things.”
A methodical coach, she researches and gathers information on other teams with the help of her coaching staff. The goal is to have all the necessary tools to achieve the set objectives.
What do you see in that photograph?
“Connection, bonds, friendship, respect, values… what lies at the heart of that team.”
“Argentina’s growth helps us all,” said Brunati, adding that he gets along very well with the coaches of the South American national teams.
“There has to be rivalry on the court and camaraderie off the court.”
“We compete fiercely on the court—we want to win—but off the court there’s a tremendous amount of respect and camaraderie because we know how much effort it takes to keep this sport going in our region.”
Game after game
Argentina began the preliminary round with a 2-0 win over the Philippines and lost to Denmark in its second game. 2-1
“It had been a long time since we’d lost in the group stage. When I spoke with the team, I told them that some national teams had suffered injuries, but Denmark was one of the teams with the most complete roster.”
At the previous World Championship and the World Games, the Danish team had been eliminated in the semifinals, so their desire to win and turn things around was palpable.
Argentina had 24 hours to recover and move on, since Benin did not show up for the tournament.
“We had to win two games in the Main Round to keep working and improving.
“After many years, we can say that the players know how important the ‘invisible training’ is: hydration, nutrition, and rest.”
Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Finals
In the quarterfinals, they beat the Netherlands 2-0 and advanced to the semifinals, where they faced Spain.
“This is the second time we’ve faced Spain; they play very well and very differently from us, and for the past three years they’ve had the best goalkeeper in the world.”
After defeating the Spanish team, the Argentine national team played in the final against Denmark.
“We had the lead, but we lost the first game to them. We had a lot to improve on, and the players adapted and understood that we needed to make adjustments to come out on top.”
“Played a great first set, winning 20–14. In the second quarter, we had a hard time getting into the game; it was very sluggish, and we fell behind 27–14.
“We’d made some adjustments during the shootouts. Alma Molina is a player who really sticks to the game plan and trusts what she was asked to do, and she has incredible talent.”
Argentina won 6–2 to be crowned champion, thereby claiming the gold medal and the triple crown of championship titles: continental, world, and World Games.
A Message from Leticia Brunati
“Enjoy the journey. It sounds like a cliché, but the truth is that if you focus only on the medal or the final result, you miss out on the best parts: the training sessions, the trips, the friends you make, and your personal growth.”
“Beach handball is a beautiful, very dynamic sport that hooks you from day one. So put your heart into it, study, train, and dare to step outside your comfort zone, because opportunities come when you work hard.”
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Photos: IHF / Jozo Cabraja / Kolektiff
By Loly Coria
