Monae Hendrickson’s first-ever handball tryout turned into a social media hit
Monae Hendrickson (2)
NEED TO KNOW
- Monae Hendrickson, a 30-year-old content creator, tried out for a Team USA handball Olympic tryout just days after discovering the sport
- Despite being new to handball, she approached the tryout with confidence, focusing on effort, mindset and adaptability rather than results
- Later, she shared the journey on social media, where it went viral
Monae Hendrickson never imagined she’d be stepping onto an Olympic tryout court — especially for a sport she’d only just discovered days earlier. But after seeing a social media post about a Team USA handball tryout happening near her Los Angeles home, the 30-year-old travel creator decided to take a chance.
“I knew nothing about the sport going into the tryout,” Hendrickson tells PEOPLE exclusively. “I watched 3 YouTube videos from the Paris 2024 Olympics.”
The handball tryout, she says, felt like the right opportunity at exactly the right moment. Having always been obsessed with the Olympics, Hendrickson knew her chances of making the team were slim — but she had a motto: “If you don’t try, you will never know.”
Despite being a complete newcomer to the sport, Hendrickson approached the experience with surprising calm.
“I really was not nervous because I had no expectations,” she says. “I’ve been an athlete my whole life, so with confidence in knowing how to adapt, I took every moment as it came.”
On the day of the tryouts, it didn’t take long for Hendrickson to notice she wasn’t alone in taking a leap. During check-in, it became clear that almost everyone there had discovered the tryout through the same video — and showed up with excitement to compete, even without prior experience.
For Hendrickson, treating the tryout as an experience rather than stressing over the outcome helped her stay grounded.
“Once you commit to the process being an experience, I think it takes the challenge out of it,” she says. “There were a million reasons not to show up. But taking each moment as it came with no expectations was the key.”
The experience also reminded her of another time she had stepped into a new sport at a high level.
“In college [I] started playing rugby for the first time at 18 years old,” she says. “So showing up to a new high level team sport was supremely familiar.”
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As she moved through drills, Hendrickson focused on what she could control beyond athletic ability. While she couldn’t predict exactly what the handball coaches were seeking, she knew how she wanted to show up.
“My athletic ability will either be enough or it won’t,” she says. “But I know I had complete control over hustle, attentiveness and hype.” She adds, “Physically, I let my body try its best while really focusing on how I chose to show up mentally.”
By the end of the tryout, Hendrickson walked away proud of what she had given.
“I don’t know what the handball coaches are ultimately looking for,” she says. “But I’m proud of the performance I gave, and at the end of the day, why not me?”
Soon after, Hendrickson decided to share the experience online, even though it fell outside her usual travel content.
“Truthfully, I had been in a lull with my social media and ultimately posted the first handball video because I had nothing to lose,” she says. “I thought it would just be another video to flop.”
The response was immediate. By the time she got home, the video had gone viral, reaching millions of views and thousands of comments — including one from the LA28 TikTok account: “Rooting for you, bestie!”
“I had zero expectations of doubling my Instagram following literally overnight,” she says. “And [although] I was beyond grateful, it left me feeling confused.”
Hendrickson believes the videos resonated because they gave people permission to take risks themselves.
“Ultimately, I believe it resonated with so many people because it gave them permission to be more ridiculous,” she says. “No one will bet on you more than you are willing to bet on yourself. By simply trying, you’ve already won.”
Just days after the tryout, Hendrickson had a trip to Europe planned — which quickly took on new meaning.
“Fortunately, I had a trip to Europe planned only 4 days after the tryout,” she says, explaining that she was headed to Denmark, “where I was planning to visit the home country of handball.”
She leaned into the momentum.
“I consider it fate that I was able to transform my Euro trip into a handball world tour,” she says. “Where I practiced with a team in Germany and Denmark, along with attending the [European Men's Handball Championship].” She notes that the tournament “is like the Super Bowl of Handball.”
“In some ways, it felt so aligned,” she says. “It was like a dream come true. If you had told me at 30 years old my career would shift to what it is now, I would be screaming.”
Hendrickson has also been met with warmth along the way.
“Every person thus far associated with handball has met me with so much kindness and enthusiasm,” she says. “Everyone is excited that the love they have for handball is being matched with so much support online.”
Although she hasn’t officially made the team, Hendrickson says the experience has reminded her how much sports have meant in her life.
“Sports were my lifeline growing up,” she says. “I’ve been really surprised to realize how much I miss playing competitive sports.”
Now, she hopes her platform can highlight something bigger.
“It might sound crazy, but I think women’s sports have the power to change society for the better,” she says. “If there’s one thing the Olympic tryout showed me, there’s not a lack of interest. There is a lack of access.”
Looking ahead, Hendrickson is keeping her options open.
“If I make the team, I will obviously pursue that,” she says. “But I think my vision is even bigger now.” She plans to continue combining travel with athletics while spotlighting lesser-known sports.
“I plan to continue traveling while playing sports abroad, bringing light to sports you’ve maybe never heard of before,” she says.
For now, she remains grateful for the support she’s received.
“I’m just so grateful for this insane opportunity, and for every person online that’s been rooting for me,” Hendrickson adds. “Random strangers are going out of their way to help me reach my goal, and it means the world.”
Read the original article on People
Category: General Sports
