Handball. Colombelles grows with the cream of Normandy

At first glance, Alaïs Lukasiewicz is a Colombelles player like the others. On closer inspection, however, there is something that sets it apart. “My Polish last name?” », She asks, intrigued. Not quite, unless it reflects the installation of his minor great-grandfather in the settlements of northern France, a long time ago. Alaïs Lukasiewicz is the only member of the Colombian workforce totally from a territory other than Normandy.

Where do the Normandes de Colombelles come from?

Concretely, that does not change much for Alaïs, apart from the jokes about the chip stalls which animate the northerners trips, old words which always have their small effect and a slightly adapted diet. “I eat a lot less cream than the girls! “A Norman workforce, that is assumed. Over the course of a rise that has led him to the second division, Colombelles has never ceased to rely on local players. But since the arrival of Reynaldo Mazzoli at the helm, the policy is much more assertive.

Having an identity based on the Caen and Norman basin is a choice.

“Recruiting local is a necessity”

Colombelles does not refrain from recruiting outside regional borders. Only, everything encourages him to look at what is being done near his home. This is true, in particular, for the financial aspect which is so preponderant as the level rises. “Recruiting local is a necessity,” says Reynaldo Mazzoli. We don’t have the funds to operate otherwise. Going to find a young woman on the other side of France is often costly. But Colombelles is still gradually recovering from serious financial difficulties.

Philosophy and pragmatism

At CLCH, principles and pragmatism go hand in hand. If Reynaldo Mazzoli relies almost exclusively on Norman players, it is because he can build a competitive team with these young ladies. “The various training structures in Normandy manage to supply the club,” emphasizes Jeanne Godey. The captain is the best illustration of the typical course encountered in her team. Born in Cherbourg, she went through the Pôle espoirs du Havre, like eight of her partners. Others attended the Regional Women’s Training Center, based at the Lycée Laplace in Caen.

The coach can trust Norman products. Normandy trains its players well.

Reynaldo Mazzoli does not think otherwise. “Going up with a team like ours is doable. Staying in D2 with a Normandy team doesn’t seem possible to me. It’s another world. ”

The strength of the collective

For now, Colombelles is keen to compete at the top of the table. His individualities may not be the best in the hen. But her ability to align players who have rubbed shoulders for years, to the point of having sometimes met from the departmental selections, is an obvious asset.

It’s a real plus in team cohesion. The girls know each other by heart. We save time.

The group which lives well, “it is our strength”, supports Jeanne Godey. “Everyone gets along well and everyone is able to say things to each other. It’s super interesting for the staff. There is a healthy environment to progress together. As for the automatisms, they are of course more pronounced. “When you’ve been playing next to the same girl for five or six years, you know what she’s going to do and vice versa. ”

A family club

A Norman team is all good in Colombelles. Including with volunteers and partners.

We are really in a family club. There is necessarily greater proximity. It is also felt with the public. We make ourselves known, we try to put on a show and people are more and more present and active.

While there is still work to be done to develop local training upstream of the senior category, Colombelles is achieving a real feat with its very local workforce. At such a level of competition (third division) in such a competitive sport, it is extremely rare… It was well worth a small sprain with the adopted Norman that is Alaïs Lukasiewicz.

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