The newly formed Auburn University team handball club will be hosting the USA Team Handball College National Championship this weekend, April 11-13, on campus.
Other team handball clubs from universities around the country will be competing in the three-day event being held in Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum as well as the Recreation and Wellness Center.
"This is the first year Auburn University has had a handball club," Godwin said. "I will be organizing most of the things on-campus involving hosting visitors, getting everyone to their specific places, and basically, I've ran most of the club for the entire year so far."
Auburn's newest club is taking advantage of a unique connection with the men's and women's national teams, which are both currently training on campus for the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics.
"They practice every night in the [Beard-Eaves Memorial] Coliseum, so when we found out they were coming to campus to train here for the Olympics, we decided to put a handball club team together," Godwin said. "From there, we're just trying to grow the sport as much as possible."
While many people think of handball in the United States as a game where two players bounce a rubber ball against several walls, team handball is a whole new ballgame.
Two teams play on an area slightly larger than a basketball court with a smaller soccer goal on each end. Throwing the ball into the net after a succession of quick passes scores points.
"It's a contact sport, which a lot of people enjoy so you can actually make contact with defenders who are opposing players," Godwin said. "It's a lot of running, throwing, catching and jumping so it's a very explosive game."
As for the weekend's national tournament, 12 men's teams and three women's teams will compete. One of the teams will consist of the national players.
In preparation for the championship this weekend, Godwin said the Auburn club has been preparing for several weeks heading into nationals.
"We practice three days a week in the wellness center as well in the coliseum," Godwin said. "Other than that, we just kind of throw the ball around when we have free time and sometimes we practice with the national teams.
"In fact, we have some players on the club team who practice with the national team on a regular basis, so that really helps us out."
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