TikTok-Driven Tryout Surge Boosts U.S. Women's Handball Outlook for 2028 Olympics

**More than 150 women tried out for the U.S. women's handball team in January, a five-fold jump sparked by a viral TikTok, as the squad prepares for its first Olympic appearance since 1996.

A short video on TikTok has turned a niche Olympic sport into a sudden recruiting boom in the United States. The clip advertised open tryouts in Los Angeles and explicitly stated that no prior experience was necessary.

Handball is a fast-paced, full-contact team sport where six players per side pass a resin-coated ball with their hands to score on a goal defended by a goalkeeper. Matches often draw tens of thousands of spectators in Europe, where the sport is a staple of school curricula and professional leagues.

In the United States, handball remains largely unknown; most athletes first encounter the game in adulthood through community programs or online videos. The automatic Olympic berth for the host nation gives the U.S. a rare chance to field a team without needing to qualify.

The U.S. women's handball team will compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, marking their first appearance since the 1996 Games. This ends a 32-year hiatus for the nation in the women’s event.

More than 150 women attended the January tryouts, a five-fold increase over previous turnouts that organizers attribute to the viral TikTok clip. Past tryouts typically drew fewer than 30 participants.

Rylee White, a 27-year-old screenwriter who discovered the sport through that video, told coaches she is ready to commit fully and work as hard as needed to make the team. She has since relocated to Florida to join the national residency programme.

The surge expands the talent pool for a program that has historically relied on dual-citizen athletes from Europe who play professionally overseas. Coaches now see a broader mix of backgrounds, including former basketball and lacrosse players.

While interest is rising, USA Handball receives no funding from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, leaving athletes to balance full-time jobs with training and to cover travel costs themselves. Head coach Sarah Gascon notes that the lack of support limits access to elite athlete health insurance and tournament participation.

Gascon emphasizes that the best handball players often come from multisport backgrounds; basketball teaches dribbling, volleyball teaches blocking, and softball or rugby teaches throwing. The residency program in Florida aims to build on those foundations and prepare athletes for potential paid contracts abroad.

Watch how the residency program in Florida shapes the final roster ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games, as coaches evaluate whether the influx of new talent can translate into competitive performance on the world stage.