US Team Handball Women's National Team

Basic Facts

DOB: 6/22/82
Place of Birth: Houston, TX
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Height: 5’7”
Position: Circle
Started playing: Oct. 2004
High School: NCSSM
College: Duke University
Major: Hindi/Biology

A standout rugby player, Jennifer is now making her mark as a core member of a new generation of women’s handball players. This California girl with tiny hands has big dreams, and so much passion for her new sport that it is almost impossible to remain unaffected in her presence. Coupled with an indefatigable work ethic, it is easy to see why she is such an inspiration to her teammates. Her contributions to the team don’t end when she takes off her sneakers and the gobs of “stickum” she uses to hold onto the ball. She is a common sight in the office, helping the team from other angles, including writing many of the press releases and helping with the website. 

From 2001-2003 Jennifer was selected to numerous rugby All-Star teams, including the Under-23 South Region (2001-2003), the Under-23 Southern California (2002) and the Under-23 North Carolina (2004) teams. During the same years she also attended the yearly National Elite All-Star camp as one of the best rugby players in the country. Then after graduating from Duke in 2004, with a dual degree in Biology and Hindi, one of her former coaches emailed her to tell her that the National Team was looking for players and that given her skills she might be a good fit for the game. So, in September of 2004, she was invited to try-out, and by October she was living in Cortland.

Jennifer was immediately drawn to the challenge of learning this new sport. “In handball there are so many different pieces to the game. I am trying to learn so many things at once… which is sometimes frustrating, but its also what keeps me interested.” Handball is a very physical game, but with her rugby background, she had no problem adjusting to the aggressive nature of handball. In fact she claims, “I get in more trouble because I want to hit people and knock them down. You have to unlearn some of the habits and pick up this wholly different skill set.”

Handball is also a game of skill and strategy, which suits Jennifer perfectly, especially in her position as a circle; a position she has picked up amazingly well in such a limited amount of time. From the circle position she has to look at the court differently than the backcourts; from behind the defense. On the 6 meter line she is constantly surrounded by defenders, so she has to rely on being smart and sneaky. Through study and dedicated practice, she’s developed a knack for anticipating her teammates’ moves and recognizing the gaps and openings… sometimes even before they occur.

For as much as she loves the sport now, until 2004, handball was not on Jennifer’s radar. Coming out of college, she had well-laid plans for her life and career. She wanted to go to medical school, and she still does, but she’s not on a timeline anymore. “Everything else that I want to do will be there when handball is over, but this is a fleeting opportunity. I hope it lasts a really long time, but whether it lasts another month or another 10 years… I will have no regrets. I don’t feel like my life is on hold... I feel that for the rest of my life this is something that I will be happy and proud about.”

Even though Jennifer joined the residency program in Cortland when it was just beginning, she still feels an enormous sense of history when wearing the USA jersey. At one time the US was a contender at the Olympics and the World Championships, two places she would like to help the team return, and representing the US reminds her of all the people who played before her. “I play for me, but I also think about all the other people whose reputation is on the line and what this means to the people who support us and want to see us do something great. I feel outside of myself a little bit, like I am part of a greater entitiy that isn’t individual at all.” While taking pride in the history of the WNT, she still looks to the future of the team and the sport, hoping one day that handball will be a sport that people recognize. “I would love, if in the next few years, I didn’t have to keep explaining that we don’t hit a ball off a wall,” she says with a familiar smile. She believes that once exposed Americans will embrace this sport. “It would be nice for it to become a part of the culture. When we were competing in Brazil, little girls came up to us and asked us for pins, hairties, even my dirty socks… anything b/c they wanted to connect w/ us… to be doing what we were doing. I would love to see that happen here. I watched rugby explode in the last 5 years… and I think handball can do the same.”

But, for now she focuses on the present and what she can do to help the team and to make herself into the best circle possible. “I want to be the best player I can be. I want to be part of the core, building process. I want to see that in 5-10 years this program is outstanding, because of what we are doing now. I want to go to the Olympics and the World Championships, but most of all I want to know that I helped lay the groundwork for our sport in this country and did everything I could to make this team better in every way- on and off the court.”