Olympian Rod Oshita Passes Away at 65

Share:

Rod Oshita, a two-time Olympian in the sport of team handball, passed away on Tuesday, March 25. He was 65 years old.


Having played for the national team from 1982-88, Oshita was a member of the United States men’s national handball team at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. He also played at the 1985 and 1987 World Championships, the 1986 Goodwill Games, and won a gold medal at the 1987 Pan American Games, held in Indianapolis, Indiana. The latter a particularly notable and still-historic distinction, as the last delegation to directly qualify USA Men’s Team Handball  to the Summer Olympic Games.


“Back in the day at the [Olympic Training Center] every practice with Rod was going to be a contest. Nobody competed harder than he did. Great memories of those days.” said Mike Sullivan, OLY, Oshita’s teammate on the 1988 USA Handball Olympic Team.

Oshita (front row, second from right) at the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul

A native of Los Angeles, California, Oshita attended nearby University of California-Irvine, where he competed on the Anteater water polo team in 1977, 1979, and 1980. In 1980, UC-Irvine defeated Pepperdine University in the 3rd place match at the NCAA Championships. He graduated with a degree in pre-law in 1982.


“Ferocious in the goal,” as described by National Team teammate and, later, USMNT coaching staff member Chris Cappelman, Oshita’s impact was felt far beyond the six meter line across decades of work in US Handball.


Oshita served as Head Coach of the US Men’s National Team at the 1992 Cuba Cup and Chef de Mission for the USMNT at the 2001 IHF World Championships, was a leading member of numerous search and planning committees related to organizational and high performance development, and sustained substantial and regular contribution over decades as a member of the United States Team Handball Foundation (USTHF) Board of Directors. 


Helping guide hundreds of thousands of dollars to direct support of athletes and initiatives over his time with USTHF, Oshita staunchly advocated for the growth of the sport in America and improvement to the structure and organization related to USA Team Handball, the nation’s National Governing Body (NGB) for Team Handball.

Oshita (left) competing at the third Pan American Team Handball Championship in 1984. (Photo by Nancy Benjamin)

“Losing Rod leaves a lasting legacy, and creates a profound void in our fabric presently. One that only those in closest proximity to him–over 4+ decades of unwavering dedication to Handball–can begin to approximate,”  Michael King, Chief Executive Officer of USA Team Handball, said. “His thoughtful intensity and unmistakable, booming voice are iconic and indelible elements to many of our journeys in handball. Our deepest condolences are with his friends and loved ones.”


Professionally, Oshita worked in commercial real estate, and was faculty for NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association.

He is survied by his sons Christian and Alec, his siblings Rusty, Robin, and Marian, and his mother Marian.

Read More#