[Orlando] This week, USA Team Handball is launching their official Collegiate Handball Campaign on GMTM, inviting college athletes from around the country to connect directly with Team USA, fellow handball athletes, and local clubs around the country.
Handball is one of the most popular sports on continents outside of North America. In fact, in some places, it even competes with soccer with a similar level of national pride for athletes and fans. The popularity of the indoor sport reaches a huge number of athletes at a young age and gives European and Middle Eastern national teams a wide group to recruit from.
Ever have to explain handball to your friends & family?
— USATH (@USATH) July 24, 2020
Same, we got you. Send this to them next time ➡️➡️ https://t.co/SJsnolOaT1#AmericasNextGreatSport #USATeamHandball #WhatIsHandball
In America though, handball has to compete with many other popular sports. Outside of a PE class, most athletes don’t have the chance to play it at an organized level. Many colleges feature handball as an intramural sport and in a few cities, you can find some amateur club teams. But, as handball‘s popularity grows elsewhere, its growth in America is just beginning.
That lack of accessibility is one of the reasons USA Team Handball has teamed up with GMTM to better connect with handballers and identify new handballers from other sports. Inviting college-aged men and women who compete in any sport, the USA Team Handball College Campaign will help more national team caliber athletes be introduced to the sport.
If you look at the USA Team Handball roster online for the men’s and women’s national teams, you’ll see a majority of those athletes found handball after playing different sports at a collegiate level. The wingspan and height of basketball players or the strength and explosiveness of track athletes are just a few of the attributes that translate so well to handball.
Handball is an up-and-coming sport in the US, sharing many tactics with Basketball, Soccer, and Lacrosse.@USATH are launching a tryout to identify talented athletes ready to overcome new challenges and ear a spot on the USA National Team. Learn more 🔽🔽
— GMTM // GAME TIME (@GMTMSports) May 4, 2021
USA Team Handball staff is focused on helping more college athletes in other sports find an opportunity to learn more about the sport of handball, and as an avenue to extend their careers into a new Olympic sport.
Motivated men and women - ages 18 to 25 - can upload information about themselves and their athletic careers. The content they submit will be seen and evaluated by the USA Team Handball coaches over the next few months.
Through an Introduction activity and several sport-specific handball activities, athletes will be able to show their personality and drive, as well as the athleticism that makes them unique from other athletes in their sports. Whether it’s a burst of speed, hand-eye coordination, or superior strength, athletes from all sorts of backgrounds can demonstrate the skills that would make them one of the premier athletes in handball.
After uploading videos, participating athletes will become part of USA Team Handball’s network. Participating athletes could be chosen for further development, camps, and even an opportunity to represent the US in international competitions.
If you or an athlete you know is interested in being seen by Olympic coaches, head to the USA Team Handball College Handball page on GMTM to participate.
