The first-ever USA Team Handball Futures Festival is being held in Colorado Springs at the Fountain Valley School. The event brings together 48 athletes from across the country for four days, all with different athletic backgrounds and levels of handball experience.

Developing Young Talent

Organizers hope the festival can help identify and develop future national team players while expanding participation in the sport. 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.

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.

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.

Building a Stronger National Program

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.

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.

Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.