In elite sport, milestones rarely happen overnight. They build quietly over years – through conversations, shared challenges, and constant evolution. One such milestone has now been reached in German handball: all 18 clubs in the Handball Bundesliga are working with XPS Network.

With HSG Wetzlar recently coming on board, the circle is complete. What began more than a decade ago as a handful of forward-thinking clubs adopting performance software has grown into league-wide integration across one of the world’s most competitive handball environments.

For Marc Uhlmann, Country Manager for the German market, this moment feels like both a professional achievement and a personal full stop.

When he joined XPS Network in 2015, several top clubs were already using the system. As he recalls, teams like THW Kiel, SG Flensburg-Handewitt, and VfL Gummersbach had already embedded digital workflows into their daily routines. Stepping into handball in an official capacity was exciting, but landing his first club carried particular weight. His first customer as Country Manager was TBV Lemgo Lippe – “a special moment,” as he describes it, “not only professionally.”

Handball Then and Now

For Marc Uhlmann, handball was never just another market segment – it has been part of his life for as long as he can remember. He started out playing football at seven, but by nine he had added two more sports, one of them handball, and even spent time playing for Charlottenburger HC, building an early connection that went far beyond casual participation. 

Some memories, however, stand out more vividly than others. He still recalls being taken to the Deutschlandhalle by his father in the early 1980s, watching the Reinickendorfer Füchse in an international match. “That was my first major live handball experience, and I can still remember it vividly today,” he says. “Seeing that team play with such intensity, both on the court and in the stands, left a mark that has stayed with me.”

Decades later, that intensity continues to inspire him. “When I compare that time with today, handball has become far more professional and data-driven,” Uhlmann reflects. “But the enthusiasm, the energy, the fight on the court – that hasn’t changed. And moments like last season, when the Füchse Berlin captured the Bundesliga title, make it all come full circle for me. It reminded me why I fell in love with the sport in the first place.”

A Decade of Growth and Collaboration

Looking back, the journey from early adoption to full Bundesliga coverage was anything but automatic. Over the past ten years, XPS Network’s presence in German handball has expanded step by step, club by club.

“Today, more than ten years later, XPS Network is firmly established in the Handball Bundesliga. We now work with all 18 first division teams, plus 13 second division teams. That’s not something you can take for granted.”

The growth reflects more than software functionality. It represents long-term collaboration with coaching staffs, performance departments, and medical teams navigating the realities of elite competition – dense calendars, injury management, player rotation, and constant performance pressure.

Throughout that time, both the clubs and the platform evolved.

“In the beginning, video analysis was the main focus,” Uhlmann explains. “Today, many coaches also use monitoring tools, team management features, and organizational functions.”

What was once primarily a tactical and analytical tool has become a broader performance management ecosystem.

Where Performance Meets Health Management

One of the clearest shifts has occurred in the medical and performance integration space.

“Digital medical records are becoming increasingly important,” Uhlmann notes. “They don’t just improve internal communication between coaches, performance staff, and medical teams – they also allow structured, fast export of relevant data.”

In Germany’s regulatory landscape, this has tangible benefits. Clubs can efficiently generate documentation required by institutions such as the VBG (German Social Accident Insurance Association), transforming what used to be time-consuming administrative work into a streamlined digital process.

At the same time, readiness monitoring, training and game load tracking, and scheduling tools help coaches align weightroom work, court sessions, and recovery strategies – a necessity in modern handball, where player availability often determines competitive success.

What Remains Unchanged

Despite the increasing reliance on data, monitoring systems, and digital workflows, Uhlmann sees a constant that technology has never replaced.

“The enthusiasm for handball has stayed exactly the same,” he says. “And ultimately, that’s what connects everything – my first experience in the stands decades ago, and today’s collaboration with Bundesliga clubs.”

The milestone of working with all 18 Bundesliga teams is therefore not just a business achievement. It reflects the sport’s broader professionalization and the shared commitment of clubs seeking better structure, clearer communication, and smarter decision-making.

For Uhlmann personally, it’s also something simpler.

“Looking back, it’s a special feeling. Handball shaped my life early on – and now I get to support the sport from a completely different perspective.”

XPS Network in 30 seconds

If you have any questions or would like to try XPS Network, please contact Marc Uhlmann (for German coaches & clubs) or our sales team at sales@sidelinesports.com.