Humans of Beach Handball: Moritz Ebert

But how does handball fit into Ebert's life? Quite simply, it has always been a part of his everyday life. “Handball is my whole life. I always trained twice a day. In the summer I also go to training sessions and tournaments with the national team. In the meantime, I'm taking a master's degree in economics. That's why you can say that my whole life revolves around handball,” says Moritz.

Usually, beach handball seems to be a passion for those who already play indoor handball. This was the case for Moritz Ebert. “I got an invitation to a training programme for the national youth team in beach handball in 2016 via an indoor scouting process for the national youth team,” he mentioned. And from that moment on, it was a lifelong love. “I immediately liked beach handball and I have been to every European Championship for the national youth team in beach handball, as well as a men's European Championship in 2019. So, I played beach handball at a very high level, and it was something I always took very seriously. But still, I was able to make a lot of contacts and really good friends through all the tournaments. Beach handball is much more than just a sport for me,” Ebert stresses.

But not everything is that simple in the world of sport, and there are also obstacles in the way of the athlete. Everything seemed to indicate that Moritz would be called up for the 2021 European Beach Handball Championships, but unfortunately a very serious knee injury knocked on his door. “That was a big shock for me in February 2021. I knew that my injury was serious and that I would have to take a long break. I also knew that I would miss the European Championship in 2021, which made me very sad. But after a few days I told myself that I wanted to come back better than before the injury,” he said.

The operation went well and the idea of giving up never crossed the athlete's mind. “After the operation I did everything I could in the recovery stages and was happy with the little progress I was making. The encouragement of my teammates also helped me to get through the injury. But after 10 months I was able to play handball again thanks to my strong will and my commitment in rehab and even now, looking back, I would say that I came out of the injury stronger both physically and mentally,” said Ebert.

Germany have come a long way in the sport. The women's national team won the European Championship in 2021 and 2022, and the men were European runners-up this year, with Ebert being named best goalkeeper. “These achievements are boosting beach handball in Germany and giving it a much wider recognition,” he admits, explaining the secret behind his incredible performances. “I train every day to get better and give 100% in every training session to improve every day, especially after my serious knee injury in 2021. In my opinion, the most important things are to be able to celebrate such feats, and to always give your best. That's the only way you can develop,” Ebert added.

The young goalkeeper has many characteristics that set him apart as a beach handball player. Athleticism and agility are a big advantage in the sand. Despite his young age, Moritz has already gained a lot of experience at the highest level. And at 22 years of age, he believes that the sport has everything it takes to continue its upward trajectory. “Beach handball is a very attractive sport that has a very high entertainment factor for many spectators because of the cool atmosphere and the combination of excitement and athleticism. We have to try to expand the reach of the sport, for example through TV broadcasts, so that more people can get to know the sport and realise that it's an entertaining sport that's worth watching,” Ebert stresses.

There is no doubt that beach handball is on a very promising growth path, it is already played almost all over the world and the German athlete went even further by wanting to make beach handball an Olympic sport. “It would be a huge step for beach handball to become an Olympic sport. A lot more people would get involved with beach handball and get to know the cool aspect of the sport. It would also create a whole new generation of young people who could start playing beach handball. So maybe in the future there would be more beach handball events, which in turn would increase the reach of beach handball,” concludes Ebert.

Photos credit: Jure Erzen, Uros Hocevar, Jozo Cabraja / kolektiff