This is a group for anyone interested in learning a new sport - team handball [an Olympic sport since 1972].  We are organizing a club in Orlando. Anyone interested in learning this relatively new USA sport [America's best kept secret] as a player, coach, referee or a club administrator or volunteer should join this Meetup. All athletic skill levels are invited. An organizational meeting is planned for 2013. The club's Facebook page is: http://www.facebook.com/OrlandoTeamHandball. The club contact can be reached at: orlandoteamhandball@gmail.com

HANDBALL, widely known as Team Handball in the United States, is played in 159 nations by 39 million people. Called "ripe for an American invasion" by TIME magazine, many people link elements of traditional American sports such as Basketball, Volleyball, Baseball/Softball, Soccer, Lacrosse, and Track & Field. It is fast, physical and exciting. Two teams, composed of six players and one goalie each, face off on a court approximately 66 by 131 feet. Players dribble, pass and shoot a ball into a goal. Men's and women's handballs are about 22-23 inches and 21-22 inches in circumference, respectively; easily gripped in one hand, it is built comparably to a soccer ball. Although about 40 feet longer than a basketball court, a handball court is similar in appearance: half circles on both ends of the court mark the "goal area," a zone that extends about 20 feet in front of the 6'7" tall and 10' wide goal. The 12 court players are not allowed to literally step foot in this area, which results in NBA-style leaps over the line to shoot while in the air. Successful scoring attempts result in a single point. Defensive play is fierce, however, and allows aggressive person-to-person full body contact to prevent the offense from shooting. Final scores in this action-packed game are often in the 30s. A regulation game is played in two 30-minute halves with one team timeout per half. The clock stops only for team timeouts, injuries and at the referee's discretion. Once exposed to this great international sport - you will be hooked for life. Come "meetup" with us!!