JR WPH @ LAAC

Posted on December 11, 2017December 11, 2017 by DV

JR WPH Clinic at the ’17 LAAC R48 Qualifier

Los Angeles, CA, WPH Press, 12/11/17- WPH R48 Elite 8 pros Mando Ortiz and Vic Perez hosted a sensational junior clinic for Patrick Saito’s Southern California junior handball group at the ’17 LAAC R48 Pre Qualifier. Coaches Ortiz and Perez focused on fundamentals of the sidearm stroke, footwork, making solid contact, fist ceiling shots, return of serve, and having fun on the court. The youngsters were able to learn from two of the game’s best players, an unforgettable experience for any junior player in any sport.

“The WPH cannot thank Mando and Vic enough for giving back to the next generation of players,” stated WPH Development Director David Fink. “We are so grateful that our top players like Mando and Vic are willing to inspire youngsters to develop a lifelong passion for our great game.”

Thank you to Marcos Chavez and Vic Perez for running the event ’17 LAAC R48 Pre Qualifier and thank you to Mando Ortiz and Vic Perez for coaching a clinic to inspire the next generation of players. Thank you to all of the players for participating.

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 fink@race4eight.com

To enable Junior WPH to continue to host junior handball clinics and tournaments across North America with Certified WPH Coaches, the World Players of Handball invites you to make a tax-deductible donation today in supporting the growth of the game. 100% of the donations received by the WPH go towards junior handball development. Donate on-line here, or send your generous gifts through PayPal (extremehandball@cs.com) or by mailing checks to: WPH, 3561 E. Sunrise Dr. Suite 125, Tucson, AZ, 85718.

JR WPH Holiday Cup

Posted on November 20, 2017November 20, 2017 by DV

Tucson, AZ, WPH Press, 11/20/17- JR WPH is thrilled to announce the JR WPH Holiday Cup on Saturday, December 9, 2017 at the Tucson Racquet Club in Tucson, AZ. The JR WPH Holiday Cup will feature the sixth edition of the Battle of the Border, pitting Southwest rivals Team Fred Lewis Foundation vs. Team Juarez, as well as the JR WPH Collegiate Holiday event, matching (only) current collegiate handball players from the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, Pima College, and more. All of the junior and collegiate players will be treated to a minimum of three matches, endless hospitality, and a special Wild West Show at Tucson’s famous Trail Dust Town after a fun-filled day of handball.

“We’re really looking forward to hosting the JR WPH Holiday Cup,” stated WPH Development Director David Fink. “JR WPH has hosted more than 1,000 junior handball clinics and events in 2017 and the JR WPH Holiday Cup is going to be a great way to finish out 2017.”

“This is really going to be a great event because we are going to have an opportunity to really treat the junior and collegiate players to a great day in Tucson,” stated WPH Executive Director David Vincent. “After a great afternoon of handball, the youngsters will be in for a real treat when they watch the stunt show at Trail Dust Town.”

“Team Juarez is very excited to make our third trip to Tucson since September,” stated Team Juarez Head Handball Coach Richie “Drft” Fernandez. “The kids love playing in the Battle of the Border and this December’s Battle of the Border is going to be especially fun, as Team FLF Head Coach Abraham Montijo and I will team with our juniors in official Battle of the Border matches.”

“I love the idea of the JR WPH Collegiate Holiday Cup!” exclaimed ASU Head Handball Coach Dan Willeford.

For more information on the JR WPH Holiday Cup and to enter, please contact WPH Development Director David Fink at fink@juniorhandball.com

CHHS 3Wall Phoenix, AZ Event

Posted on November 20, 2017November 20, 2017 by DV

Carl Hayden High School 3 – Wall Tournament in Phoenix

Phoenix, AZ, WPH Press, 11/20/17 – Everybody had a good time at the Carl Hayden High School 3-Wall handball tournament & Car Show. Good sportsmanship, competitive matches and low-riders were on full display!

There were three divisions and each featured 16 participants in this two-stage event. In the first stage, the players were put into four round-robin pools of four players each. After they played all opponents, the top two from each pool advanced to an eight-player single elimination championship bracket. The bottom two players in each pool advanced to an eight-player single elimination consolation bracket. Each player was guaranteed four matches against four different opponents. If a player made it to the finals in his bracket, he would have played six matches against a minimum of five different opponents. Comments afterwards indicated that players liked playing lots of different opponents.

Special thanks to:

Carl Hayden HS for allowing use of their courts

The CHHS Art Club for painting the ‘falcon playing handball’ on the side of the courts

The Tucson players for making the trek up

Don Stewart for donating pizzas and posters, which made the long day of playing handball even more enjoyable

ASU team for running the tournament

Intermediate Division

Champion – David Frances (ASU)

Finalist – Ben Fernandez (Phoenix)

Advanced Division

Champion – Noe Rios (Fred Lewis Foundation)

Finalist – Frank Huerta (Carl Hayden HS)

Open Division

Champion – Pat States (Phoenix)

Finalist – Albert Tabares (Phoenix)

Dan Willeford

ASU Head Handball Coach

Jr WPH at #TheMemorial

Posted on November 16, 2017November 16, 2017 by DV

JR WPH Clinic and Singles at the ’17 Memorial

Tucson, AZ, WPH Press, 11/11/17- JR WPH proudly hosted a clinic, skills competition, and JR WPH singles for two-dozen youngsters between the ages of 8-19 from Arizona, New Mexico, California, and Mexico. The junior players learned the fundamentals from R48 pros and aimed for targets on kill shots and serves to improve their accuracy and technique. During the skills competition, several of the junior players were interviewed by ESPN’s Kara Mack and discussed what they love about handball.

Following the clinic, the juniors played in age bracket JR WPH singles, with each of the participants demonstrating exceptional sportsmanship and skills.

“All of the donations we receive at the Memorial and throughout the year go towards hosting junior clinics and competitions throughout each year,” stated WPH Donor Development Director David Fink. “We are very proud to have hosted more than 1,000 junior handball clinics thus far in 2017. Thank you to all of our generous donors for helping us to inspire the next generation of players.”

JR WPH Singles at the ’17 Memorial

Rookies

Champion: Andres Araiza

Finalist: Yareli Leon

Champion: Jesus Mendez

Finalist: Andres Cordova

Contenders

Champion: Miguel Sandoval

Finalist: Jensen Payton

17-and under

Champion: Alejandro Sandoval

Finalist: Rodrigo Silva

19-and-under

Champion: Esteban Camacho

Finalist: Alex Clarke, Jr.

Thanks!

Thank you to ASU’s Dan Willeford, JR WPH Juarez’s Drft Fernandez, the Fred Lewis Foundation’s Abraham Montijo for organizing for their junior players to play and running the ’17 Memorial singles. Thank you to all of the junior players for the sportsmanship and passion for the game.

ASU Hosts Clinic for CHHS

Posted on November 6, 2017November 6, 2017 by DV

Tempe, AZ, WPH Press, 11/6/17- The ASU handball team, led by head coach Dan Willeford, coached a three-hour handball clinic for high school students from Phoenix’s Carl Hayden High School on Saturday, November 4 at the Sun Devils home courts in Tempe, AZ. The ASU team started the clinic by sharing their perspective on safety and sportsmanship, followed by an introduction to small ball. The small ball instruction included proper hand care, hand positioning, stroke mechanics and footwork.

After the instruction, the ASU team and the high school handballers played some games to practice what the newcomers had learned. Next, the Sun Devils instructed the Falcons on different serves; they are quick learners!

We finished up with more scrimmaging so players could develop more experience with the different serves and techniques they had learned.

Throughout the clinic, the Sun Devils emphasized their philosophy on the importance of effort, mistakes and learning.

Afterwards, the players enjoyed pizzas and discussions on how college life differs from high school.

“I want to thank our ASU Sun Devil instructors Austen Bennett, Esteban Camacho, Derek Doyle, David Frances, and Juan Valerio,” stated Coach Willeford. “It’s great to see the ASU players giving back to the new players.”

Dan Willeford

ASU Head Handball Coach

R48 #1 Carroll Does Clinics

Posted on October 24, 2017October 24, 2017 by DV

Pensacola, FL, WPH Press, 10/24/17

By JR WPH UWF Coach Michael Morgan:

The weekend with Coach Killian was a huge success, with the UWF handball team and JR WPH sponsoring R48 #1 Killian Carroll to travel to Pensacola, FL to conduct clinics for 30 collegiate handball players from the University of West Florida and the University of Texas. All of the players had a great time playing handball, catching up with old friends, meeting new ones, and learning from Killian.

Killian was incredible with the players, conducting five hour-long clinics and adding extra time throughout the weekend for any player who wasn’t too awestruck to ask the number one player in the world specific questions about their own game. With the clinics, we were able to split players into small groups for a more personal touch and separate the new and experienced players into separate groups to cover more of the fundamentals of the game and more advanced material for the players with more experience. Throughout the clinics, Killian gave each player individual critiques to help improve their personal style of play. One player mentioned, “These were the best clinics he had ever been a part of.”

All weekend Killian showed why on and off the court he is an incredible champion and ambassador for the sport of handball. I’m confident in saying through his tireless efforts with the players this weekend if he didn’t already have them, he now has 30 new fans that will be cheering him on at tournaments for years to come, check that, 31. Thank you, Killian and a big thank you to the WPH for the continued support in helping the UWF Handball team grow.

Editor’s note: Thank you to JR WPH collegiate Coach of the Year Michael Morgan and Race 4 Eight #1 Killian Carroll for an outstanding weekend of clinics for nearly three-dozen collegiate handball players. The WPH is extremely fortunate to have Coach Morgan and Killian as ambassadors to the sport and willing to give back so much of their time and energy to this great game.

JR WPH Singles @ Battle I ‘17

Posted on October 16, 2017October 16, 2017 by DV

Tucson, AZ, WPH Press, Oct 17 – More than 20 Juniors from Phoenix, ASU, Pima, and the FLF competed in the WPH Outdoor Battle I at Tucson’s Pima West College, producing a number of exciting 3 Wall matches and inspiring sportsmanship and camaraderie among the youngsters.

Fred Lewis Foundation superstar Ayden Brule continued to shine, adding the JR WPH 14-and-under Battle I title to his resume, overcoming Jensen Payton, Miguel Sandoval, and Andres Sandoval to win the title.

First: Ayden Brule

Second: Miguel Sandoval

Alejandro Sandoval cruised in the Junior B singles, ousting ASU’s Austen Bennett, David Frances, and Phoenix’s Donavyn Doyle

First: Alejandro Sandoval

Second: Donavyn Doyle

Cassie Coolidge defeated Carly Coolidge in the final of the Junior Big Ball Novice bracket, finishing the Junior Big Ball Novice undefeated. Cassie also defeated Bella Alvarez and Alex Gonzalez

First: Cassie Coolidge

Second: Carly Coolidge

FLF standout juniors Kena Byrd and Sophie Della Cruce competed in the women’s singles, performing admirably against current 3-Wall national pro finalist Ashley Moler in the round robin format. Kena took second, while Sophie captured third.

“We are so grateful for Fred Lewis and Abraham Montijo for sending a group of their Fred Lewis Foundation youngsters to the Battle I, as well as Arizona State’s Dan Willeford for driving three of his team members to Tucson to participate,” stated WPH Development Director David Fink. “We saw seasoned junior stars with national championships, juniors playing in the first tournament, and all levels in between at the Battle I. The common denominator was that each of the youngsters had a great time and developed friendships that they’ll maintain for years to come.”

Jr WPH Outdoor Ranks

Posted on September 29, 2017September 29, 2017 by DV

Tucson, AZ, WPH Press, 9/29/17- JR WPH held four junior ranking events in 2017, with more than 200 junior handball players between the ages of 8-19 competing in the four JR WPH stops in California (IceMan, Fullerton), Brooklyn (NYC JR WPH Shootout), and Las Vegas (3WallBall). Each JR WPH stop featured a JR WPH clinic alongside the JR WPH competitions, with the junior players having a chance to learn from and play alongside top WPH Outdoor pros and coaches.

The 19-and-under JR WPH singles featured four different boy’s winners in four events, as New York’s Tristian Durbin, and California’s Marco Alatorre, Jesus Mendez, and Daniel Barrientos all collected titles. One-half of Brooklyn’s “Wonder Twins” Melanie Garante won the girls 19-and-under singles at the 2017 NYC JR WPH Shootout.

New York’s Edwin Troncoso won the 17-and-under singles at Brooklyn’s 2017 NYC JR WPH Shootout, while California’s Mauricio Molina won the 17-and-under 3WallBall JR WPH singles at the 3WallBall Championships. New York City’s Jasmine Chen captured the Girl’s 2017 NYC JR WPH Shootout in Brooklyn.

Central California’s Michael Bautista finished the season as the #1 ranked 15-and-under JR WPH star, finishing second at Fullerton and the 3WallBall Championships. Bautista edged David Sanchez III, Eddie Rocha, Jesus Mendez, and Kelvin Garcia for the top spot.

David Sanchez III won the 13-and-under 4-Wall national title in December of 2016 and added the 14-and-under Fullerton title to his glittering resume. New York’s Fernando Hernandez and California’s Abraham Espindola shared the top 14-and-under honors with Sanchez, winning the NYC JR WPH Shootout and the 3WallBall, respectively.

Abraham Espindola added the #1 JR WPH 12-and-under ranking to his stellar season, winning Fullerton in June. Southern California’s Xavier Flores and Northern California’s Daniel Sanchez shared the top spot in the 10-and-under JR WPH season, with Sanchez winning the IceMan and Flores winning in Fullerton.

“We are extremely proud of all of the youngsters who participated in the 2017 JR WPH events,” stated WPH Development Director David Fink. “Although we recognize the winners of each event, the real winners are those who had fun playing, gave their best effort, and are determined to continue playing and improving in the future.”

19-and-under boys

1. Tristian Durbin (NY) 10

1. Marco Alatorre (CA) 10

1. Jesus Mendez (CA) 10

1. Daniel Barrientos (CA) 10

5. Salvador Diaz (CA) 8

5. Edwin Troncoso (NY) 8

5. Octavio Romero (CA) 8

19-and-under girls

1. Melanie Garate (NY) 10

2. Jessenia Garate (NY) 8

2. Emily Sanchez (CA) 8

17-and-under boys

1. Edwin Troncoso (NY) 10

1. Mauricio Molina (CA) 10

3. Henry Santana (NY) 8

3. Jesus Mendez (CA) 8

17-and-under girls

1. Jasmine Chen (NY) 10

2. Celeste Luna (NY) 8

15-and-under boys

1. Michael Bautista (CA) 16

2. David Sanchez III (CA) 10

2. Eddie Rocha Jr. (CA) 10

2. Jesus Mendez (CA) 10

2. Kelvin Garcia (NY) 10

6. Alex Trujillo (CA) 8

6. Joshua Rosa (NY) 8

8. Louis Montes (CA) 6

15-and-under girls

1. Cathy Chen (NY) 10

2. Celeste Luna (NY 8

14-and-under boys

1. David Sanchez III (CA) 10

1. Fernando Hernandez (NY) 10

1. Abraham Espindola (CA) 10

4. Ferman Victoria (CA) 8

4. William Li (NY 8

4. Jacob Marin (CA) 8

15-and-under girls

1. Madison Borrego (NY) 10

2. Veronica Figueroa (NY) 8

12-and-under boys

1. Abraham Espindola (CA) 10

2. Moises Barrientos (CA) 8

10-and-under boys

1. Daniel Sanchez (CA) 10

1. Xavier Flores (CA) 10

3. Victor Serrato (CA) 8

3. Jose Arellanos (CA) 8

5. Emilio Serrato (CA) 6

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