Ask, Understand and Act at Hercules Handball

At Hercules Handball in The Hague, elite sports and structural check-ins go hand in hand. After a baseline measurement at the beginning of 2025, it became clear that subjective internal load — how an athlete feels and recovers — was particularly difficult to measure. With an 18-month pilot starting in February 2026, Hercules is fully committed to addressing this. The Ask - Understand - Act cycle provides a practical framework for this purpose.

Ask: the conversation as a starting point

The cycle begins with asking. Through periodic check-ins, coaches can gain insight into the subjective load of their athletes. SportMeter helps coaches anchor the conversation and automates administrative tasks, making it easy and consistent to ask targeted questions.

"External load and objective internal load can be measured with data. But how an athlete truly feels requires a conversation. By asking targeted check-in questions, coaches make subjective load discussable and visible."

Understand

When analyzing the responses, many coaches struggle with their role:

• Too active: some coaches offer extensive advice on recovery or well-being, risking overstepping their expertise or scope of responsibilities.
• Too passive: others withdraw completely, arguing that subjective load is not part of their role. This can lead to signals being missed or the athlete not feeling heard.

What we have observed so far in the pilot is the following two insights:

• Engagement: listening, asking follow-up questions and recognising signals. Precisely because subjective load does not come from a heart rate monitor, personal attention makes the difference.
• Boundaries: involving professional help when needed. Coaches refer to professionals within Hercules, without giving medical or psychological advice themselves.

Act

After understanding signals comes acting. This means:

• Providing practical support within one's own role (motivating, encouraging, adjusting training sessions based on subjective feedback).
• Referring to professionals for matters that fall outside one's own expertise (with possible assistance from a confidential advisor).

Through this clear division of roles, coaches can respond effectively to the needs of elite athletes without putting themselves or the athletes at risk.

Collective Impact

The Ask - Understand - Act cycle helps Hercules Handball provide a structure in which subjective load is no longer a blind spot, but a permanent part of the training process. By using check-ins smartly and respecting the balance between engagement and boundaries, coaches and volunteers can optimally fulfil their role: picking up signals, supporting athletes and referring when necessary.