Igniting the Future of Handball!

At Handball Futures, we believe in pursuing excellence — just like the athletes we serve. Competitive athletes, Olympians, and champions in any arena know that reaching the highest level takes vision, commitment, and the wisdom to adjust course when needed to achieve the best possible outcome.

After careful consideration, we’ve decided to reschedule the Handball Futures Festival for summer 2026. While we’re proud of the progress since our August 2024 launch, we realized that fast-tracking such an ambitious event limited our ability to recruit athletes, secure funding, and deliver the experience our handball community deserves.

By shifting the Festival to 2026, it provides the time and space to deliver on our original vision — creating an event that offers a platform for athletes to showcase their talent and build pathways toward international competition, including the Olympic Games. 

This allows more time to engage the handball community, secure sponsors, and contribute to the long-term growth of handball in the United States.

In the coming year, we’ll continue partnering with USA Team Handball to expand opportunities for athletes, host development camps and tournaments, and build momentum for a 2026 Festival worthy of the future we’re working toward.

Thank you for your continued support — we can’t wait to share what’s ahead.

Handball Futures Completes First Round of National Tryouts!

We’re thrilled to announce that the first round of Handball Futures Tryouts has officially wrapped up — and what an incredible journey it’s been!

Over the past several months, we hosted tryouts in Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, and California, welcoming talented, driven, and enthusiastic athletes from all over the country. Whether athletes were trying handball for the very first time or stepping back onto the court with experience, the energy, teamwork, and heart shown at each location was nothing short of inspiring.

A huge thank you to our dedicated coaches, Martin Bilello, Chris Cappelmann, Mark Ortega, and Wade Sutton for leading outstanding sessions, and to the Olympians and U.S. National Team players who generously shared their time, stories, and expertise with the next generation of athletes. Your presence made a lasting impact on everyone involved.

We also want to extend our sincere gratitude to all of our supporters, donors, and USA Team Handball for believing in the mission of Handball Futures and helping us grow the sport across the country.

This is only the beginning — we’re building something special together. Stay tuned for updates on future training opportunities, events, and next steps as we continue working to shape the future of handball in the United States!

Thank you to everyone who made this possible!

Big Wins for HFF Athletes!

We love seeing the athletes who come through HFF tryouts making waves on the national stage — and these recent highlights show exactly why we do what we do.

From North Carolina:

- Hannah Perkins was named MVP at College Nationals for the Carolina Women’s team.

- Becky Gonzalez took home Most Valuable Goalie (MVG) honors.

- Ivanna Jones landed a spot on the All-Tournament Team.

- Josie DeLellis earned an Honorable Mention.

From California:

Shoutout to Jacqueline Sandoval, a CalHeat player who joined our California tryouts. She was recently selected as an alternate for the U.S. Junior Women’s National Team heading to the Junior Pan American Games (check out the announcement here) — and also finished as CalHeat’s top scorer at Nationals, placing in the top 10 overall in the Women’s Elite Division! See the leaderboard here.

It’s awesome to see the HFF pipeline in action, helping new talent rise and make their mark. More to come!

Ivanna Jones (All-Tournament Team), Becky Gonzalez (MVG), Hannah Perkins (MVP) from college nationals

2025 College National Champions - UNC Team Carolina 

NOTES FROM
USA TEAM HANDBALL

Mike King
Chief Executive Officer
USA Team Handball

We were thrilled by the energy and turnout at this year’s National Championships in May. As we enter the summer "off-season", excitement continues to build across all levels of our national programs.

The new Head Coach for the USA Women’s Beach National Team will be announced shortly, and process for long-term appointments for both the Men’s and Women’s Senior Indoor National Teams is underway currently.

This summer, USA National Teams will compete internationally in nine (9!) separate, major events in a 70-day span:

- The Wheelchair National Team will take part in a friendly tournament in France.

- The Junior Men’s National Team will represent the U.S. at both the IHF Junior World Championship in Poland and the Junior Pan American Games in Paraguay.

- The Youth and Junior Women’s Teams will travel to Canada to compete in their respective IHF Trophy – Continental Phases; the Junior Women Heading to Junior Pan American Games in Paraguay just weeks later.

- The Youth Men’s National Team will head to Egypt for the IHF Youth World Championship.

 - And our Senior Beach National Teams will each take the court in Spain at the World Beach Tour, Stage 2.

With seven teams competing globally and major leadership appointments underway, the summer is active and ambitious, on the back of tremendous strides being made across the community on and off the court.

Oshita (front row, second from right) at the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Rod Oshita, a true pioneer in the handball community. His dedication to the sport, both as a two-time Olympian and as an influential figure in the growth of handball in the U.S., leaves a lasting legacy.

Rod’s contributions extended far beyond the court—he inspired countless athletes and helped shape the future of handball in this country. We join USA Team Handball in mourning his loss and send our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing him.

His impact on the sport will not be forgotten.

USA Team Handball has shared a tribute honoring Rod’s incredible impact and accomplishments. You can read it here:

https://www.usateamhandball.org/news/2025/march/31/olympian-rod-oshita-passes-away-at-65

Support Handball Futures — a pathway program dedicated to growing the game by empowering more handball athletes, especially women, and reconnecting former players with the sport we love through opportunities with USA Team Handball.

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