Housheer's game: "My coach used to call me a wild horse"

Dione Housheer has come a long way since her days as a prodigy in the Netherlands. A player who embarked on her journey abroad at just 18 is now competing at the highest level with Györi Audi ETO KC in the EHF Champions League Women, where she has already lifted a European trophy, while also becoming a prominent figure for the Dutch national team. In the latest instalment of the “Handball Through My Eyes” series, the right back opens up about how she sees the game and her development.

The right back started her handball journey in the Netherlands and, in 2018, left VOC Amsterdam for Nykøbing Falster. Denmark remained her home for three more years when she moved to Odense Håndbold, before joining Györ in 2024. A significant step for the 26-year-old, who learned something new with every move. So, how would Dione describe her game?

“I'm really a creative player. And I have fun on the court. I think it is so complicated and easy at the same time. It's really hard to find the best solutions every game, but I think my creativity helps me to try and find things where I can be better. There are many moments in the game where you can play creatively and find new solutions,” says Housheer.

Dione is a versatile right back who is strong in one-on-one situations, capable of shooting from distance, but also sharp in split-second decision-making, something that often makes her difficult to read for opponents.

“I think a little bit of everything is hard for them because I can do multiple things. I can shoot, I can do one-against-one. I have many assists, plays. I am trying to be unpredictable.

“I'm this all-round player, so it's harder for the defender to know. If they stay flat, of course I will shoot. If they come up, I can play the line and go one-against-one,” explains the All-star right back of the 2025 IHF World Handball Championship.

Right backs are often in the spotlight because of their goals and finishing, and Dione is no exception. But her role in attack goes beyond scoring and she reveals what is her favourite thing.

“I really try to be both. Of course, I really like scoring, who doesn't? It's what makes it fun. But I have always enjoyed the feeling of creating good assists, especially in a team like Györ where we also have amazing line players, I sometimes almost enjoy more to have a good attack and create a really good assist. I can really enjoy that as well.

“It's really important for me not only to score and help the team with goals, but also to make good assists and put my teammates in really good positions. I maybe get an even bigger smile from that than from scoring a goal myself,” she says.

That smile she mentions is not accidental. Even when games get tight or shots do not convert into goals, Housheer rarely lets her positivity drop. It is something she consciously built over the years.

“I have a lot of energy, on and off the court. I really try to spread that to everyone. Handball is fun, that's why we play. If you have fun, you get even more energy and can bring the best out of yourself,” says the MVP of the U18 European Open in Gothenburg in 2016.

And that mindset connects directly to the way she makes decisions on court, trusting what she sees rather than overthinking what might happen next.

“I'm really playing off instinct. I'm really good at reading situations. If something else happens, I try to react to it. But of course, in handball it's also all about tactics. It already starts before a game, you know which opponent you play and who is in front of you. So I really try to prepare well before a game.

“I maybe know 70 per cent of what the team is doing and who I'm facing, but on paper it's sometimes easy to say. In the game, many things change. Tactics change. So I'm really playing on my instinct,” Housheer explains.

While most discussions around Dione Housheer revolve around her attacking qualities, defence has become an equally important part of her identity on court.

“I think tactically, attack is more complicated because you have to find solutions. Defence is a bit more structured, but it has its own brilliance. I developed a lot there: in one-against-one situations, stealing balls, being in the right position at the right time. Do your task and trust that others will help you.

“We all know everything starts in defence. If we follow the plan and know our tactics, we can be unstoppable. You get so much energy from defence and bring that into attack. Then the game becomes more fun,” she continues.

Being involved in both defence and attack also means taking responsibility which comes with pressure. Big matches, tight finishes and high pressure, Housheer has been there often enough.

From playing for titles to bouncing back after tough defeats, and being named the best right back of the EHF Champions League Women 2024/25, she has learned how to deal with the expectations that come with it.

“I really try to stay calm. I think about what I'm good at and what my task is. If we decide to play something, we just go fully for it. When I go fully into a situation, I don't think too much. Then many good things can happen. I'm quite a calm person. I'm not easily stressed.

“I try not to think too much about what happens if I miss. I stay with my task, look at my teammates, and think, 'okay, we got this'. At least then I can say I went 100 per cent into the situation,” Housheer explains.

However, it wasn't always that way. Earlier in her career, dealing with pressure and staying fully positive looked different. She wanted to go all in from minute one.

“In the beginning, my coach used to call me a 'wild horse'. I was everywhere. I wanted to do everything in the first five minutes and show everything I could. But I learned that it's 60 minutes. You don't have to decide the game in five minutes. I learned to control the game better.

“To develop a clearer understanding of the game and recognise which skills to apply in different situations so I can make better decisions throughout the match. This helped me become more efficient.

“I think that's really what I improved the most. And maybe also in defence. Before I was very attack-oriented because it was so fun to create goals and make those assists.

“But in the last years, I really focused more on defence first, to be good there, to get energy from there. And I still think there's a lot to improve. But when you train every day with the best players out there, it's very rewarding and you can improve in a short time,” adds Housheer.

While focused on the future and still searching for ways to grow, one decision stands out when she looks back — a decision that shaped her career, but also carries a message not only to her younger self, but to everyone chasing their dreams.

“Making the step abroad when I was 18. My English was bad, I had no clue about the country and so on, but I just took the step because inside myself I believed I could. The will to succeed and become a professional handball player was really my dream. I felt like maybe I could reach something, so I just made the step. Don't be afraid, just go there and see what the consequences can be. Just go all in.

“And whatever you do, it doesn't matter if it's sport or something else, just go for it and trust yourself that you can. Don't give up. There are good days and bad days. But in the end, if you really have the will to reach something, then you can. The fact that I already reached this level now, still being young, something I never expected, I think I can be proud of it because when I was younger, I dared to make those decisions,” Housheer concludes.

Photos © www.pekaroland.hu