Rylee White had never even heard of speed handball until a teammate mentioned a TikTok video about tryouts in Los Angeles for the US women’s Olympic team — no experience necessary.
White, a 27-year-old screenwriter, knew he had to go. He is not the only one. More than 150 women — inspired by the viral video — attended the auditions in January, a fivefold increase from previous turnouts.
Five months later, White is one of a handful of women who have packed their bags and moved to Florida to join USA Handball’s national residency program, hoping to eventually be selected to represent the United States at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
As the host nation, the United States automatically qualifies for each game.
The last time the US had a women’s handball team at the Games was in 1996. Finding the money and resources needed to field a competitive US team is a constant challenge. Athletes are often dual nationals from Europe who play professionally abroad.
Although handball is not well known in the United States, it is popular in Germany, France, Norway and Denmark as well as the Balkan countries in southeastern Europe. These countries usually dominate the Olympic Games.
