Coach Mulkerrins Leads JR WPH Clinic at the Aggieland

Posted on September 28, 2026September 28, 2026 by DV

JR WPH Press, College Station, TX, 9/28/26,

JR WPH Coach Martin Mulkerrins led a JR WPH Clinic for more than a dozen collegiate handball players during the 2026 Aggieland, focusing on various serves and in-match strategies.

“I really enjoyed this clinic, as almost all the participants were new players from across the four collegiate programs in attendance, and in most cases, they were playing their first tournament,” stated JR WPH Coach Mulkerrins. “There were questions around the execution and return of the Z serve, how to improve technique and hitting the back wall shot. We had demonstrations of those shots and serves as well and discussion on how to practice them. We also had discussions around transitioning from the big ball to the small for their upcoming events”.

“The clinic was outstanding,” reported WPH reporter Noel Aguilar. “Coach Martin had 15 college students in the court.”

Thank you to JR WPH Coach Martin Mulkerrins for continuing to inspire handball players in Texas and across the U.S. and beyond.

JR WPH Coaches HERE

JR WPH would love to have you join our team. If you are interested in joining Team JR WPH as a coach, please contact JR WPH Director David Fink at David.fink@wphlive.tv

Keep an eye out on juniorhandball.org, as new clinic opportunities and recaps pop up weekly. Want to coach a clinic or a junior handball program? Need more information regarding junior handball? The Junior WPH group spans multiple countries, continents and oceans with clinics happening daily. We can help! Contact WPH Development Director David Fink at david.fink@wphlive.tv

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Don’t Think About The White Bear: Thought Suppression

Posted on September 13, 2026September 13, 2026 by DV

Junior World Players of Handball Foundation Press, September, 13th, 2026:

Written by JR WPH Coach Ciana Ni Churraoin

JR WPH Welcomes Coach Ciana HERE

A lot of the time if we don’t like a thought, we try to avoid them, change them, and make them go away. And we often, perhaps without knowing, encourage others to do the same.

Here are some examples:

Don’t think about making mistakes
Don’t think about how nervous you are
Don’t think about failing the exam
Don’t think about how bad this could go

Before we go on I would like you to try this simple activity: I want you to start a timer for 1 minute, close your eyes, and don’t think about ANYTHING. Shut your mind off. No thoughts.

How did that go? Were you able to think about absolutely nothing?

Let’s do that again. Now I want you to turn on the timer, close your eyes, and as soon as you have a thought I want you to open your eyes and see how much time has passed.

How long did it take? Two seconds? Four? Ten?

This simple activity highlights that it is very hard to control our thoughts or to think about nothing. Even when we tell ourselves “think about nothing”, we are thinking about something. The same way the waterfall keeps flowing, thoughts are endless.

Similar to that waterfall, it is impossible to control what types of thoughts surface and how they will impact us. Some are helpful and some are unhelpful to us.

Let’s talk about thought suppression.

There are a lot of reasons why we try to suppress or change certain thoughts. They can feel uncomfortable and we might think that certain thoughts are problems if they appear and that we will perform worse because of them. Therefore we don’t want them and try to get rid of them when they appear. For example: many people associate nerves with something negative, so they may say “don’t be nervous” or they may associate planning for mistakes with an increased chance of making mistakes, so they say “don’t worry about mistakes”. Our mind and body is built to protect us, so we try to block out / avoid certain things to do so.

Not only is avoiding / blocking out certain thoughts very difficult to do successfully, it can also prove to do the opposite of what you actually intend.

In 1987, psychologist Daniel Wegner et al. published the famous White Bear Study. In this study, he examined thought suppression by asking his participants to think about anything but a white bear.

Very few people were successful at suppressing the thought of the White Bear.

Not only did most people struggle to block out the white bear but the ones who felt they were successful later experienced a REBOUND EFFECT. Meaning, they had many more thoughts about a white bear and those thoughts felt much stronger compared to the people who had struggled to block out the white bear in the first place.

This study actually found that suppressing the thought had the opposite effect of what was intended. It actually made participants think about the white bear MORE.

Think about that for a second. How often do you tell yourself to not think about something? Are you able to not think about it? Have you ever experienced something similar to the white bear study?

Going back to the examples at the start. There is nothing wrong with thinking about making a mistake, being nervous, failing an exam, or being worried how things will go. It is normal to have these thoughts. It’s what makes us human. These very thoughts can actually help us prepare and handle the adversity that may lie ahead.

It’s thinking that we shouldn’t be thinking these thoughts that can be problematic. Most of the time, it’s not the actual thought that’s impacted us, it’s our response and understanding of the thought that we are experiencing.

If you think about the white bear study, it’s the people who were unable to suppress the white bear that didn’t think about it in the long-run. They did not experience the rebound effect. They had a thought, accepted that it was there, and after the study, they moved on.

So what can you do with this information?

Instead of trying to avoid a thought, remind yourself that a thought is just a thought, thoughts are not always true and that you can choose how you respond to it.

As a coach, allow your players to have all their experiences. They do not need to think in a specific way. They may even benefit more from knowing there is nothing wrong with thinking a certain way. It is what they do with those thoughts that really matters.

Let’s look at how two different coaches handle the same situation:

Player A & Coach A:

– Player A: What if I make the same mistake I did in the last game?

– Coach A: Don’t worry about mistakes until they happen

– Player A: Okay…

Player B & Coach B:

– Player B: What if I make the same mistake I did in the last game?

– Coach B: That’s ok. You might. And you also know how to respond to mistakes. How will you do that?

– Player A: If I make the same mistake, I will take a deep breath, remind myself that mistakes are a part of the game, and focus on returning the serve.

I think we can all agree that Player B & Coach B handled the situation more effectively. Instead of avoiding, telling them to deal with it when it happens, and maybe causing more concern, we come up with a working solution.

So next time, you find yourself trying to avoid certain thoughts / emotions, or encourage someone else to do the same, take a second, and consider: How can I respond to this more effectively? How can I help this player with this concern / thought?

JR WPH Coaches HERE

JR WPH would love to have you join our team. If you are interested in joining Team JR WPH as a coach, please contact JR WPH Director David Fink at David.fink@wphlive.tv

Become a WPH Patreon HERE

JR WPH Clinic at the 2026 R48 Men’s LTE in Mexico!

Posted on September 13, 2026September 13, 2026 by DV

Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, Junior-WPH Press, September 13th, 2026:

JR WPH was proud to host a junior handball clinic at the 2026 Abierto Mexicana de Handball R48 Men’s LTE, with Race 4 Eight pros John Bike and Dylan Schmitt working with the Juarez youngsters after the R48 final. Coaches Bike and Schmitt worked on serves and serve returns with the juniors, followed by rallies.

Thank you to John Bike and Dylan Schmitt for inspiring the next generation of players in Juarez.

JR WPH Coaches HERE

JR WPH would love to have you join our team. If you are interested in joining Team JR WPH as a coach, please contact JR WPH Director David Fink at David.fink@wphlive.tv

Become a WPH Patreon HERE

How Coaches and Players Can Manage Expectations

Posted on September 7, 2026September 7, 2026 by DV

When game-day finally arrives, the buildup of pressure, adrenaline, and excitement can often dictate the outcome long before the first point is even played. In the recent WPH feature on game-day psychology, experts dive deep into how both players and coaches can keep their cool, align their goals, and navigate the unpredictable nature of competition.

Key Takeaways for Game-Day Success

Understanding the Mental Shift: Transitioning from rigorous training mode to competitive execution requires a distinct change in mindset. Athletes must learn to let go of preparation anxieties once they cross the threshold into the match arena.
Communication Between Coach and Player: Aligning expectations before stepping onto the court ensures that both sides are working toward realistic, adaptable targets rather than chasing perfection.
Handling Pressure and Momentum Swings: Matches rarely go entirely according to plan. Learning how to reset emotionally after losing a run of points is essential for maintaining composure under fire.
The Post-Match Reflection: Evaluating performance based on effort, adaptability, and execution—rather than strictly the scoreboard—lays the groundwork for sustainable long-term improvement.

Whether you are stepping onto the court as a competitor or guiding from the sidelines, managing your mental framework is just as critical as physical conditioning. Check out the full discussion in the video linked above to refine your game-day strategy!

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JR WPH was thrilled to welcome Ciana Ni Churraoin as a JR WPH Coach in 2026. Coach CNC is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant with a Master’s degree in Sport & Exercise Psychology (Minnesota State University, Mankato, 2020), Certified Strength & Conditioning Coach, and experienced handball coach. On the court, CNC has applied her expertise to her own performance which shows through her achievements, such as winning the 40×20 Open World Championships, Senior All-Ireland titles in singles and doubles, and winning a Women’s Race 4 Eight stop in 2024. Coach CNC will be a frequent contributor to the WPH website, social media pages, and YouTube page, providing content for handball players to develop their mental and physical performance. Coach CNC will also coach JR WPH clinics at Race 4 Eight events.

JR WPH Coaches HERE

JR WPH would love to have you join our team. If you are interested in joining Team JR WPH as a coach, please contact JR WPH Director David Fink at David.fink@wphlive.tv

Become a WPH Patreon HERE

JR WPH Coaches National Champions in Albuquerque

Posted on September 7, 2026 by DV

Albuquerque, NM, WPH Press, 9/6/26

JR WPH was proud to travel to Albuquerque to train two current junior national champions on the 3-Wall courts at North Domingo Baca Park on Labor Day Weekend. WPH Master Instructor David Fink worked with AJ Valenzuela (12) and Victor Guajardo (17) on techniques to develop an offensive and defensive off-hand, starting with overhand and sidearm throws and transitioning to sidearm drills. Coach Fink then discussed and demonstrated the power serve and finished the lesson by playing points with the two national champions.

“We had a very productive lesson,” stated Fink. “I explained to the two champions that in order to become a player, you have to live on the court and you have to practice and play with purpose. If you don’t practice with a purpose, you will never improve.”

Thank you to AJ and Victor for their passion for improving their games and to JR WPH for continuing to inspire, teach, and, motivate the next generation of players.

JR WPH Coaches HERE

JR WPH would love to have you join our team. If you are interested in joining Team JR WPH as a coach, please contact JR WPH Director David Fink at David.fink@wphlive.tv

Become a WPH Patreon HERE

David Fink

WPH Master Instructor

JR WPH Clinic at the 2026 Rams Invitational

Posted on September 1, 2026September 1, 2026 by DV

San Angelo, TX, JR WPH Press, Aug 31, 2026 –

Contributed by Martin Mulkerrins

Angelo State University proudly hosted the 2026 Rams Invitational, this last weekend of August. The event celebrated the official opening of the school’s four renovated Handball courts, courtesy of Doug and Nick Randolph and the Randolph Foundation. The WPH were thrilled to support the 2026 Rams Invitational by sanctioning the Men’s and Women’s Open Divisions as WPH R48 Pre-Qualifiers, as well as offering a JR WPH clinic to participants.

JR WPH Rams Invitational Clinic Highlights

The 2026 JR WPH Rams clinic was led by Texas A&M Head Coach and WPH R48 no.1 ranked pro, Martin Mulkerrins. Race 4 Eight pros and coaches Diarmuid Mulkerrins and Mark Doyle also attended and contributed to the clinic. The clinic covered a number of topics, to include defensive and offensive shots, as well as recommendations for practicing and improving participant’s all-around game.

“It was great to have another JR WPH Clinic during a tournament in Texas, and to see the interest in learning about different shots and strategies,” stated Coach Martin Mulkerrins. “The first shot we discussed and demonstrated was the fist shot to the ceiling. This involved broader discussions and demonstrations of the underhand stroke, as well as how and when to hit the fist shot. Following the underhand stroke instructional, the group had the opportunity to learn the paddle kill from Coach Mark. To conclude, the coaches reinforced the learnings from the clinic, as well as emphasizing the importance of allocating time to practice shots and serves and not solely ‘practice’ by playing games. Focusing on a couple of shots per session and practicing them on your own is critically important and we hope that this will be something players will continue, or further incorporate, into their training. On behalf of the players and administrators in Texas, I thank the WPH for supporting this event and I look forward to the WPH R48 Pre-Qualifiers and Clinics at Texas A&M University at the end of September (25-27^th).”

Photos courtesy of Hannah Olson (Angelo State University) and Eilish Mulkerrins (Texas A&M)

JR WPH Coaches HERE

JR WPH would love to have you join our team. If you are interested in joining Team JR WPH as a coach, please contact JR WPH Director David Fink at David.fink@wphlive.tv

Become a WPH Patreon HERE

JR WPH Coach Mulkerrins at USGAA Nationals

Posted on August 17, 2026August 17, 2026 by DV

Boston, MA, WPH Press, 8/15/26

JR WPH Coach and WPH R48 #1 Martin Mulkerrins traveled to Boston, MA to promote Handball at the USGAA (USGAA HERE) Finals; featuring Gaelic Football, Ladies Football, Camogie, Hurling, and for the first time, Handball!

Coach Martin was joined by R48 #9 Jeff Streibig and 23-time R48 champ Killian Carroll. The Race 4 Eight pros built a 1-Wall handball court at the Games, coached various handball clinics and demonstrations throughout the weekend, and supervised target games and open play.

“I’m excited to be here at the Irish Cultural Centre (home to the USGAA National Finals) here in Boston where Handball will be included for the first time in the USGA National Finals,” stated Coach Mulkerrins. “People will have the opportunity between games and while they are watching to come through here and give Handball a try. We are very proud to be able to celebrate Gaelic Games, celebrate Irish heritage, and people will be able to see that Handball is part of the GAA family.”

“It’s really incredible,” boasted Streibig. “The sports (at the USGAA national finals) are amazing. The cross-over is amazing. We are going to try to show the benefits of Handball alongside Hurling, Football, Camogie. There is a lot of cross-over; footwork, using both sides of your body, and everything else.”

“Handball is part of the Gaelic Games,” stated Carroll. “It’s nice to showcase and give handball some exposure here in Boston. It is just fantastic.”

Thank you to JR WPH Coach Martin Mulkerrins for continuing to promote the game and inspire players all over the world. Thank you to the USGAA and the USHA for collaborating on this outstanding event. Thank you to WPH Race 4 Eight pros Jeff Streibig and Killian Carroll for donating their time and sharing their passion for Handball with the USGAA athletes.

Photo of Gaelic athletes courtesy of USGAA

Learn more about the USGAA HERE

Learn more about the USHA HERE

Martin Mulkerrins Joins JR WPH HERE

List of JR WPH Coaches HERE

David Fink

WPH Senior Writer

Archive

Key Takeaways for Game-Day Success