WPH Fun Day in Pinetop

Posted on December 29, 2014 by DV

WPH Race 4 Eight pros David Fink and Sean Lenning made the stunning four-hour drive from Tucson to Pinetop, AZ to play a Junior WPH fundraiser exhibition match and pro-am doubles with the local handball community.

Lenning and Fink inspired the locals with brilliant shot making and exciting comebacks. Lenning battled back from a first game deficit to score eight unanswered points to close out the game, 15-10. Lenning was on the verge of a two-game victory, leading 14-12 in game two, but Fink forced a tiebreaker with five consecutive kill shots. Lenning trailed 4-1 in the decider but rallied with six ace serves and four kills shots, clinching the match 15-10, 14-16, 11-4.

Fink and Lenning played over a dozen games of pro-am doubles with the handball regulars at the Bodyworks Handball Club, teaming up with different players in virtually each game.

“We love having the guys come up here and having a chance to play with and against them is so much fun,” revealed WPH Pinetop Fun Day donor Mike Park. “We all learn so much from watching and playing with the pros and we hope the guys come back regularly.”

The local press sent a reporter to cover the WPH Pinetop Fun Day, as players posed for pictures and explained the benefits of the greatest lifetime sport.

Thank you to Mike Park for the incredibly generous donation to Junior WPH and congratulations to Mike and his wife on their 50^th wedding anniversary! If your handball community would life to host a WPH Fun Day Junior WPH Fundraiser in your city, please contact WPH Youth and Donor Development Director David Fink at fink@race4eight.com.

Junior WPH held over 600 junior handball clinics across the world in 2014 and plans on an even bigger 2015. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today and supporting the growth of the game. 100% of the donations received by the WPH go towards junior handball development. Donate on-line at www.thehandballstore.com, send your generous gifts through PayPal (extremehandball@cs.com) or by mailing checks to: WPH, 3561 E. Sunrise Dr. Suite 125, Tucson, AZ, 85718.

Like the World Players of Handball on Facebook, log onto wphlive.tv or follow the WPH on Twitter @dfwph and @wphlive for all of the handball news from on and off the court! The World Players of Handball is a non-profit foundation aiming to grow the game of handball through innovation and inspiring the next generation of players through junior clinics with certified WPH coaches, junior tournaments and the Race 4 Eight tour.

Fun Day in Pinetop, AZ

Posted on December 18, 2014 by DV

A Pinetop Fun Day

by David Fink on December 18, 2014 in News

The WPH heads to Pinetop, AZ on December 29th, 2014, for a special holiday exhibition match, clinic and pro-am doubles with Race 4 Eight Elite pros David Fink and Sean Lenning. Fink and Lenning will play one another in a singles match, coach clinics, and team with locals for round robin pro-am doubles. All proceeds from the event will go towards Junior WPH and inspiring the next generation of handball players. Event Flier, HERE> (PDF)

“These WPH Fun Days are a great way to connect with local handball communities and give local handball players the opportunity to watch and play alongside the pros,” revealed WPH Development Director David Fink. “Along with meeting the locals, we want to inspire young players to start playing the game in these local communities and there is no better way to be inspired than watching the pros and having a chance to learn and play alongside them.”

Bodyworks Health & Fitness Center, 4800 South White Mountain Road, Show Low, AZ 85901.

If your handball community is interested in hosting a WPH Fun Day fundraiser with WPH Race 4 Eight pros, please contact WPH Development Director David Fink at fink@race4eight.com.

Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today and supporting the growth of the game. 100% of the donations received by the WPH go towards junior handball development. Donate on-line at http://www.thehandballstore.com, send your generous gifts through PayPal (extremehandball@cs.com) or by mailing checks to: WPH, 3561 E. Sunrise Dr. Suite 125, Tucson, AZ, 85718

59th USHA 4 Wall Junior Nationals

Posted on December 12, 2014December 12, 2014 by DV

WPH Press, 12/9/14, The United States Handball Association is proud to present the 59th Annual USHA National Junior 4-Wall Handball Championships in Tucson, AZ, hosted by the Fred Lewis Foundation for Youth Handball; December 26th-30th, 2014, at the Tucson Racquet Club. Juniors from the U.S., Canada, and Ireland will have the opportunity to compete in singles and doubles in the game’s oldest and most prestigious 4-Wall junior handball tournament.

Video by Dave Vincent, WPH Live TV

“Tucson has hosted almost all of the game’s greatest men’s and women’s players in 2014 and will now play host to the greatest junior handball players in the world,” revealed WPH Development Director David Fink. “Tucson has one of the best junior handball communities in the world and I cannot wait to watch our local stars challenge the best from across the world. The World Players of Handball is very proud to be donating and supporting the game’s most prestigious 4-Wall junior championship.”

“With the Fred Lewis Foundation for Youth Handball hosting the Junior Nationals, young handballers will enjoy a truly unique experience,” boasted USHA Development Coordinator Matt Krueger. “On Opening Night, junior players will be welcomed to the Tucson Racquet Club with a clinic from our local pros. From there, they’ll have the opportunity to test their skills with various court challenges in our Handball Rodeo. Our unique drop-down format promotes competition and participation since each player is guaranteed three matches. This allows players of all abilities to eventually play into their appropriate skill level and compete against peers with similar experience.”

“Junior handball is certainly booming and one needs to look no further than the Tucson Racquet Club on most nights to see the junior game flourishing,” stated WPH Executive Director David Vincent. “The TRC will really be buzzing when Tucson’s best juniors are greeted by the best juniors in the world just after Christmas.”

To register for the grandest event in 4-Wall junior handball, click here or go to ushandball.org. You can also like the World Players of Handball on Facebook, log onto wphlive.tv or follow the WPH on Twitter @dfwph and @wphlive for all of the handball news from on and off the court!

Junior Feature: Jesus Avila

Posted on December 12, 2014 by DV

by david fink

As the 59^th Annual USHA National Junior 4-Wall Championships approaches, Tucson’s two-time junior national champion Jesus Avila eagerly awaits the opportunity to add to his national championship total on his home court at the Tucson Racquet Club.

Jesus Avila, known as “Zeus” in the Tucson handball community, practices five days a week in preparation for big events. Zeus started playing handball at the age of 10, learning the strokes and developing a love for the game with his three brothers at Tucson’s Freedom Park, one of the Southwest’s premiere 3-Wall courts.

Five years later, Zeus plays most of his handball at the Tucson Racquet Club under the watchful eye of his legendary coach, Fred Lewis. Zeus’ brothers Juan, Jorge, and Cesar also train at the Tucson Racquet Club, with each of the brothers boasting top-five national rankings in their respective age divisions. Zeus, Juan, Jorge, and Cesar are four of the over 40 junior handball players that are members of the Fred Lewis Foundation, an organization designed to enrich the lives of children through handball.

Zeus considers winning the 15-and-under singles at the 2014 USHA National Junior 3-Wall Championships in Boulder, CO to be his greatest handball accomplishment to date, defeating rivals Edwin Laredo and Agustin Santiago en route to the title. Jesus also faces stern competition on his FLF team, as he and his contemporary Alan Cheng battle regularly at practices and in tournaments.

Zeus’ goal is to become one of the top pros and to follow in the footsteps of his favorite player and handball idol, Luis Moreno. Zeus considers his best shot to be his right-hand kill shot, but spends most of his time practicing his left-hand and ceiling shots as he prepares for tournaments. Despite winning the 15-and-under singles at the 2014 USHA National Junior 3-Wall Championships, Zeus’s favorite code of handball is 4-Wall. Zeus loves handball because the game forces him to use both hands and always be moving. Zeus preaches working hard, never becoming angry on the court, and always trying to grow the game as the blueprint to becoming a top handball player and ambassador.

Follow Jesus Avila in the 15-and under singles and doubles, his brothers, the rest of the FLF team and all of the junior players from around the world at the 59^th Annual USHA National Junior 4-Wall Championships on ushandball.org or http://www.r2sports.com/tourney/home.asp?TID=12855

What a Day for Junior WPH

Posted on November 19, 2014November 19, 2014 by DV

Junior WPH held an unprecedented day of handball clinics on Saturday, November 15^th, 2014. Certified WPH Instructors coached junior handball clinics in Tucson, AZ, Modesto, CA, and Pensacola, FL, emphasizing the fundamentals and strategies that make handball so beneficial for young people.

WPH Rookies Coach Tanner Cleveland led his enthusiastic group of junior players through their weekly Saturday clinic on the heels of the group’s second junior handball tournament at the WPH R48 IV Tucson Stop #2 the weekend before. “These kids are really improving and loving the game,” revealed WPH Development Director David Fink from the balcony at the Tucson Racquet Club. “The kids are playing at least twice a week and they are showing tremendous aptitude for handball and the tremendous values that handball provides for young people.”

WPH Master Instructor Emmett Peixoto coached a junior handball for Carl Rice’s avid group of junior handball players between the ages of 12-16 in Modesto, CA. “The clinic was really fun,” revealed the Olympic Club handball pro and WPH R48 #3. “The kids were so eager to learn and we had a great time playing throughout the afternoon.”

WPH Certified Coach Luis Cordova led a group of 25 handball players in a Junior WPH clinic at the WPH Argonauts Handball Classic in Northwest Florida. “The clinic was unquestionably the highlight of the great event,” revealed Cordova. “Players of all levels participated, with each player coming prepared with questions on how to play better handball.”

The WPH is able to host weekly junior handball clinics and support tournaments across the country because of the generous donations of those in the sport and outside of the sport that believe in the tremendous benefits that handball provides to young people. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today and supporting the growth of the game. 100% of the donations received by the WPH go towards junior handball development. Donate on-line at www.thehandballstore.com, send your generous gifts through PayPal (extremehandball@cs.com) or by mailing checks to: WPH, 3561 E. Sunrise Dr. Suite 125, Tucson, AZ, 85718. –Story by David Fink, WPH

Junior WPH Clinic in Florida

Posted on November 19, 2014November 19, 2014 by DV

Junior WPH proudly hosted a Junior WPH handball clinic at the University of West Florida’s Argonauts Classic for the second consecutive year with players of all levels participating in the clinic coached by WPH Certified Instructor and top 14 R48 pro Luis Cordova.

“All of the clinic participants were extremely enthusiastic about improving their handball games, particularly the college handball players on the University of West Florida Handball team,” stated Cordova. “There were about 25 players in the clinic, ranging from open players to beginners. Each player explained a shot that he or she was struggling to execute, and I demonstrated techniques to improve each respective shot. The clinic ended with a question and answer session regarding the proper second serve, defensive strategy, and the back wall kill shot. The clinic was certainly the highlight of the incredible event on the UWF campus in Pensacola, FL.”

Luis Cordova won the open division at the WPH Argonauts Classic, defeating one of the Southeast’s top players, Sergio Arroyo, in the final.

The WPH would like to thank University of West Florida handball coach and team president Michael Morgan for his tireless efforts in promoting the WPH Argonauts Classic and in promoting the game of handball. Coach Morgan started the UWF handball program, personally introducing the game of handball to hundreds of college students and forming one of the most formidable collegiate handball programs in the country in just four years. Coach Morgan and his handball team travel to nearly a dozen tournaments per year and will be on hand at the WPH R48 IV Stop #3 in Houston, TX, January 23^rd-25^th.

Archive

A Pinetop Fun Day

59th Annual USHA National Junior 4-Wall Championships – DEC 26-30TH, 2014