Some U.S. athletes are training for an Olympic sport they’ve never played

Los Angeles is hosting the 2028 Olympics, which means the U.S. women’s handball team will have a spot in the tournament for the first time since 1996. Now, dozens are moving to Florida to train for a spot on the team — including some who had never heard of handball.

Handball, a sport that is popular in many other countries but less common in the U.S., involves two teams competing to score points by throwing a ball into the opposing team’s goal.

“It’s objectively, you know, it’s just crazy,” said Samantha Cash, a prospective U.S. national handball team player. “That’s really the only word for it, but it’s the best thing that I could possibly be doing.”