The Americans at the U21 World Championship in Poland found themselves in a very tough group – they lost all three matches in the first round against Japan, Sweden, and South Korea. Today, they begin their campaign in the President’s Cup with a match against Algeria, and tomorrow they will face Canada.
Despite the tough opponents, they are enjoying the game, and each player is eager to learn as much as possible from this tournament.
We invite you to an interview with the captain of the U.S. national team Maksim McCauley.
Marcin Batóg: Do you remember your first contact with handball? When was the first time you took a ball in your hand?
Maksim McCauley, pivot, U21 USA Handball Team:
Oh yes, I was in fourth grade at school. Before that, I did football and swimming. I was a little chubby when I discovered handball (laughs). There was a handball camp in my city, and because my stepdad is Swedish, he told me it’s a really cool sport and encouraged me to try it. I did — and I really enjoyed it.
How old were you?
I think I was 12 years old.
That seems like a good age to start.
I think it’s actually a bit late. But I was a fast learner and picked it up quickly. I was born in Estonia — my mom is Russian and my dad is American, from South Carolina. Since last year, I’ve been playing for IFK Kristianstad in Sweden.
So you’re more of a European player than an American one.
Exactly. Most of the players on our team are like that. Only two guys actually live and play handball in the U.S. I got my handball education in Europe — in Estonia, where it all began for me. After that, I played for a year in Denmark when I was 16, then returned to Estonia for two years before moving to Sweden.
Tell us more about your national team.
Most of our players are based in Europe. We don’t have as large a talent pool as countries like Sweden or Poland. But we try to do our best with the players we have. We try not to focus on losing — instead, we focus on learning more and more, especially from games against strong teams like Sweden. Gaining experience is really important for us. It’s a different situation when we play against teams like Canada or Mexico.
Two years ago, we played against Sweden at the U19 World Championship and lost by about 30 goals. This time, the difference was smaller — 18 goals. So, you can see some improvement.
This team was formed about 18 months ago in Montpellier with a big training camp — we had over 40 players there. After that, we had a tournament in Mexico to qualify for this championship. We won the continental qualification and then came to Poland.
I have to ask about the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Do you think you’ll be part of the national team and become an Olympian?
Everyone on the team thinks about that. But we know that only 14 players will make the roster. The pivot position is very competitive. We have several guys on the national team playing at a good level. I’m still young and still learning. You never know — we’ll see.
A unique thing about the U.S. team is that your players get their handball education in different countries. You didn’t grow up learning the sport together at clubs — most of you are used to different styles and systems. Could that be a problem?
Every national team deals with that — players come from different clubs and countries. Then they come together and try to play as one team. But yes, we’re still on different levels. For example, the Swedish team can play at a top level because they adapt quickly to each other’s styles. Right now, we’re trying to be competitive with teams like that.
But you play for a big club in Sweden’s top division, while others don’t play at such a high level. That creates a gap.
That’s true — but we try to use every player in the best way possible. Like I said, we don’t have a large pool of players. What’s certain is that we’ll be playing in the President’s Cup, and we really want to win it.
From your perspective, it would probably be tactless if I wished for you to come to Kielce.
Pretty much, yes (laughs). I hope we don’t go there.
Even though one of the best teams in Europe plays at Hala Legionów, and you’d have the chance to play on the same court?
That’s tempting, but I’d rather be competing for higher placements at the U21 World Championship.
Author: Marcin Batóg
