Handball Futures Festival Brings Nation’s Top Emerging Women’s Talent to Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — July 22, 2026 — Forty-eight of the country’s leading women’s handball players will gather at Fountain Valley School in Colorado Springs from July 22–25 for the inaugural Handball Futures Festival, a four-day celebration of competition, community and the future of women’s handball in the United States.

The festival revives a tradition last held in 1995, when USA Team Handball took part in the U.S. Olympic Festival, during with the U.S. Olympic Committee hosted national competitions across Olympic sport disciplines in years between Summer Olympic Games from 1979-1995. 

Approximately 15 U.S. Olympians and U.S. National Team alumni will participate in Wednesday’s opening-day activities, helping connect the sport’s history with the athletes working toward its future.

Handball Futures was founded by Olympians and National Team alumni in 2024 to establish a sustainable pipeline for identifying and developing talent ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. During its first 18 months, the organization conducted development camps for approximately 150 athletes.

That work has coincided with extraordinary growth in women’s handball nationwide. The number of registered female USA Team Handball athletes has increased from approximately 300 in 2024, to more than 800, reflecting the rapidly expanding interest and opportunity surrounding the women’s game.

The Festival’s 48 invited athletes will compete on four regional teams—North, South, East and West—in a tournament environment designed to mirror international competition. US Women’s Senior National Team Head Coach Dr. Sarah Gascon will be present throughout the event to evaluate athletes with the potential to contribute to the National Team program and the country’s preparations for LA 2028.

The event begins Wednesday with an opening ceremony, Olympian and National Team meet-and-greet opportunities, and the opening matches. Competition will continue through Saturday’s bronze-medal and championship matches, followed by the Festival awards ceremony.

Festival Schedule

Wednesday, July 22
Opening ceremony, Olympian and National Team meet-and-greet, youth clinic and opening match play

Thursday–Friday, July 23–24
Round-robin match play

Saturday, July 25
Bronze-medal match, championship match and awards ceremony

The opening ceremony is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday. The bronze-medal match will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday, followed by the championship match at 4 p.m. and awards ceremony at 6 p.m.

Festival matches will be streamed live on the USA Team Handball YouTube channel, providing supporters throughout the country an opportunity to watch some of the nation’s most promising players compete.

The Handball Futures Festival is being held at Fountain Valley School, located at 6155 Fountain Valley School Road in Colorado Springs. Admission to the opening ceremony and competition is free to the public. Complete schedules, participant information and event details, as well as more information about the initiative, are available through the Handball Futures Website.