MAD HATTER 2

Douglas College.

Cathie Bisset is coordinator of the new Perinatal Education Program at

HANDBALL

The popularity of team handball is rapidly getting “out of hand” in British Columbia.

And this month, the game will get an even bigger boost in British Columbia when the National Team Handball Championships are held here May 15, 16and 17.

Centred at Douglas College and other venues around the Lower Mainland, the championships will include teams from B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick and last year’s winners, Quebec.

There are four categories participating in the championshps: junior men and women, and senior men and women. The categories each have six teams competing, except for the senior men's, which will include two B.C. teams.

“The B.C. teams will be comprised of many players from the Lower Mainland and Prince George, the two main regions for team handball in B.C.,” says Gary MacDonald, coach of the Burnaby Handball Club, who teaches the Olympic sport to students and teachers throughout the province.

“The junior men's team and the senior men’s and women's will have Douglas college students included in their line- up.”

Team handball (different from court handball) is similar to basketball. The ball is moved around the court, but a net similar to that in field hockey is used as a goal. Each team has six players and a goalie on the court at one time, with unlimited substitutions allowed.

Game Extremely Popular in Europe

The game has been extremely popular in Europe for many years before it came to North America. Canada was one of the last countries to join the International Federation.

MacDonald, who will coach one of the B.C. teams in the championsips, has played team handball since 1972 and has toured in Europe, the United States, Mexico and Australia.

“When | started out, there were 34 registered players in B.C. In Quebec there were over 10,000,” says MacDo- nald. “We (B.C.) are second to last in the country when it comes to funding and participation.”

But he has been working hard to change that. For four years MacDonald has toured to every part of the province to teach the game and has succeeded in making schools more aware of a sport that is part of the high school curriculum. He is now working on an instructional video tape which will en- able teachers to learn a little more about the game.

“The Douglas College Sports Institute and Instructional Media Services have helped us a great deal and the govern- ment is being very supportive in this project.”

For more information about the championships, tickets’ or the video call Chris Johnson at local 5334.

JAPAN —

I's difficult to learn a language thousands of miles away from where the language is spoken. The best alternative is to visit the country.

And that's the chance Douglas College offers this July through its sixth annual Language and Culture Study Tour to Japan.

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