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Junior Feature: Jesus Avila
by david fink
As the 59th 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 59th Annual USHA National Junior 4-Wall Championships on ushandball.org or http://www.r2sports.com/tourney/home.asp?TID=12855
Junior WPH Adult Clinic Fundraiser
Junior WPH hosted a special adult clinic fundraiser at the Tucson Racquet Club to raise funds for upcoming junior handball initiatives and teach adult players the secrets of the pros.
WPH Master Instructor and Development Director David Fink coached the lesson for adult players seeking to improve their games while supporting the growth of the game. Coach Fink reinforced the fundamentals of the three most common handball strokes and introduced various drills to practice each of the strokes. The Junior WPH Tucson juniors practiced similar techniques on an adjacent court.
“I really got a lot out of the clinic,” revealed Tucson’s Bob Durazo after the one-hour clinic. “I now know what I need to improve and how to do it.”
Junior WPH will offer more adult clinics between now and the USHA 4-Wall Junior Nationals in Tucson at the end of December to raise money for junior handball and to teach veteran players the secrets of the pros.
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.
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.
Silent Auction to Benefit Handball’s Youth
Handball Legend, Fred Lewis and his non-profit Foundation, designed to Enrich the Lives of Children Through the Sport of Handball And Related Activities, will be holding a Silent Auction this Saturday, November 22nd (2014) at the Lodge at Ventana Canyon in Tucson, Arizona. Cocktails begin at 6pm followed by an amazing dinner and Silent Auction. All monies raised will go toward area youth and the quest to get more young athletes onto handball courts across America.
Handball has been cited by the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition as the number one overall activity for cardio-respiratory endurance, muscular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, and balance. This was determined by a panel of seven fitness experts. By giving children the opportunity to play handball, the Foundation will help them in their quest to live healthier and happier for the rest of their lives. In addition the children will be introduced to activities that will foster lifelong friendships and camaraderie.
To contact Lewis, please call 520-440-0528
Tucson to Host Jr Nationals
59th Annual USHA National Junior 4-Wall Championships – DEC 26-30TH, 2014
Handball Hall of Fame, Great Weather and more in Tucson!
Tucson is home to the U.S. Handball Hall of Fame and juniors can check out the great photos, videos, and more, during the annual main event for aspiring handball players. For the second time, the Juniors will offer big ball competition.
Special Note: The big ball events will start on Dec. 26, with special consideration for out-of-town players for a late start. Plan to arrive as early as possible on the 26th if you’re planning to play big ball.
More news about the nationals:
Visit http://www.ushandball.org for links to the Facebook page.
What a Day for Junior WPH
Junior WPH held an unprecedented day of handball clinics on Saturday, November 15th, 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
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 23rd-25th.
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 Mike Morgan and Dave Fink, WPH
59th Annual USHA JR 4W Nationals
Handball Hall of Fame, Great Weather and more in Tucson!Tucson is home to the U.S. Handball Hall of Fame and juniors can check out the great photos, videos, and more, during the annual main event for aspiring handball players. For the second time, the Juniors will offer big ball competition.
Special Note: The big ball events will start on Dec. 26, with special consideration for out-of-town players for a late start. Plan to arrive as early as possible on the 26th if you’re planning to play big ball.
More news about the nationals:
Visit http://www.ushandball.org for links to the Facebook page.
What a Day in Tucson
Four of next week’s top six seeds were in action at the Tucson Racquet Club this morning, as world champion Paul Brady sparred against R48 top 8 pro David Fink and WPH R48 #1 Luis Moreno sparred against three-time Race champion Sean Lenning. Before the sparring sessions, Fink and Lenning picked up games with several of the FLF standouts. “I cannot believe how good these kids are getting,” revealed Fink. “These kids are improving every time I see them.”
Locals honed their games in advance of next week’s event, while also watching a Tucson R48 IV Stop #2 preview. “You can’t get this anywhere in the world,” barked WPH board member Jeff Healam.
The Junior WPH Warriors took the court immediately following the pro exhibitions, as Coach Tanner Cleveland led his charges through the Warrior’s second-to-last practice session before the Tucson R48 and Junior WPH Benefit, Powered by ESPN and EDTL Handball.
To enter next week’s Tucson R48 and Junior WPH Benefit, Powered by ESPN and EDTL Handball, go to http://www.r2sports.com/tourney/home.asp?TID=13037. It’s a No-Entry fee event! All players are asked to make a donation to Junior WPH and the growth of the game.