Personal experiences

In the few months I've been playing handball with Team München, I've found good friends, like-minded people and a wonderful team to have a great time with during and outside of training.

Even without any knowledge of handball, I was given a super warm welcome right from the start and immediately felt part of the team. I can recommend it to anyone who is looking for team sports with cool people and would always make the same decision to join Team München.

A little over two years ago, after a long injury break, I was looking for a team that prioritises fun and doesn't oblige you to take part in every training session or game. During my search, I came across Team München. Unfortunately, as a woman, I can't take part in the league games, but I was very welcome to attend training sessions.

I actually felt incredibly at home from the very first training session, because you just get such a warm welcome. I've never had such a welcome from a team before.

We also organise many activities outside the hall to strengthen team spirit. 

In the meantime, I have taken on several tasks within the team and, contrary to my expectations, have voluntarily taken on more obligations - simply because I have so much fun with this team and enjoy spending time with them. The team has become a family.

Starting team sports again in a foreign city takes a lot of effort. After playing handball in my youth, I found my club in this big, crazy city with Team Munich after a break of almost 10 years.

As a straight man, I am in the privileged position of never having been confronted with discrimination in sport. But then why Team Munich? The question should rather be: Why not? I'm not playing here despite being straight, but precisely because of it. To broaden my horizons and break down the prejudices and clichés you grow up with in this world. That's the motivation behind Team Munich.

The reason why Team Munich stayed is because of the wonderful people. Communication, well-being and training that pushes you to the limit are not contradictory here. If you're looking for toxic pressure to perform, you're in the wrong place. If you want to work hard on yourself and have a good time at the same time, this is the place for you!

I moved to Munich three months ago and one of the first things I did was look for a handball team. I played handball 10 years ago and I already miss it.

Team München was the first one that caught my attention, it seemed fun and chill so I decided to give it a try. It was the best choice ever, I was very well received and despite not speaking German I had no problem adapting. Everyone was very welcoming and the group events are always wonderful.

I joined the team for trial training a bit after moving to Munich because a guy I met at work mentioned it and encouraged me to give it a try. I had never played handball before but, since I was new to the city, I thought it was a good opportunity to meet new people and probably make some friends.

As expected for a rookie, I was pretty nervous but everyone was super understanding and encouraging from the very beginning. What I found there was a super nice, open and welcoming group of people who convinced me very fast to keep coming and, even before finishing all the trial trainings, I officially joined the team.

After 6 months I find myself waiting for every training, post-training talks and social events with anticipation and I can say I made very nice friends on the way.

So if you are thinking about it, come try, you won't regret it.

Hello!

I am French and have been living in Munich for 3 years. When I arrived, I wanted to start playing a team sport, preferably handball. I quickly saw the offers from the city of Munich, where you could play basketball but not handball... I then started with fitness and back gymnastics and luckily got to know the handball team Munich by chance after a gymnastics course.

They invited me to play straight away and were very friendly. They taught me handball right from the start, always in a good mood and kept me motivated!
The training is a very good time together and is really fun. Everyone is super nice, looks out for each other and especially for the women. They are very patient with me, who is still a beginner at handball.

The team organises cool events to get to know each other better, there's a really good atmosphere! I recommend it to everyone

Being part of Team München's Handball Team is the perfect combination of fun and exercise.

It doesn't matter where you come from and whether you're a pro or rookie in playing handball - everybody is very welcoming and supportive!

Playing handball for the first time at 32 could have been quite an unpleasant experience, especially as I am transgender. The opposite was the case for me. From the very first training session, I felt welcome in the Team Munich handball team. Even though the learning curve was quite steep - I first had to learn not to close my eyes when a ball came my way - I had fun at (almost) every training session. Of course I also had moments when I thought "I'll never learn this", but my coaches Espen and David always motivated me. My team-mates also always supported and cheered me on. Everyone was happy with me when I scored my first goal.

I've been playing handball regularly for two years now and can't really imagine life without it.

As a 30 years old sporty guy who moved recently to Munich, one of my main interest was to find the appropriate place to enjoy my favourite hobby, doing sport. Travelling a lot around the world, every time I move to a new city, finding a good ''team sport'' team that fulfil my needs was always a challenge. Every time I join a new team, there were something missing, even the coach or the players lack the sense of humour, the organisers were seeking more commercial benefits, or simply I didn't feel comfortable as a gay guy surrounded by mainly hetero mates.

One year ago, while participating in a LGBTQ+ gathering organised by a youth association in Munich, I heard for the first time about ''Team München''. My first reaction was: ''Wow, a special LGBTQ+ team exists here in Munich, that's amazing!!!''.

When you read my first reaction, maybe you would say I am exaggerating a bit, and I completely understand your reaction. For sure you are reading my words on a page for an LGBTQ+ sport team, but you completely ignored that this opportunity is really rare and doesn't exists everywhere, that's what I experienced in a lot of cities where I lived before moving to Munich!

Having a gay team is really amazing! Can you imagine how cool and comfortable is, to be playing in a gay team?!

My first impression, even before knowing more about ''Team München'' or joining it, was to feel good, happy and relaxed. To enjoy my favourite hobby, surrounded by gay people who shared with me the same ''sexual experience and coming out'' is such a nice idea, we are all there ''similar'', a place where I am not discriminated or categorized depending on my sexual preferences and interests.

My second impression was also so impressive. By looking on the web page of ''Team München'', I was really surprised by the amount of sports available in this team. A simple surfing on the web page, gave me a good overview and insights about how to proceed for the next step. The choice of the sport was at the same time easy and confusing. Confused between Basketball and Handball, I have chosen to contact both teams and give a try. Very warm and welcoming was the reply of both teams.

With a personal preference for Handball I planned to join the Handball team for a first training trial, and then the Basketball team.

Impressed by the warm welcoming and the care that I got from the coaches and the players of the team, I had the feeling to ''belong'' to this team for years ago, to be an old team mate or even an old friend! These positive vibes made the task much easier, I have chosen to join the Handball team and here I am for months now.

By joining a gay team like ''Team München'', I felt getting what a lot of gay people seek for, the ''safety''. Even though that in many cities in the world, the rights of the LGBTQ+ community are somehow more or less respected, there's other places, where the "toxic masculinity" is much more dominant, the requirement for the safety and the protection of the LGBTQ+ community is still considered as a ''cliché''. In these places, LGBTQ+ community is still suffering from discrimination and disparity. I am so glad to join this team.

It's so important to establish such kind of clubs, everywhere in the world and also to support this kind of initiative, first of all by joining these clubs, and also by motivating our surround to join them. LGBTQ+ community needs more safe space like this to practice, exercise, learn and develop.

What I got from this experience is a lot, and still getting more. Now being playing for months with the Handball team of ''Team München'', I got to make a lot of new connections and friends, in a very relaxed way. It provides a great place for socialising outside the gay party scene or the online dating; it is a great way of meeting new friends who share with me the same hobby and interests. The big structure of ''Team München'' and the big number of members in this team, provide a great opportunity to meet a lot of new people in the context of common social events organised between all the sports groups. Gay clubs in general, and ''Team München'' in particular, is not only a sports club but also a place for mutual respect, diversity and fun, it's a big group of friends.

In my childhood and youth I always played handball in regional teams around where I grew up. Almost all of the memories I have from that time are only positive, but what I didn't like was the stereotypical "locker room talk" which can be a very brutal experience for a young closeted gay guy. At the age of 18 I came out to my team mates and everyone was supportive and great about it, but still I never felt 100% comfortable with all aspects of the team sports culture that often includes a macho attitude that I dont relate to.

15 years ago I joined an LGBTQ sports team for the first time and it was an amazing experience. All the positive things from my time in my old team were the same, but there is another level of inclusiveness and acceptance for diversity in an LGBTQ team than in other clubs. Everyone can fully be themselves without pretending to be anything else. It is a safe place where no one is judging or being judged.

We in the LGBTQ community always proudly say that we are diverse and open, but that is unfortunately not always my experience with the gay scene in general. However, the LGBTQ sports teams I have been a member of truly are open, diverse, accepting and understanding. It is a perfect way to meet new people and get new friends. The first thing I did when I moved to Munich was to look up if there is an LGBTQ sports club here.

LGBTQ sports teams are also more than just a sports team. As an institution it is important that we continue existing as a club and team - for the LGBTQ community but also for the city we live in. We are lucky enough to live in a place like Munich, where it is more open and accepting than many other places in the world. But our club is also needed here. We welcome everyone with open arms, and we are visible in the Munich cityscape when we are representing Team München through our matches and tournaments, and through events like the Pride Parade.

I love Team München and I think the work our club is doing is so important for the whole community. With 20 different sports and many hundreds of members Team München is a place for everyone. I am very happy and I feel very lucky to be a part of this club and hope to be able to continue playing for many more years!