Camelot

This is Camelot. A growing association where everyone is welcome. We talked to Sacha and Arjanne. To keep the Tilburg student handball club going, they took on the noble task of doing a board year. Camelot is characterised by its open atmosphere. Everyone is welcome and feels at home. You notice that on and off the field. We talked about the sport, the typical week and the highlights in a year. Curious?  

WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU DO AT CAMELOT?

"I am Sacha and I am a PR Officer. That means that I am mainly busy with the promotion. Besides that I try to promote Camelot as much as possible."

"I am Arjanne and I am the Chairman. In that role I have a lot of communication with FOSST, the sports centre and our coach. So in that sense I mainly keep an overview."

WHAT IS CAMELOT IN THE BASICS?

"That's actually an interesting story. We are the student handball association of Tilburg. Unfortunately, due to a new regulation of the sports centre, a large group of alumni had to leave Camelot. After all, they were no longer students. Camelot had many members, but because the new rule was introduced, many alumni left."

"We were left with about seven people. On top of that came the corona crisis. The old board left and a new board was needed. Four of us took on the task. We actually enjoyed the challenge and became more active along the way. The main aim was to promote the association and recruit new members. As a result, we now have 35 members, 30 of whom are active. So we have really grown and that is cool to see."

"We first had an open training session. It was really well attended and a number of people stayed around. Then the word was spread. Everyone is welcome here. It really doesn't matter what you do or who you are, you will be welcomed with open arms."

HOW DO THE TRAINING SESSIONS WORK?

"Handball is a sport that is normally played separately. Because we had a small number of members, we trained together. We have continued to do so to this day. That actually makes it a lot of fun!"

"We don't have teams either, so everyone is a training member. We don't play in a league, because you need at least twelve people per team for that. Unfortunately, that is not yet feasible."

"We have a lot of people who have never played handball before. They now consider it a really fun sport. It's a mixed group of people: from internationals to Dutchmen and from beginners to experienced players."

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL WEEK LOOK LIKE FOR A MEMBER?

"On Tuesday night we always have indoor practice. In the summer months we also have beach training on Thursdays. That is a different type of handball and we try to make it accessible for newcomers, because we are not as familiar with it as indoor handball. In between, we have activities. On Monday we go bowling for example. So sometimes there are three Camelot evenings a week, but it is important to say that it is all without obligation."

How is the informal part organised?

"We started an activities committee this year. They try to organise an activity every month. Sometimes they also organise things in between, like going out or watching a match together."

"For example, we've had a Christmas activity, had a cycling dinner and so on. The idea is indeed to have a monthly planned Camelot activity. Of course, we also have a close-knit group who undertake enough activities by themselves."

What are the highlights for you?

"Yes, definitely! There are all kinds of tournaments coming up now! We don't play a league, so we like to take part in as many tournaments as possible. For example, we went to Utrecht about three weeks ago. Such a weekend is great fun. There is a party on Friday evening and on Saturday there are matches all day."

"In Eindhoven next weekend, there will be a pub crawl on the Saturday night and then again matches on Sunday. Such a long weekend with your fellow Camelotters is super fun to do, because in this way you can participate in matches against other clubs."

HOW DO YOU LOOK FORWARD TO THE COMING YEARS?

"We want to continue the current growth. That also includes retaining the current members. Hopefully, in this way we can also have a real league team within two years. It would be great if we can continue. It is, of course, exciting to restart the club and to see whether everything will go well. Fortunately, the club is now in place and we would like to keep it that way."

"We want to grow in a sustainable way. Step by step. More and more training sessions and activities."

"Most of all, we are just happy. We have grown and most people have stayed. That's a good sign, we think. Some of those people, who have stuck around, even become board members. It is nice to see that our new members also want to continue this growth themselves, not to save the association, but to let the association grow. That is telling something. The atmosphere in the group is good and you notice that."

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO TO BECOME A MEMBER AT CAMELOT?

"Come to the training sessions. There is a very informal atmosphere. You notice that during the training sessions. When you come in, you are immediately welcomed. It is also nice that we have a very good trainer. He is very good at giving individual attention to newcomers. You get good technical guidance."

"It's not strange for us to suddenly have a new face. That is just normal. They then come more often and find it very nice to become a member. People who take part are generally very enthusiastic about the sport. They are often positively surprised. For example, they find it much more physical or dynamic than they had expected."

"In general, you can just join a training session and you don't have to be a member to do so, but then you do miss out on all the fun activities. A membership costs only 30 euros per year or 15 euros per semester, so that's not too bad either."

If you want to know more about Camelot, then take a look at their site!