PLAY SMART! - Book

The first steps onto the pitch


When I was twelve, I stood in a handball hall for the first time.
My shoes squeaked on the gym floor, the ball clung slightly to my hand, the air smelled of resin and adrenaline. At that moment, I knew: This is my game.


Back then, it was all about fun, goals, and celebrating together. But the longer I played, the clearer it became to me: handball is much more than a sport. It's about speed, tactics, team spirit—and the ability to decide in seconds what needs to happen next.

The connection to professional life

Many years later, long since well into my professional life and into sales, it occurred to me: We need exactly this kind of game intelligence in business, too. It's not just endurance and technique that count—it's teamwork, reaction speed, and anticipation.

This realization became the first spark for a project that ran like a thread through the past few months: the idea of bringing together the best of both worlds—handball and sales. And a name was quickly found:


PLAY SMART!

From idea to collaboration

To refine the idea, I sought out conversations with experts from both worlds: coaches, managers, players, and sales specialists. This led to discussions, aha moments—and a growing feeling that a book needed to be created that not only tells the story of handball, but also provides real business inspiration.

Particularly valuable: the collaboration with personalities who have shaped the sport. This enabled me André Fuhr, a renowned German handball coach, as a partner. His experience and perspective on team leadership have enriched the project enormously.

From now on - two authors

André Fuhr

Handball coach, author, coach

Andre Fuhr, born in 1971, was a mid-level handball player for many years. He studied German and sports at the University of Bielefeld, where he became a teacher, and also worked as a freelance journalist, author, speaker, and coach trainer. Even during his successful coaching career (German champion, Champions League participant, national team coach), he was always interested in what defines talent, how to recognize, find, convince, and develop it. After his time in competitive sports, he swapped the coaching bench for an office chair and specifically trained in the areas of sports mental coaching, communication and consulting, systemic coaching, and personnel development.

What parallels exist between elite sports and business? What and how can we learn from each other are fascinating questions that preoccupy him.

Torsten Schäfer

Author, sales practitioner and passionate team athlete

Torsten Schäfer, born in 1964, brings together two worlds that have more in common than many realize: team sports and business management. With over 20 years of experience as an amateur handball player, he knows the game from the locker room and on the court – not just from theory.

He has held senior sales and management positions in medium-sized companies for many years. He has experienced what works—and what's missing—when teamwork, clarity, and attitude are neglected.

“PLAY SMART!” is his first book – born out of personal conviction and practical experience.

It bridges the gap between the sports hall and the meeting room, the parquet floor and the desk – and shows how companies can benefit from the dynamics, thinking and culture of team sports.

The concept is taking shape

The structure of the book was developed in numerous workshops and meetings. We clustered topics, designed chapter sequences, selected practical examples, and identified parallels between the playing field and the market.

The goal: a practical, inspiring book that shows how principles from team sports can be directly transferred to business – from tactical planning to role allocation to mental regeneration.

From the hall to the heart of the book

While working on the manuscript, it became clear to us that many chapters are not just analyses, but heartfelt stories.
Whether it was about teamwork under pressure, dealing with mistakes, or the question of how leadership creates presence – images from the handball hall repeatedly appeared before our minds. These images helped to make complex business topics tangible.

What comes next

The manuscript is written, the structure is in place, and the final touches are underway.
The final touches will follow in the next few weeks – and then the book will go into publication.


With this project, we want to show that those who transfer game intelligence from sports to business win not only on the playing field, but also in everyday company life.


From book to practice – why things are only just getting started!

The book is like a game plan: It gives you ideas, strategies, and examples that work.

But as in handball, it is not enough to know the tactics – they must be trained, tried out and adapted to your own team.


That's why we're already thinking ahead - to the time after the release.


"Why not offer workshops?" we asked ourselves.


They provide space to apply the book's content to your team, your industry, and your current challenges.
Together we analyze where the biggest levers lie, practice concrete moves for everyday business, and create clear structures for implementation and progress.


This is how theory becomes practice. A book project becomes a movement – and your team gets the tools to not just play along, but to shape the game.

Example workshop: Game intelligence for leadership and sales

From the handball field to business – strategies that work.

Module 1

Basics & understanding of the game



Goal: Create a common foundation to anchor the book content within the team.

  • Pulse: Handball as an analogy – why speed, tactics & team spirit also matter in business
  • Analysis: Where does your team currently stand? (Self-assessment and external assessment, team diagnosis)
  • Key learnings from the book: Trust, clarity of goals, understanding of roles
  • Exercise: “Home game or away game?” – Consciously shaping visibility and impact


Module 2

Tactics, dynamics & cooperation



Goal: Develop plays that fit the team's goals and strengths.

  • Tactics transfer: Think of sales processes like game systems (counterattack, positional attack, power play)
  • Shaping team dynamics: Communication, cooperation, decision-making under pressure
  • Error culture & adaptation: From bad pass to learning moment
  • Exercise: “Quick Switching” – Training Reactivity in Business


Module 3

Implementation & Sustainability



Goal: Turning ideas into practice – with clear roles, rituals and KPIs.

  • Organization as a playing field: Create structures that enable mobility
  • Strengthen self-leadership: Anchoring mindset, resilience & motivation in everyday life
  • Schedule 90 days: Concrete measures, responsibilities & feedback routines
  • Exercise: “The final attack” – goal-oriented action under time pressure