DeKalb Silver Streaks Najee Smothers youngest player on U.S.A. Adapted Sports Handball Squad

By Mark Brock

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

Smothers, a junior at Grayson High School in Gwinnett County, went to an Open Invitation Tryout for the U.S. team at Georgia;s 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 Aug.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.”

Smothers attended the first tryouts on July 5-7 at Auburn, competing against mostly older players. He was then invited to the August tryout that included 22 players from across the country. Smothers is the youngest member of the co-ed team.

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

Smothers  was informed on Wednesday (Aug. 7)  that he had made the 10-person roster for the inaugural U.S. National team 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 Sept. 16-21.

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

DeKalb Adapted Sports Coordinator Lisa Patterson has watched Smothers compete for the Silver Streaks since he was 6 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 Smothers about her son. “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 Sept. 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 compete in the 2028 Paralympics in Los Angeles. The team is coached by 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 Smothers. “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 honored by 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.

Mark Brock is the athletics specialist for the DeKalb County School District.