Coaching

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.”

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 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

JR WPH in Vegas

Posted on September 26, 2017September 26, 2017 by DV

Junior WPH Clinic & JR WPH Singles at the 2017 3WB Outdoor Worlds

Las Vegas, NV, WPH Press, 9/24/17- Jr WPH was proud to present an exciting jr handball clinic for 12 youngsters competing in Vegas. WPH Coaches Shorty Ruiz and Martina McMahon played doubles points with the 12 youngsters, alternating partners after each rally.

Following the doubles points with the pros, Coaches Ruiz and McMahon discussed the importance of practice and dedication to improve. “I spend 20 hours a week training and playing handball,” explained Coach McMahon. “You need to pay 5-6 games per day and work on different shots while you are playing, then practice by yourself for two hours,” added Coach Ruiz.

“The 3WallBall junior handball clinic is one of the WPH highlights from the 3WallBall,” stated WPH Development Director David Fink. “There is no other sport where junior players can play points with the top pros in the middle of a world championship event. The mission of the WPH is to inspire the next generation of players and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to inspire the youngsters at this great 3WallBall venue. To see families traveling to WPH events together and competing in adult and junior brackets, while watching fathers and sons bonding through handball is the true highlight of the event for our organization.”

JR WPH Singles

JR WPH proudly hosted the 2017 3WallBall Outdoor World Championships JR WPH singles, with more than 25 youngsters competing on handball’s greatest stage. The youngsters demonstrated exceptional skills and passion for the game during the singles event. “We’ve been watching a lot of these juniors for the past four or five years and it’s incredible to see how much they’ve improved,” stated WPH Executive Director David Vincent. “We especially love watching the great sportsmanship and friendships the junior players have developed at the tournaments over the past few years.”

12-and-under: Abraham Espindola def Jacob Marin 12-4, 12-2

15-and-under: Eddie Rocha, Jr. def Michael Bautista 12-2, 12-4

17-and-under: Mauricio Molina def Jesus Mendez 12-4, 12-5

19-and-under: Daniel Barrientos def Octavio Romero 12-10, 12-9

JR Handball Flourishing in PHX

Posted on September 15, 2017September 16, 2017 by DV

Phoenix, AZ, Press, Sept 15th, 2017 – Jr handball is thriving in Phoenix, with a flourishing collegiate program at Arizona State Univ and a rapidly developing high school handball program.

Head Handball Coach, Dan Willeford, leads the Sun Devils in weekly handball practices, as the squad prepares itself for the USHA’s Collegiate Nationals.

Coach Willeford leads his team to weekend tournaments in Arizona and beyond. Six Sun Devil stars recently traveled to the Tucson R48 Pre Qualifier, where each of the collegiate players competed against the best players in the Southwest. In addition to coaching the Sun Devils team, Coach Willeford leads a one-credit handball course, attracting up to 30 new players each semester.

“JR WPH was fortunate to hold a clinic for Coach Willeford’s ASU team and handball class last spring and the amount of interest and enthusiasm for handball at ASU is truly inspiring,” revealed WPH Development Director David Fink. “Coach Willeford’s tremendous efforts at ASU are making a huge difference in growing the sport.”

When Coach Willeford is not coaching his ASU handball team and teaching handball classes at the university, Coach Willeford is coaching and organizing 3-Wall high school handball clinics and tournaments in Phoenix.

“We just held a dual meet between Camelback High School and Hayden High School with 24 combined players,” stated Coach Willeford. “This was the first high school matchup of the school year. The high school coaches did a great job with their myriad duties: coordinating with their Athletic Directors, reserving the courts, gathering permission slips, arranging transportation, defining a competition format, teaching their students the techniques & rules, etc. It was an outstanding outreach event for Arizona State University, too. Members of the Sun Devil Handball Club were in attendance to support the players and help with the event. Two of these Sun Devils were alums for Camelback HS and still have lots of friends The Sun Devils handed out Access ASU information so that high school students know what is required to gain admission to ASU. No classes were missed by any of the students — ASU or high school! I’d like to point out the people who made the first high school dual meet a success. Out of the goodness of their hearts, they put in a lot of effort to benefit their students. In one way or another, they do this every day. I’d like to specifically thank Kathryn Wagner – Camelback sponsor, Jim Reitmyer – Camelback coach, Steve Kuipers – Camelback AD, Chris Hogan – Carl Hayden sponsor, coach, Martin Gracia – Carl Hayden coach, Ben Fernandez Carl Hayden coach, and Chris Oglesby – Carl Hayden AD.”

Coach Willeford also visited Phoenix’s South Mountain High School this week, talked with the Athletic Director, and coached 3-Wall handball during the South Mountain High School lunch break. “The Jaguars had already heard of the CHHS vs CBHS dual-meet,” boasted Coach Willeford. “They want in on the action! A teacher has agreed to be the sponsor and I was invited back to campus next week to help with the next steps.”

Phoenix’s Carl Hayden High School will be holding a one-day Big Ball tournament on Saturday, November 18. If you’re in Phoenix or can make it to Phoenix, don’t miss it! To view the Carl Hayden tournament application, click HERE

Battle of the Border V

Posted on September 11, 2017September 11, 2017 by DV

Junior WPH was thrilled to present the fifth edition of the Battle of the Border, pitting Team Fred Lewis Foundation (Abe Montijo) vs. Team JR WPH Juarez (Ricardo Fernandez) in one of the most competitive and friendliest junior sports rivalries in international junior sports [Author, David Fink]. Team FLF was seeking to regain the Battle of the Border Cup after losing the last two Cup encounters, while Team JR WPH Juarez was aiming to take the Cup across the border for the third consecutive time.

Team FLF and Team JR WPH Juarez split the eight exciting singles Cup matches, with a one game doubles tiebreaker needed to determine the BOTB V champion. Team FLF’s Kena Byrd-Jackson and Sophie Dellacroce were too strong for Team JR WPH Juarez’s Andres Cordoba and Angel Luna in the tiebreaker, meaning the Cup would stay in Tucson.

Battle of the Border V Results

Eder Renteria (Team JR WPH Juarez) def Belisa Camach (Team FLF) 25-16

Andres Cordova (Team JR WPH Juarez) def Josh Webster (Team FLF) 25-17

Sebastian Canales (Team JR WPH Juarez) def Kena Byrd-Jackson (Team FLF) 25-17

Angel Luna (Team JR WPH Juarez) def (Team FLF) Sophia Dellacroce 26-24

Jensen Payton (Team FLF) def Angel Araiza (Team JR WPH Juarez) 25-17

Ayden Brule (Team FLF) def (Team JR WPH Juarez) Moises Gardea 25-8

Trevor Payton (Team FLF) def (Team JR WPH Juarez) Andy Araiza 25-22

Jorge Pimental def (Team FLF) Alejandro Garcia (Team JR WPH Juarez) 25-16

*Tiebreaker: Kena Byrd-Jackson/Sophie Dellacroce (Team FLF) def Andres Cordoba/Angel Luna (Team JR WPH Juarez) 25-4

Thank you to Team FLF Executive Director and Head Coach Abraham Montijo and Team JR WPH Juarez Coach Richie “Drft” Fernandez for coaching these two incredible junior handball teams. The incredible sportsmanship and great play from the youngsters is a credit to their coaches, and the sport is incredibly fortunate to have Coach Abe and Coach Drft. If you see these two incredible handball promoters and coaches, say thank you!

Stay in School Handball Event

Posted on September 6, 2017September 6, 2017 by DV

Brooklyn, NY, WPH Press, 9/6/17- JR WPH was proud to be one of the sponsors of the Labor Day Weekend Castle Hill Handball Association’s 2^nd Annual Stay in School Handball Tournament, featuring 110 jr handball players at Castle Hill Ave. Handball Courts in Brooklyn, NY. Each participant of the Stay in School Handball Tournament received a free backpack with school supplies fill with school year essentials. In addition to receiving backpacks and school supplies for participating, the top three finishers in each age group won laptops, bicycles, tablets, and more. Wow!

“Big shout out to Castle Hill’s Richie Vera for the 2017 Stay in School tournament,” barked Brooklyn’s Francisco Aponte. “It was amazing to see 110 kids playing handball. Thank you Richie for loving and giving back so much to our sport, our youth will never forget events like this one.”

“Big shout out to Richie Vera for always doing great things for the Handball community and the youth at the Stay in School tournament at Castle Hill,” expressed 1-Wall Big Ball #1 Timbo Gonzalez. “Richie and his Castle Hill staff truly does this from the heart and the love for handball.”

“Richie Vera and the Castle Hill Handball Association are doing incredible things for young people in Brooklyn and JR WPH is so proud to support Richie, the Castle Hill Handball Association, and the young people playing handball,” stated WPH Development Director David Fink. “Nothing could be better than inspiring the next generation of handball players in a positive and organized Labor Day Weekend event, all while providing the youngsters back to school supplies to ensure that the kids are prepared to succeed in the upcoming school year. Thank you Richie and the Castle Hill Handball Association!”

Photos courtesy of New York City Handball (NYCHB)

The World Players of Handball and Castle Hill Handball Association are thrilled to partner in presenting the upcoming 2018 WPH Outdoor Castle Hill Handball Florida Cup January 13-14, 2018. The Florida Cup will be the WPH Outdoor VII Stop #1 and promises to be a sensational event in Hollywood Beach, FL. Details coming soon!

JR WPH UWF Summer ’17

Posted on August 31, 2017August 31, 2017 by DV

– UPDATES – Pensacola, FL, WPH Press, 8/31/17- JR WPH sponsored University of West Florida continues to flourish under the direction of UWF Handball Club founder and current UWF Outdoor Recreation Director Michael Morgan. 2016 JR WPH Collegiate Coach of the Year Mike Morgan led summer clinics for West Florida youth, as well as weekly clinics and tournaments during the school year for University of West Florida collegiate athletes and handball team members.

This summer saw the UWF Handball Club leads numerous youth handball clinics for 200 local kids, emphasizing the fundamentals and rules of handball, with the emphasis on having fun on the court. Following a sensational summer of junior handball coaching, Coach Morgan and the UWF Handball Club kicked off freshman orientation at the beginning of the fall semester at UWF, introducing 400 incoming freshman to handball during UWF’s freshman orientation. The collegiate newbies were taught the basics of handball, starting with the proper swing mechanics to develop the correct handball stroke. The UWF Handball Team’s practices will kickoff this fall with a number of the incoming freshman joining, with the UWF Handball Team holding three practices during the week and an optional Sunday practice for UWF team members.

In addition to the summer youth clinics, orientation handball introduction, and weekly practices, the UWF Handball Team will embark upon an ambitious fall and winter tournament schedule. “We have a full slate of tournaments this year,” barked a proud Coach Morgan. “In the fall we plan on hitting the University of Texas in late September, the Atlanta Race Stop in early October, hosting our fall tournament at UWF, which the players have appropriately changed the named to the “I Love Handball” Classic (I love these kids) October 20-22. To finish out the fall tournaments, we head to Missouri State in early November. As fun as the fall is, the spring semester is where we really start to see players get excited. We hit the ground running by hosting another tournament just after the start of the semester in mid-January, then get ready for the grand daddy of them all the Collegiate Nationals in mid-February. Our state tournament has us going to the University of South Florida (USF) in early March and we will finish off the school year with another trip out to the University of Texas in April.”

“Coach Morgan is truly one of handball’s greatest treasures,” stated WPH Development Director David Fink. “Coach Morgan’s passion and endless enthusiasm for growing the game is unsurpassed and the WPH cannot possibly express our gratitude for what Coach Morgan brings to this great sport. Thank you Coach Mike!”

JR WPH Harry Mellis Updates

Posted on August 21, 2017August 21, 2017 by DV

Brooklyn, NY, WPH Press, 8/21/17- The Junior WPH sponsored Harry Mellis New York City JR handball program continues to flourish under the direction of Junior WPH superstar coach and player Danielle Daskalakis. Coach Daskalakis, one of the world’s premiere 1-Wall, 3-Wall, and 4-Wall Small Ball and Big Ball cross over stars leads an enthusiastic group of junior handball players weekly throughout the each fall, winter, and spring at the Westside YMCA in Brooklyn, New York, teaching handball fundamentals and strategies, but most importantly, life lessons and values through handball to prepare the young adults to become mature, healthy, physically active, and disciplined community leaders.

“We are really excited to kickoff our fall sessions this November,” stated Coach Daskalakis. “The Westside YMCA’s courts were just renovated this summer, adding beautiful glass doors. I have a lot of kids coming up to me asking me about the program, so it’s going to be a great fall session. Thank you to the WPH for all it does for the Harry Mellis program!”

In addition to weekly clinics at the Westide YMCA, the JR WPH sponsored Westside YMCA program plays in local tournaments and travels to regional and national tournaments. “The JR WPH Harry Mellis program traveled to the WPH’s RFC last summer and we loved having them,” stated WPH Development Director and RFC tournament director David Fink. “The youngsters were so respectful, appreciative, and all excellent players with great personalities. We can’t wait to welcome Coach D and the juniors back to the RFC next summer.”

Coach Daskalakis also travels the world to conduct junior handball clinics, most recently visiting the thriving junior handball community in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada to work with several of Canada’s top junior players, as well as a number of less experienced junior players.

Thank you to Coach Daskalakis for making a huge difference in Brooklyn and beyond and inspiring so many junior handball players.