DeKalb Silver Streaks Adapted Sports veteran Najee Smothers selected as youngest player to make the United States Wheelchair Coed Handball team as announced this week.

Smothers, a junior at Grayson High School, went to an Open Invitation Tryout for the U.S. team at Auburn University in early July and with his performance earned a call back to an Invitation Only Tryout in early August where he earned a spot on the team as announced on August 7.

“They saw him at a day camp at Auburn and they asked him to the first tryout,” said Noraa Smothers, Najee’s mother. “Being such a great athlete, he just killed it to earn the invitation to the second tryout.”

Najee attended the first tryouts on July 5-7 at Auburn and had big time competing against mostly older players. He was then invited to the August tryout that included 22 players from across the country. The team is coed and has a mix of both men and women of which Najee is the youngest by 2 years.

“The tryouts were fun and mostly against older players,” said Najee. “I’m really excited to be on the team and it is a great experience.”

Najee was informed on Wednesday (August 7) he had made the 10 person roster for the inaugural U.S. National team (U.S.A. TEAM HANDBALL) out of 22 pool players chosen. There are also four alternates. The team travels to Cairo, Egypt for the International Handball Federation World Championships to compete beginning September 16 through September 21.

“I’m really looking forward to the trip,” said Najee. “It will me my first trip out of the country.”

DeKalb Adapted Sports Coordinator Lisa Patterson has watched Najee compete for the Silver Streaks since he was six years old participating in wheelchair handball, basketball and football as well as track at Grayson.

“Najee amazes me with all of his hard work in Adapted Sports,” said Patterson. “He has really worked hard on his sportsmanship, teamwork, leadership and dedication to Adapted Sports. I know he is a great choice to represent the U.S.A.”

“I never really had a doubt due to how good an athlete he is, but until you get that notification you do not know for sure,” said Noraa. “I’m more excited than he is that he is going to Egypt. How many 17-year olds get that kind of opportunity to see the world?”

The U.S. squad is in Group A along with 2022 champion Brazil, Japan and France. Group B includes host Egypt, India, Chile and 2023 World Champ Portugal. Najee and his teammates face off with Brazil on September 17 and then take on Japan and France in a doubleheader the following day.

The top four teams move into the semifinals with two advancing to championship.

The U.S. team hopes to lead a charge for handball to be sport in the 2028 Paralympics in Los Angeles. The team is coached by Dr. Ford Dyke, professor at Auburn University and a seven year veteran with USA Handball.

“Handball is probably one of the lesser known para sports,” said Noraa. “Najee was looking at some of the other adapted sports as his way to a scholarship in college and handball wasn’t even on our radar.”

Several former DeKalb Adapted Sports athletes have gone on to college to play wheelchair basketball in past years. Collin Hunt (Druid Hills/University of Illinois), Chance Boyd (Lakeside/Auburn University) and Devin White (Druid Hills/University of Texas-Arlington) paved the way in DeKalb. Hunt has already graduated from Illinois.

Smothers was part of state titles in 2015 (JV Basketball) and 2018 (JV Football) along with several state runner-up finishes in varsity action.

The talented athlete also was named the as the 2022 American Association of Adapted Sports Programs ASPIRE Award Male Athlete of the Year for his play throughout that season.

Najee is the son of Noraa Smothers and the late Charles Smothers Jr. His older brother Cameron is also a member of the DeKalb Silver Streaks team.