First-ever USA Team Handball Futures Festival aims to build talent pipeline ahead of 2028 Olympics
COLORADO SPRING, Colo. (KRDO) -- Team USA Handball is still working to establish itself among the world's top programs, but leaders within the sport believe the key to future success starts with developing young talent.
That's the purpose behind the first-ever USA Team Handball Futures Festival, held this week in Colorado Springs at the Fountain Valley School.
"To the rest of the world, we're definitely on the bottom tier," Camp coach and 1996 USA Olympian Dawn Allinger-Lewis said. "Our objective is to grow."
The event brings together 48 athletes from across the country for four days, all with different athletic backgrounds and levels of handball experience. Organizers hope the festival can help identify and develop future national team players while expanding participation in the sport.
"Just trying to support and grow the sport, trying to get more women playing at a higher level and create more opportunities like this," Allinger-Lewis' teammate Lisa Eagen explained. Eagen is assisting this week as a coach for one of the Futures teams.
Among the athletes invited to participate was former Rampart High School volleyball standout August Raskie. Despite only beginning to play team handball in January, Raskie has already caught the attention of national team coaches.
"It's awesome because I grew up going to Fountain Valley School for volleyball, and now I'm here for another sport," Raskie said. "It's really cool to be able to dabble in both."
The Colorado Springs native said the opportunity to learn from experienced coaches and players has accelerated her development in the sport.
"Being able to be a sponge and take in all this experience in a short amount of time and add it to my game, that's what I'm looking forward to most, just learning as much as possible," she said.
Helping guide the athletes are Lisa Eagen and Dawn Allinger-Lewis, members of the last U.S. women's Olympic handball team, which competed at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
With the 2028 Olympic Games set to take place in Los Angeles, USA Team Handball sees the Futures Festival as an important step toward building a stronger national program. But coaches say their vision extends well beyond a single Olympic cycle.
"It's not just about LA 2028," Eagen said. "It's about continuing to grow so we can get back to qualifying for Olympic Games in 2032 and beyond."
As Team USA looks to raise its standing internationally, Eagen hopes events like the Futures Festival can help create a larger talent pool and lay the foundation for long-term success on the world stage.
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