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2016 Junior WPH Outdoor Nietes Park Rankings
The 2016 Junior WPH Outdoor Stop #1 kicked at Nietes Park in Santa Fe Springs, CA. 32 players under the age of 19 entered the Junior WPH Outdoor Nietes Park event, with the junior stars competing in 9-and-under, 12-and-under, 15-and-under, and 18-and-under singles brackets. Junior handball stars competed for Junior WPH Outdoor ranking points, with the top ranked junior in each bracket receiving a Junior WPH Outdoor Cup at the end of the season
Xavier Flores continued his rapid improvement, capturing the 9-and-under singles by defeating Jose Arellano in the final, with Andrew Medina taking third. Eddie Rocha and Michael Bautista renewed the best rivalry in Junior WPH Outdoor handball in the 12-and-under final, with Rocha edging Bautista for the title and Jacob Marin finishing third. Jesus Mendez defeated Daniel Barrientos in the 15-and-under final, with rising star and 12-and-under champion Eddie Rocha taking third. Andrew Garcia continued to close the gap on his junior career and competing with the elite of the sport, as he clinched the 18-and-under singles by defeating Sergio Centeno in the final, with Salomon Gallegos finishing third.
“The World Players of Handball is incredibly proud to provide opportunities for junior handball players to compete in our most prestigious events alongside the best players in the world,” stated WPH Youth Donor and Development Director David Fink. “The juniors demonstrated tremendous sportsmanship, skill, and passion for the game at Nietes Park and we are excited for many more JR WPH Outdoor handball events in 2016.”
Thank you to Alexia Lozano, Alley Cat, and all of the WPH staff and volunteers who helped to make the 2016 Junior WPH Outdoor Stop #1 kicked at Nietes Park a huge success.
WPH Outdoor Player’s Cup: The World Player’s of Handball’s WPH Outdoor Player’s Cup Series was formed in 2012 to showcase the game’s best 3-Wall Big Ball Stars. Since 2012, the WPH Outdoor Player’s Cup Series has hosted 23 events in California, Mexico and Nevada, creating the stage for hundreds of top big ball stars to compete against one another in professional, competitive and family-friendly events that promote sportsmanship and community spirit while inspiring the next generation of players. The WPH Outdoor V season features six events in Southern California, Utah, and Nevada. To see the fill schedule, click here. All WPH Outdoor events host Junior WPH clinics with WPH Outdoor Elite players serving as mentors and coaches and junior tournament divisions starting at nine-and-under for boys and girls.
For more information on the WPH Outdoor Player’s Cup Series, please contact World Players of Handball Executive Director David Vincent atwph@race4eight.com, World Players of Handball Development Director David Fink at fink@race4eight.com or WPH Outdoor Director Tom Flores at flores@wphlive.tv. For more information on the World Players of Handball, please visit wphlive.tv
Junior WPH Sponsored Team Updates
The World Players of Handball is proud to sponsor nine JR WPH Teams and Programs, as well as hosting hundreds of junior handball clinics and dozens of junior handball tournaments each year. Check out the progress of JR WPH Park City and JR WPH Juarez below.
Junior WPH Park City: Junior WPH is proud to support Jr WPH Park City (Utah), home of the annual Race 4 Eight Salt Lake City Aces. WPH Coaches Ted and Zac McManus started a youth/collegiate group with six players late in 2015 that has blossomed into 25 enthusiastic players that play in the local league and up to four times a week. Coach Ted and Coach Zac emphasize fun and learning from the pros, as Jr WPH Park City players have the opportunity to watch the pros live every April at the R48 Aces, while also watching all of the R48 events on the ESPN3. “The Utah Handball Association would like to thank the World Players of Handball for supporting our youth/collegiate handball club at the Wasatch County Rec Center, just outside Park City, Utah,” stated Coach Ted McManus. “Thank you to the World Players of Handball for all that you do for handball.”
Junior WPH Natty Gonzalez cd. Juarez, Mexico: Junior WPH Juarez continues to thrive in 2016, setting the standard for all junior handball programs in North America. Led by WPH Certified Coach and Texas State Doubles Champion Richie “Drft” Fernandez, Junior WPH Juarez holds weekly practices for more than 20 active junior players in the JR WPH Juarez program, as well as holding local junior tournaments and organizing trips for the junior players to compete in indoor and outdoor junior handball events across the United States. Thank you to Coach Drft and the entire Juarez handball community for providing the opportunity for dozens on young people to become active, responsible, and goal-oriented people through handball.
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 atfink@race4eight.com
Jr WPH Clinic at the 2016 Long Island Open
R48 Pro and ICHA Coach, Billy O’Donnell, guided a Junior WPH~ ICHA sponsored youth handball clinic at the 2016 Long Island Open, recently. Coach O’Donnell shared lessons he learned as youngster playing 1, 3 and 4-Wall with the next generation of New York junior handball stars; including kill shot fundamentals and the “line drill.”
After listening and watching Coach O’Donnell explain and demonstrate the proper swinging fundamentals, the junior players applied what they learned in a WPH sponsored target-hitting competition. Melanie Garate, Dan Pitre and Gary Luk won WPH prizes, with each managing to knock down targets with precise shot making.
Thank you to Harry Mellis, Junior Handball Director, plus WR48 Pro, Danielle Daskalakis, R48 Pro, Billy O’Donnell, ICHA Founder, Paul Williams, and all of the junior players for organizing, coaching and participating in a great clinic!
Keep an eye out on www.juniorhandball.org, as new clinic opportunities pop up weekly. Want to start a clinic? Need more information regarding Junior Handball? The Junior WPH group spans multiple continents, countries and oceans with clinics happening daily. We can help! Contact David Fink, WPH Development Director @ fink@race4eight.com.
WPH Iceman 4-Wall Big Ball Junior Tournament and Clinics
WPH Outdoor Director and WPH Coach Tom Flores, WR48 star Betty Fabian and “The Magic Man” Miguel Ochoa hosted an outstanding Junior WPH Clinic for eight enthusiastic junior players at the WPH IceMan 4-Wall Big Ball Tournament in Stockton, CA. The coaches focused on the importance of safety on the court, sportsmanship, fairness, friendship and respect; the cornerstones of all Junior WPH clinics and programs. After emphasizing the core values of Junior WPH, the coaches explained and demonstrated various serves and back wall returns, with each of the students practicing numerous repetitions of each shot under the watchful eye of the coaches. Thank you to Tom Flores, Betty Fabian and Miguel Ochoa.
In the junior singles portion of the Iceman 4-Wall Big Ball Junior Tournament, Xavier Flores captured the 13-and-under singles, defeating Tristen Hernandez, with Daniel Sanchez taking third. David Sanchez III captured the 16-and-under, overcoming runner-up Dorothy Sanchez and third-place finisher Felipe Mora-Ochoa. Gabe Delao captured the 19-and-under, with Luis Bustos taking second and Dorothy Ramirez taking third.
JR WPH Clinic, New Orleans
R48 superstar and WPH Coach Mando Ortiz joined WPH Master Instructor David Fink for an outstanding Junior WPH Collegiate Clinic Mardi Gras for more than a dozen collegiate handball players from San Angelo State and the University of Texas. Coach Ortiz explained the fundamentals required to hit kill shots and power serves and even demonstrated numerous kills and serves, hitting 90-mile-hour lasers with both hands. Clinic participants then had the chance to practice what they learned in target-hitting competitions for WPH prizes. Imagine hitting balls with Roger Federer or shooting three’s with Steph Curry-it happens on the R48 tour!
Juniors are welcome to enter he next R48Pro event in Houston, Texas, Feb 19th-21st, as WPH Pros will be on hand with clinics and tournament play. HERE>
Junior WPH University of West Florida Collegiate Tune-up Tournament and Collegiate Clinic
The University of West Florida Collegiate Tune-up event and WPH Sponsored Clinics featured the University of West Florida Argonauts and University of Texas Longhorns handball teams, as well as collegiate and amateur players from across the state of Florida, Georgia and Mississippi. All of the collegiate players played a minimum of five matches during the event in special round robin brackets. Collegiate players were also treated to a special collegiate clinic and target hitting competition led by WPH Certified Coach and R48 Pro Luis Cordova.
Players were taught the corner kill and power serve and were given the opportunity to compete for exciting prizes during the target shootout. Thank you to the UWF Handball Club Founder Michael Morgan for organizing an incredible UWF Collegiate Nationals Tune-up event, Coach Luis Cordova for instructing the enthusiastic collegiate players and to the entire UWF Handball Club for their incredible passion for the game
Plummer Jr Handball Clinic in Colorado
NFL Legend and WPH Top 10 Most Influential Handball Ambassador Jake Plummer hosted junior handball clinics in Colorado for several dozen youngsters between the ages of 8-17. Accompanied by Colorado junior handball coaches Jesse Degraw, Bob Hickman, Mark Hammond, Brett Nickal, Don and Nick Gavit and Stan Wolpoff, Jake hosted three one-hour junior handball clinics focusing on the basic fundamentals of the game, short-court drills, off-hand dexterity and rallying. “Overall, I was impressed with all of the participants eagerness to learn a new and very difficult sport,” stated Plummer. “I had more than one ask me, “when can we do this again,” and my response was soon!” Jake plans to host another clinic in February.
To read the full recap from Jake, click here>
Cooney’s Instructional Corner: I’ve Got Your Back
Every one- and three-waller’s nightmare in four-wall handball is the back wall. The anxiety and dread of that ball coming back at the outdoor specialists from this foreign angle can make outdoor players put their bodies in questionable positions, making the four-wall game feel uncomfortable and daunting. This shot, which is an offensive opportunity for top-level four-wall handball players, is the downfall for even the elite outdoor players making the transition to the four-wall game.
In this edition of Cooney’s Instructional Corner, I am going to explain a process for an outdoor specialist to practice the back wall and to make the leap from simply dreading the back wall shot to making it a part of your attacking arsenal so you can challenge even the best four-wallers.
Step 1: Believe and Visualize
The first step you can do anytime during the day, on your armchair at home in the evening or even in the car before you get to work (make sure to keep your eyes on the road of course…). Visualize yourself hitting a perfect back wall shot: Picture yourself moving back with the ball and then once the ball comes off the back wall, imagine yourself pushing off your back foot and driving through the ball. The ability to perceive something is a vital step in the process of doing. Next, picture yourself from your first-person perspective moving perfectly into the shot as it comes off the back wall. Seeing yourself from a distance and from your personal viewpoint will help make you feel more comfortable when you actually begin to practice the shot. Remember that this visualization exercise can be used for any shot you wish to get better at.
Step 2: Face the Side Wall
My old handball coach, the great John Gaffney, one of the best handball trainers to ever grace the game, relayed this message to me over and over again through my years growing up as a young handballer: “Face the side wall.” As simple as the message is, not facing the side wall while hitting the ball is the most common mistake many players make. It can lead to over-extension of the arm, striking out a balance and, later on down the line, injury. Think of a golfer hitting the ball; this is how you should be facing. Not facing the side wall is one of the main reasons why one- and three-wallers are not able to make a good strike on their back wall. So always keep this simple but essential point in mind.
Step 3: Time to Dance
This step is a point I received from women’s top all-around handball player, New York’s Danielle Daskalakis. Danielle explained that for a one-waller or three-waller to get to grips with hitting the back wall, they have to think that the ball is their dance partner. This means never turning your back on the ball and following the ball closely around all walls. This is a concept that you can practice even on your nights out. Since your dance partner may not always be amicable and compatible with your moves, you need to similarly keep watch of the ball at all times and adjust accordingly.
Step 4: Practice, Practice, Practice
The final step in getting down your back wall game is practice! Reading all the material and self-help in the world will not be worth a cent if you don’t get into the court and practise. On your own or during a training game, remember to follow the ball like your dance partner and face the side wall before making that strike on the ball. Getting into position is nine-tenths of hitting a good shot; the other tenth is striking the ball. Remember not to get discouraged as you are making this transition, even if you lose to the players to whom you normally hand an easy beating. So don’t get your head down, as once you add this tool to your game, you will be a formidable opponent to any four-wall player.
So get out and go for it. Let me know how you do and if you have any questions, feel free to contact me. I will be more than happy to answer.
Special thank you to Westside YMCA Harris Mellis WPH Coach Danielle Daskalakis for her advice on this topic.
Stephen Cooney hails from Ballaghaderreen, Ireland and currently visiting New York City, playing, training and on hand to give coaching advice at the famed New York Athletic Club and the Westside YMCA Harry Mellis Junior Handball Program. After a successful junior career that saw the “Coondogg” rise to the top of the Irish junior ranks, Mr. Cooney quickly established himself as one of the top stars on the Race 4 Eight tour. In just 13 months as a full-time R48 pro, Mr. Cooney rose to the coveted position inside the R48 Elite 8.
Mr. Cooney and the World Players of Handball are thrilled to bring “Cooney’s Instructional Corner” to wphlive.tv. Mr. Cooney will discuss various skills, techniques and strategies to help you improve your game, beat your rivals and have more fun on the court.
If you have questions for Mr. Cooney, please contact him at cooney@race4eight.com