How Auburn-Opelika Became Home Base for USA Wheelchair Handball

Long before wheelchair handball had a national team, Auburn-Opelika was helping write the story of handball competition in the United States. In 2013, USA Team Handball established a residency program in the area, creating a hub for elite training and competition through Auburn University. Two years later, key Auburn facilities were designated official Olympic training sites. Even as the residency model evolved, the history of handball never left Auburn-Opelika.

That foundation helped make the area home to USA Wheelchair Handball, the third discipline under USA Team Handball, alongside indoor and beach. When the inaugural USA Team Handball Wheelchair National Team began taking shape in 2024, the results came fast because Auburn already had the facilities, leadership, and community support needed to build something special.

At the center of that effort is Dr. Ford Dyke, whose long-standing Auburn connection and work in adapted athletics helped sustain the relationships needed to turn the possibility of competing into a thriving national team. Around him is a leadership team with deep Auburn ties, including Olympians Reita Clanton and Lisa Eagen, Eric Finch, Camden Ventley, Al Dean Francisco, Sarah Gascon, and Dr. Jence Rhoads. Together, they are doing more than organizing camps and tryouts. They are building a serious high-performance program and a pathway for adapted athletes to compete at the highest level.

In 2024, the United States captured silver at the International Handball Federation Wheelchair Handball World Championship in Cairo, Egypt. The following year, Team USA added a bronze medal at EuroHand4All in France. The silver medal was especially significant. It marked the first time a USA Team Handball national team of any discipline, gender, or age group had won a medal at a world championship, and the team did it in their first competition. For Auburn-Opelika, it is proof that this destination is more than a place to train and compete: It is part of the engine driving the mission forward.

Lake Wilmore Park Recreation Center has become the team’s primary hub for camps and tryouts, giving the program a reliable home base to train and grow. Auburn-Opelika Tourism has also played an important role in supporting the team’s presence in the community and on the international stage. And that support has grown well beyond one organization. It now reflects a broader community effort that continues to rally behind the athletes, coaches, and mission.

The future has even larger milestones ahead for the program. With USA Wheelchair Handball working toward LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032 on the horizon, the sport has major opportunities ahead for visibility, growth, and high-level competition. The Auburn-Opelika community is invited to Lake Wilmore Recreation Center June 14-16 for the team’s Send-Off Camp ahead of its trip to Lyon, France. Come meet the players and coaches and wish them luck before they depart.