USATH Men's Handball League Starting in the Northeast by Dominique Dumont / September 27, 2009 It's a rainy day here in the Northeast but to some handballers, it doesn't matter because they are in the gym playing the sport they love. As I blog, New England, Army and New York City are having their first "friendlies" (as they like to call them) this weekend at West Point Military Academy. A bit of a misnomer, I think, because once on the court, there is nothing friendly going on there! This "friendly" weekend play serves as a precursor to the Northeast league starting up in November. Yes, you heard it, L-E-A-G-U-E! As part of our new competition philosophy, we have opted to guide and facilitate our regions' wishes in regards to their season. Providing their format allows for fair play, healthy competition and follows our new eligibility rules, each region has its own format. All five regions must show underlying consistency with each other leading to our stamp of approval. Thus far, most are all set to play and battle it out towards qualifying for the top 8 spots at Nationals. The Northeast starts off the year with two great divisions. Division A has the most experienced teams and consists of Army Black, New England, NYAC and reigning champions New York City. Division B will also have an awesome season with six teams including some new and enthusiastic start up clubs: DC Diplomats, Philadelphia Revolution, Army Gold, NYCTHC II, Penn State and Pittsburgh U. (Yes, you read it right, Pitt vs Penn!) So there you have it, lots of teams and monthly league play, plus of course, most teams will also compete at regular yearly tournaments. Last but not least, more great news...long time handball manager/supporter Jan O'Shea has volunteered to be our Northeast League Commissioner and handle the administration of the league. By the way, kudos to my colleague Brian Finley for suggesting that I appoint the help of a Commish! Anyhow, we are so pleased to have Jan involved and the guys are also thrilled! Jan will be responsible for monitoring results, applying the point system and ensuring that the monthly schedule is followed. All in all, I think we have the making of a great upcoming season! League play starts late November and the season starts officially in two weeks with our first tourney at UNC on Oct 16-17. The Tar Heel Invitational will be a USATH sanctioned event and we hope to see everyone there. As always, bring your friends, bring your families and especially bring the youngsters and expose them to the greatest sport in the world! Stay tuned for my next blog about the South East! Dominique Dumont Regional Director - East E-mail me at: dominique@usateamhandball.org Blog Description Dominique Dumont is USA Team Handball's East Regional Director. A former member of the Canadian Junior National Handball team and downhill ski racer, Dumont has studied in Canada, France and the United States, earning a degree in Economics and an MBA. She holds 12 years of experience in marketing, finance and consultation. Fluent in English and French, she resides in West Palm Beach, Florida, and oversees operations for USATH in the Eastern United States. Contact Dominique at Dominique@usateamhandball.org. USATH chairman departs for Copenhagen in support of Chicago 2016 USA Team Handball - USA Team Handball September 28, 2009 MEDIA ADVISORY USA TEAM HANDBALL CHAIRMAN DEPARTS FOR COPENHAGEN Handball reaction available Friday USA Team Handball, which has not qualified for the Summer Olympics since 1996, has as much to gain as any U.S. Olympic National Governing Body from a Chicago victory this Friday in the high-stakes competition to determine the host of the 2016 Olympic Games. To demonstrate support for the bid, and to lobby the global handball community on Chicago’s behalf, USA Team Handball chairman Dieter Esch departed Salt Lake City today bound for Copenhagen. In the coming days, Esch will meet with high-ranking officials from many countries, including Germany, Poland, France, Croatia and Denmark. In addition, Esch is expected to meet representatives from the Pan American Team Handball Federation and the International Handball Federation as well. Esch founded USA Team Handball in April 2008, after a public bid process to serve as the National Governing Body and caretaker for the sport in the United States. Handball’s popularity crested with the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, suffering from lack of funding, public awareness, grassroots programs and a unified sense of mission. In less than 18 months, USA Team Handball has conducted tryouts, kick-started youth programs in 20 states, fielded national teams at the youth and senior levels and reorganized domestic competition. USATH has worked closely with Chicago 2016 and its legacy sports organization, World Sport Chicago, to bolster the sport’s development in the Windy City. However, just one country currently automatically qualifies for the Olympics from the Americas (ranging from Greenland to Argentina) - and Brazil has earned every men’s and women’s bid since 1996. As host country, USA would receive automatic berths for its men’s and women’s teams. “It’s the shot in the arm that handball in America needs,” said general manager Steve Pastorino. “We’ll be watching with baited breath on Friday morning." For immediate reaction from Copenhagen and the USA Team Handball headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah on Friday, all media outlets are invited to contact Lauren Harrington at (801) 463-2000 or www.usateamhandball.org.
USATH vows Olympic qualification USA Team Handball - USA Team Handball October 02, 2009 Although disappointed by the International Olympic Committee's decision to award the 2016 Olympic Games to Rio de Janeiro, USA Team Handball today announced its intention to redouble its efforts to qualify for the 2012 and 2016 Games on merit. "First, we're pushing forward in an effort to create a second handball federation and a second Olympic berth for the Americas," said General Manager Steve Pastorino. "Regardless of that effort, I'm confident that the youth initiatives that have started in the past year, our close relationship with Germany, Poland and other European handball powers, and the athletic ability and will of our young people will result in an Olympic berth by 2016, if not sooner." USA Team Handball had hoped for the automatic berth for men's and women's teams that comes with hosting the Olympic Games. With that no longer in play, USA Team Handball will still proceed with grassroots and development initiatives launched in the past year. For example, handball has a long history in the Windy City; USA Team Handball has worked closely with Chicago 2016 and World Sport Chicago to establish a long-term foundation for the sport in the region. Additionally, the federation, regardless of the bid's outcome, set forth several initiatives this year to grow the sport around Lake Michigan, such as a sister city partnership with German handball power HSV Hamburg, National Team tryouts and selection camp, 2009 National Championships in Elgin, and at the conclusion of the 2010 season, a major international match between two of the world’s top contenders, the men's national teams of Poland and Germany. "Chicago is the great multicultural American city and team handball will thrive here for generations," said Pastorino. For more information about USA Team Handball, call the federation at (801) 463-2000. Enjoying the Challenge by Brian Finley / October 02, 2009 I have always been amazed at the dedication of our Olympic athletes who train, struggle, and work so very hard just for what in some cases amounts to mere seconds of competition, and for some, falling just short of getting the opportunity to represent their country in the grandest sporting event in the world. With the announcement of the 2016 Olympics to Rio and the loss of an automatic bid that would've come from Chicago I guess we are going to have the opportunity to enjoy that experience. Yes, I said enjoy. We could cry over spilled milk and be upset at the I.O.C. for not granting Chicago the games. But that is not why athletes dedicate so many years of their lives to training for those brief moments. They do not do it simply for the prize at the end (although none would be upset at winning Gold). They do it because they love their sport and the love the process. For myself, I look forward to the challenge that faces us now because when we are standing on the floor watching our men and women challenging for the gold and shocking the world I will be able to look back on the process that got us there and all the great people that make up U.S. handball (players, coaches, recreational players, youth, referees, fans, and USATH staff) and I will be able to say with pride that I had a small part in making it happen. And that will make it all worthwhile. I challenge all of you to now step up and join us in that dedication and find a way to help the U.S. bring home Team Handball gold in the very near future. Start a local youth program, contribute to USA Team Handball, sponsor a local program or tournament, run a clinic at your local youth serving agency, contact your local media and insist they do a story on our efforts, add a youth team to your existing club, start a Club team on your local college campus, be creative. If you are interested in helping out, or have a great idea how to promote our sport please contact me at brian@usateamhandball.org
Women's team to head to Poland USA Team Handball October 08, 2009 USA Team Handball today announced that it has accepted an invitation from the Polish Handball Federation to play some of Europe’s top U21 nations at the Polish Olympic Training Center at Szczyrk, Poland. Norway, whose U19 women’s team recently won the European championships, Denmark and Poland are expected to provide stiff challenge for the American team. The USA has received permission to field a limited number of over-age players for the tournament, similar to the Men’s U23 trip to Germany earlier this year. Marko Brezic (Salt Lake City, UT) will be the lead coach, assisted by former USA National Team goalkeeper Anca Stephens (Colorado Springs, CO). Dan Bush (Salt Lake City, UT) will serve as the athletic trainer. The team is scheduled to depart the USA on Sat., Nov. 14 and return on Mon., Nov. 23. Additionally, a provisional roster of 30 potential players has been announced, although the selection and announcement of the final 14-16 players will take place following the Tar Heel Invitational women’s tournament, Oct. 30 – Nov. 1. USA Team Handball has notified the clubs of seven foreign-based players that they may be called in for national team duty. They include Jennifer Haubrich (TV Grenzach/Germany), Julia Sayer (TSV Hahlen/Germany), Morgan Thorkelsdottir (Valur/Iceland), Sophie Fasold (TV Ismaning/Germany), Lea Hoddersen (TSG 1847 Burgel/Germany), Sharmaine Figueroa (Puerto Rico) and Karoline Borg (Astur/Norway). Additionally, Rachel Francis, Toni Ernst and Holly Mikulas, who are participating in the Handball Semester Abroad program in Iceland are expected to be invited to Poland. For more information, contact USA Team Handball at (801) 463-2000. PROVISIONAL ROSTER FIRST LAST POSITION AGE CLUB Lily Clark Goalie 23 Carolina THC Toni Ernst Goalie 17 Landsharks (Iceland) Sophie Fasold Goalie 15 TSV Ismaning (Germany) Farida Abou-Zeida Left back 18 Atlanta Molly Augustine Left wing 20 Furman Megan Ballard Center back 25 Atlanta Miranda Beal Right back 16 Landsharks Karoline Borg Right wing 19 Asker (Norway) Kaitlyn Brown 17 Landsharks Sharmine Figueroa Right back 19 Puerto Rico Rachel Francis Right wing 15 Landsharks (Iceland) Whitney Gelin Center back 24 Carolina THC Jennifer Haubrich Right back 25 TV Grenzach (Germany) Stephanie Hesser Circle 15 Landsharks Kiah Hicks Circle 16 Landsharks Lea Hoddersen Left wing 17 TSV 1847 Burgel (Germany) Kauna Kama Center back 15 Landsharks Yana Lysenko Left wing 13 Chicago Inter Kate Louthan Circle / CB 15 Landsharks Brittane Martin Right back 23 Carolina THC Melanie McCormick Right wing 22 Cortland Morgan Thorkelsdottir Center back 14 Valur (Iceland) Taylor Proctor Left back 15 Landsharks Holly Mikulas Left back 17 Landsharks (Iceland) Julia Sayer Left back 22 TSV Hahlen (Germany) Alexandra Scott Left back 21 Army Amelia Storey Circle 21 Army Joy Turner Right wing 21 Army Amber Turner Right back 15 Landsharks Sarah Whitley Right back 24 Carolina THC USA Team Handball calls for discourse, not discord USA Team Handball October 07, 2009 (Salt Lake City, UT - October 7, 2009) -- Given the hostile climate in the American Olympic movement in the wake of Chicago's failure to land the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, USA Team Handball chairman Dieter Esch today called for a broader discussion of the future of the sports in the United States. "Blaming individuals for the actions of the past six months is short-sighted," Esch said. "We need a thorough analysis to cure the fundamental chasm between the USOC and the IOC." "We need to build a consensus on television's influence on the movement in the USA and abroad. We need to come to a long-term agreement on revenue sharing between IOC and USOC on sponsorship and other revenue. And we need to thoroughly examine the personnel that represent Olympic sports in this country - at the board and management level. Only then, will we be able to move forward from lessons learned over the past six years - regardless of events of the past six months." "There is too much at stake to just call for resignations," Esch continued. "We are prepared to lead a group that puts actionable plans, not finger-pointing, at the forefront." USA Team Handball president Brad Krassner indicated a desire at last month's Olympic Assembly to participate in a blue ribbon panel of NGB executives and board members that would offer concrete "white paper" recommendations to the USOC Board of Directors. Areas of discussion would include additional NGB representation on the USOC Board of Directors; application for federal funding and/or the creation of a federal sports ministry; a strategic strengthening of USA's international relations efforts; and a preemptive alliance with NBC and Comcast to secure future television rights and launch the U.S. Olympic Network. Formation of the blue ribbon panel is expected to be confirmed at a conference call this Friday by members of the National Governing Bodies Council.
USATH partners with Croatian Handball Federation USA Team Handball - USA Team Handball October 16, 2009 USA Team Handball is pleased to announce the signing of a partnership agreement with the Croatian Handball Federation this week. USATH Chairman Dieter Esch met with Sandi Sola, president of the CHF, in Zagreb and signed an alliance to strengthen the development of handball in the United States. Croatia is the third national federation USATH has partnered with after Germany and Poland. "This is another step on our long-term project aimed at fielding competitive teams in Olympic Games," said Esch. "What we specifically want is the Croatian Handball Federation to assist in training coaches and referees. Good coaches are the foundation to spread knowledge. We aim to send the best athletes to play in Europe to try to create a strong national team and we will continue to develop domestic competition as well." Esch and Sola first met in January in Croatia, when the nation of 4.5 million people hosted the 2009 Men's World Championship. Croatia finished in second place to France but were world champions in 2003, and Olympic gold medalists in 1996 (Atlanta) and 2004 (Athens). Sola said, "It is an honor to able to help the United States. At the same time, this is a great recognition of Croatian handball. If we want to develop and expand our sport, this is the ideal opportunity." The USA connection to Croatia began several years ago when Marko Brezic came to this country to observe and assist the USA Women's National Team Program. Brezic, now West Regional Coach, was one of the first hires by USA Team Handball, in part due to his 15+ years of coaching experience at all levels in Croatia. Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, is the sister city to Pittsburgh; the Croatian Federation has pledged to help grow handball in the western Pennsylvania city. A club has been formed at the University of Pittsburgh, which is expected to make its debut at a USATH event this winter. Yankee goalie promoted to third division in Germany USA Team Handball - USA Team Handball October 13, 2009 Keith Fine is now the among the highest-ranked American handball players in Germany. A Men’s National Team goalie and 23 year-old West Point graduate, Fine has been promoted to the second team of TSV Bayer Dormagen in the Third Division Regionaliga. He began training with the squad at the beginning of the season and advanced to the second team last month. “The two goalkeepers ahead of me had some trouble staying healthy; the coach saw how quickly I had progressed with the team and defense that they promoted me to second keeper,” Fine said. “Hard work, using my athleticism to my advantage, improving my technical skills, not complaining about playing, although I couldn’t anyway because I can’t speak German, and the ability to adapt to the past pace of playing in the Regionaliga led me to this point.” Fine is a member of the World Class Athlete Program, which provides soldier-athletes support to train and compete in international competition while maintaining active military status. Matt Sabatino, USA Team Handball Armed Forces Liaison, said the Fine symbolizes the potential of WCAP athletes’ residency in Europe. “Keith is very humble; I have no problem putting down all the things he’s accomplished because he probably wouldn’t tell you if you asked him directly. It’s not a surprise he’s done so well because he approaches things in a good way,” said Sabatino. “He’s got a great attitude. I’m proud of what he’s been able to do. Fourth to third league is a big jump and a sizable step up in competition.” Fine originally began practicing with the third-division team in February 2009 when he joined the WCAP program, and continued until April. During the off-season, in addition to training, he competed with USATH’s U23 team at Three Nation Tournament June 2009 in Germany, the U.S. men’s first international competition since 2007. In addition to taking German-speaking classes to develop his communication skills, Fine has laid out several goals for himself during his time with Bayer Dormagen, including improving his goalkeeper fundamentals, doing the splits and learning a variety of goalkeeping drills to bring back to the United States. Read more about Fine’s experience playing handball in Germany below: How does it feel to be playing in the highest division of any American right now? It is really humbling ... I had the opportunity in my four brief years at West Point to play against so many good athletes. And to think that of everyone I have played against and have this enormous opportunity in front of me is an amazing feeling that I will never take for granted. All the more, I know I am good enough and more than capable of playing at this level. I can only hope to spread all the knowledge I have learned about being a goalkeeper and the game of handball back to everyone in the United States. What is playing in Germany like? How does it compare to America, and what are you learning? The very first thing I noticed about playing in Germany is the speed and pace of the game. The ball is constantly moving from side to side, they fast break on every play, and the shots are dead accurate into the corners of the goal. Every player is technically sound and they know how to read goalies. You cannot start to compare any aspect of playing here to the United States. There are so many things I have learned since my time in Germany. As a goalkeeper, I did now know that on almost every shot I am only responsible for only one side of the goal. It’s impossible to cover the entire goal and that was something I didn’t learn until I started playing in Germany. It’s all situational, but once you build the chemistry with your defense, it is so simple when saving a shot. On outlet passes, it’s important to give yourself a bigger angle between the goalkeeper and the person fast breaking. I learned proper footwork and positioning on wing shots, and knowing when and how to move on 6-meter shots. I also learned little things like using tape on the heel of my shoes to make sliding easier and other little tricks of the trade. Overall, I cannot begin to say how much I have gotten better playing here. The only way I can describe it is after training for just a few months in the third division last February then playing in Nationals in Chicago. I could see the ball so much easier and really dominate even playing with an average Knight Air team. Imagine what we could do with our Men’s National Team after we get guys playing for a full year in Germany! Describe your team. I could not have asked for a better team than the guys in Dormagen. They are the only U23 team that plays in the Regionaliga so age-wise, they are quite young. But it doesn’t seem that way the way they play handball. They guys are really young at heart and like to have fun, but the moment everyone steps on the court, it’s a whole new atmosphere. It’s serious. I have never been around practices so intense yet enjoyable. It’s a privilege to play on this team. A normal practice consists of opening with a game, usually soccer, touchdown, or basketball. Then they usually do drills, 2 versus 2, 2 versus 3, etc. We always have some kind of scrimmage as well. After every practice, I always stay after to work on 7-meter shots, shots by position, and outlet passes for myself. There is a player who plays for the national team of the Netherlands on our team. He’s such a great player, but if you look at him you wouldn’t think so: 1.88 meter, 80 kilograms (six feet, 176 pounds). That’s the best way to describe the team; physically, my old team from West Point could beat most of these guys in a fight, but once you put a handball in their hands, it’s not even close. Other American athletes in Germany's Third Division Regionalia include Patrick Oliver of ATH United, Jennifer Haubrich, a national team veteran, and Christopher Koerner, who was recently named to the Junior Men's National Team Pool.
Tar Heel Invitational .Tar Heel Invitational Oct. 17-18, 2009 in Chapel Hill, NC The men's 2009 National Champion, New York City Team Handball Club, went undefeated at the Tar Heel Invitational. In an overtime upset, Carolina beat out Army Black 18-17 for a spot in the gold medal match against New York. Rank & Team Played Won Lost Tied 1. New York City 5 5 0 0 2. Carolina 5 3 2 0 3. Carolina Blue 5 3 2 0 4. West Point Black 5 3 2 0 5. New England Freeze 4 2 2 0 6. West Point Gold 4 0 3 1 7. DC Diplomats 4 1 2 1 8. Tar Heels 4 0 4 0 Top Scorers: 1. Ostojic Zoran (New York City Team Handball Club) 2. Scott Knox (Carolina) 3. Thomas Giordano (West Point Black) Oct. 17 Results Tar Heels 10, New England Freeze 32 West Point Gold 13, New York City 28 Carolina Blue 26, Tar Heels 7 DC Diplomats 26, West Point Gold 26 West Point Black 31, Tar Heels 11 West Point Gold 22, Carolina 23 Carolina Blue 16, West Point Black 29 DC Diplomats 11, Carolina 32 West Point Black 28, NE Freeze 26 Carolina 22, NYC 31 NE Freeze 17, Carolina Blue 35 NYC 33, DC Diplomats 19 Oct. 18 Results 7th place game: DC 20, Tar Heels 12 Carolina 18, West Point Black 17 (overtime) Carolina Blue 21, NYC 29 5th place game: West Point Gold 37, NE Freeze 38 Bronze medal game: West Point Black 27, Carolina Blue 31 Gold medal game: Carolina 17, NYC 28 TR Travel Team joins USATH family USA Team Handball October 20, 2009 Frankfurt-based Tour & Travel Agency to Sponsor 2010 Youth Tournament SALT LAKE CITY, UT - USA Team Handball today introduced Germany-based TR Travel Team as its exclusive international tour and travel partner. The multi-year partnership creates a comprehensive alliance between the two organizations, with TR Travel Team facilitating USA Team Handball travel in Europe, and USA Team Handball helping to coordinate handball tours of the USA from European countries. "After numerous agreements with German clubs and other countries, we are pleased to work with USA Team Handball," Karl Gladeck, CEO of TR Travel Team, which recently managed the flights and ground transportation for the 32-person USA U-18 delegation that traveled from across the USA and five foreign countries to meet and train in Dormagen, Germany. At least two major collaborations are planned for 2010 in the United States. First, TR Travel Team is hosting more than 200 players and family from the Toyota Handball Bundesliga for a New Year's celebration and friendly tournament in New York City. USATH member club New York City Team Handball Club is acting as the ground agent for this trip. Second, in August 2010, USA Team Handball and TR Travel Team will host an Inaugural U18 tournament for Boys and Girls (birth years 1992-94) in Orlando, Florida and recruit European clubs and federations to send teams, and act as the tour operator and flight coordinator for these groups. At least four spots will be reserved for American U18 teams. More details about this event are forthcoming. Gladeck has played, coached and promoted handball at every level in Germany for more than 20 years. Details of the partnership were finalized in late September when Mr. Gladeck visited USA Team Handball in Utah. "Karl Gladeck and TR Travel Team will be passionate partners for USA Team Handball," said general manager Steve Pastorino. "They are travel experts, but just as importantly, they understand international business and the business of sports. Also, that their soul is in handball is very evident."
USATH announces athletes selected for Junior National Team trip to Poland USA Team Handball - USA Team Handball November 02, 2009 USA Team Handball today announced the list of 15 athletes selected for the Junior National Team trip to Poland Nov. 14-23, 2009. The players were chosen following a selection camp and the 2009 Tar Heel Invitational this weekend. USATH accepted an invitation last month from the Polish Handball Federation to play some of Europe's top U21 nations at the Slask Cup in the Polish Olympic Training Center at Szczyrk, Poland, including Norway, whose U19 women's team recently won the European championships, and Denmark. These squads are expected to provide stiff challenge for the American team; the USA has received permission to field a limited number of over-age players for the tournament, similar to the Men's U23 trip to Germany earlier this year. Marko Brezic (Salt Lake City, UT) will be the lead coach, assisted by former USA National Team goalkeeper Anca Stephens (Colorado Springs, CO). Dan Bush (Salt Lake City, UT) will serve as the athletic trainer. The team is scheduled to depart the USA on Sat., Nov. 14 and return on Mon., Nov. 23. Referee Robert Michalik (Brick, NJ) will travel with the team as a translator and USATH delegate. First Last Age 1 Diva Desai 2 Whitney Gelin 24 3 Molly Augustine 20 4 Sarah Whitley 24 5 Stephanie Hesser 15 6 Kate Louthan 15 7 Taylor Proctor 15 8 Amber Turner 15 9 Julia Sayer 22 10 Sophie Fasold 15 11 Karoline Borg 19 12 Morgan Thorkelsdottir 14 13 Holly Mikulas 17 14 Toni Ernst 18 15 Jennifer Haubrich 25 Steve Pastorino On Handball Steve Pastorino USA Team Handball 'Things are Getting Tense … .This Weekend in Europe by Steve Pastorino / November 02, 2009 I'm getting more and more proficient navigating the world of European handball sites and every Sunday/Monday I find myself checking up on our American athletes to see how they are doing. We also enjoy hearing from them on a regular basis. We're going to try to update information like this on a weekly basis - stay tuned. It looks like it was a pretty good weekend across the continent. Jordan Fithian's ESW Weil club defeated Hofweier 35-28. Fithian tallied three goals. Jen Haubrich's TV Grenzach won their second game of the season, 33-28 over HC Leipzig II. Haubrich has seven goals on the season. Mark Ortega debuted for Puhlheimer SC in a 30-26 win over Aachen. According to German reports, Ortega injected much-needed aggressiveness on defense, and notched two goals as well. Finally, Chris Koerner's SC Kronau Ostringen (Rhein Neckar Lowern II) eked out a 23-22 win over TSV Neuhausen/Filder. Gary Hines' DJK Waldbuttelbrun was off. He scored 13 goals a week ago in a 36-24 loss. We expect Patrick Oliver to debut next weekend for HSG Pohlheim. 2009 Tar Heel Invitational Results USA Team Handball - USA Team Handball November 01, 2009 The first day of competition featured the debut of two new women's clubs - NYC THC Women and Colorado Landsharks - but was marred by a serious injury to an Army player. The Landsharks, featuring several members of the U18 National Team pool, went undefeated in three games against older competition. NYC, featuring a mix of older and younger players, went 3-1. West Point undergraduate Justine Swift collapsed on the court in an early game, according to eyewitnesses, and was rushed to a nearby hospital. As of Sunday morning, she was awake and responsive to doctors, but will remain hospitalized in North Carolina under observation. USA Team Handball will provide additional information as it becomes available. USA Team Handball is using the weekend to select a Women's Junior National Team which will travel to Poland later this month to compete in the Slask Cup against the U-21 National Teams of Poland, Denmark and Norway. Results from the 2009 Tar Heels Invitational: Date Teams Result 10/31 Army Black vs. NYC 5-8: NYC 10/31 Tar Heels vs. Army Gold 20-3: Tar Heels 10/31 Colorado vs. Furman 19-5: Colorado 10/31 Carolina vs. Rams 16-1: Carolina 10/31 NYC vs. Army Gold 17-4: NYC 10/31 Carolina Blue vs. Army Black 15-20: Army Black 10/31 Colorado vs. Carolina 10-9: Colorado 10/31 Army Gold vs. Carolina Blue 6-12: Carolina Blue 10/31 Tar Heels vs. NYC 7-14: NYC 10/31 Carolina vs. Furman 18-10: Carolina 10/31 Rams vs. Colorado 1-26: Colorado 10/31 Tar Heels vs. Army Black 7-19: Army Black 10/31 NYC vs. Carolina Blue 9-19: Carolina Blue 10/31 Furman vs. Rams 9-5: Furman 10/31 Carolina Blue vs. Tar Heels 17-8: Carolina Blue 11/01 Colorado vs. Carolina Blue 10-11: Carolina Blue 11/01 Rams vs. Tar Heels 6-12: Tar Heels 11/01 Army Black vs. Carolina 15-10: Army Black 11/01 Furman vs. NYC 3-14: NYC 11/01 Rams vs. Army Gold 4-7: Army Gold 11/01 Colorado vs. Carolina 14-10: Colorado (3rd) 11/01 Carolina Blue vs. Army Black 16-19: Army Black (1st)
Athletes begin journey to Poland USA Team Handball November 13, 2009 Fifteen athletes begin their journeys Saturday for the Women's Junior National Team trip to play some of Europe's top U21 nations at the Silesia Cup in Poland. The trip, a result of USA Team Handball's burgeoning relationship with the Polish National Federation, will pit the 15 Americans against Norway, the Czech Republic and host Poland at the Olympic Training Center in Szczyrk. The European teams will provide stiff competition for Team USA; the Norwegian U19 women's team recently won the European championships. "This tournament is a great opportunity for new players on the team to see where we stand," said Marko Brezic, the head coach of the trip. "Because we are playing against national teams that are advanced in team handball today, so for our players it will be a great opportunity to learn and play against those teams." The team's match schedule is as follows: 11/17: USA vs. Polish Senior National Team 11/20: USA vs. Norway 11/21: USA vs. Czech Republic 11/22: USA vs. Poland Brezic will be assisted by Anca Stevens, former USA National Team goalkeeper. The trip's delegation also includes athletic trainer Dan Bush and referee Robert Michalik with the team as a translator and USATH administrator. US readies for match against Polish Nat'l Team USA Team Handball November 16, 2009 One day after converging in Chorzow, Poland, the USA Junior Women's team practiced twice on Monday ahead of Tuesday's sold-out clash against the Polish National Team. Three players (Morgan Thorkelsdottir, Toni Ernst and Holly Mikulas) arrived from Iceland; three from Germany (Jen Haubrich, Sophie Fasold and Julia Sayer) and one from Norway (Karoline Borg) - joining eight USA-based players for the squad, which will be coached by Marko Brezic and Anca Stephens. The USA are heavy underdogs against Poland in Tuesday's friendly match, which is slated to air live on Polish television at 6pm (Noon EDT). That didn't deter the team during two spirited practices on Monday. Most notably, Haubrich, Ernst and Mikulas have made great progress this fall, USATH staff said, as they have been immersed in daily handball training internationally for the first time in their careers. Ernst, 17, will share time with Munich-based Sophie Fasold, 15, in goal this week.
Announcing the inaugural Florida Cup USA Team Handball November 19, 2009 USA Team Handball is pleased to announce the inaugural Florida Cup, to be held in gorgeous Orlando/Kissimmee, Florida. Top handball teams from around the world are invited to enter the tournament, to take place August 7-13, 2010. Participants will connect with teams invited from Germany, Poland, Croatia, Denmark, Spain, Canada, the United States and other great handball nations for six days and nights of fun and competition. Athletes will witness fantastic handball action and make international friends in the shadows of iconic Disney World and Universal Studios. Top handball teams with athletes born in 1992-1994 are eligible to compete in the Florida Cup. The player registration fee is $629 per person, and includes the following: •6 nights lodging at resort hotel (four people/room for youth; two people/room for coaches) •Breakfast and dinner every day •Airport transfers and daily transportation to handball gymnasium •Gift from USA Team Handball •Medals for first, second and third place teams The Florida Cup is presented by USA Team Handball and sponsors Grundfos, SnapSports, TR Travel Team and the Central Florida Sports Commission. Fees are based on 16 players and four coaches per team. Every team is guaranteed at least five matches; prices are guaranteed if $1,000 team deposit is paid before Dec. 15, 2009. European teams interested in package deals including roundtrip airfare starting at €999 per person should contact Karl Gladeck. For more information in the United States, please contact Steve Pastorino at steve@usateamhandball.org or (801) 463-2000. In Europe, please contact Karl Gladeck at post@teamsportreisen.de or 49 (0) 0151-19453920. US falls to seasoned Polish Senior Nat'l Team USA Team Handball November 17, 2009 Giving up five to 10 inches in height - and 5-10 years in age - at every position on the court tonight, the USA women fell 47-8 (27-5 at half) to Poland at the Chorzow Sport Hall. The game, which was a late addition to the team's training plans in Poland this week, was never in question. A sold-out arena of 1,200 fans cheered the Polish side, and the game was broadcast live on PolSat television. Poland, which finished 11th in the 2007 Women's World Championships, featured several players taller than 6'4" on a squad that is actively preparing for the 2009 Women's World Championships in Beijing in December. In contrast, the USA rotated 15-year-old Sophie Fasold and 17-year-old Toni Ernst in goal; and also started two teenagers in Kate Louthan and Karoline Borg. Jennifer Haubrich led the USA with four goals, while Louthan, Borg, Julia Sayer and Taylor Proctor also tallied for the USA. Following the game, Borg was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation of a foot injury which occurred when she fell awkwardly during the match. The USA was not discouraged and resumes training on Wednesay for this weekend's Silesia Cup. The USA takes on the U21 squads of Poland, Czech Republic and Norway at the Polish Olympic Training Center in the mountain resort community of Szczyrk.
Officials work to popularize Handball Paul D. Bowker November 24, 2009 Steve Pastorino, USA Team Handball General Manager, has a vision. One day, regional team handball leagues will exist all over the country. Not just in the handball meccas of New York City and West Point, N.Y. But everywhere. It'll be Southeast vs. West, Midwest vs. Northeast, Southwest vs. Northeast. "The goal is a league in each of our five regions,'' Pastorino said. Perhaps those leagues will produce future Olympians coached by Olympic coaches. Maybe, even, the USA will join some European nations as a handball power, driven by regional handball clubs from New York City and West Point to Chicago and Bozeman, Montana. Remember, the USA men won a silver medal at the 1986 Goodwill Games in Moscow and the women won gold at the 1995 Pan Am Games. The start to all began November 14, when Park West High School in New York City played host to the first round of men's league play in the Northeast Region. West Point-the host for a second round of games on December 5-will be there, as will the New England Freeze, a Boston-based club; the New York Athletic Club, and the New York City Team Handball Club, the defending national champs. "The long-term vision is to have them competing within their region and then meet up at nationals," said Dominque Dumont, USA Team Handball East Regional Director. "It's progress, it's a step forward," she said. "We want to see the sport keep moving forward," said Maj. G. Adam Hodges, coach and officer in charge of the handball program at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Jan O'Shea, a longtime team manager for national handball squads, is the league's commissioner. A second tier of Northeast Region clubs, the "B'' Division, will play each other in a series of tournaments. That division will feature teams from Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia, Penn State University, and the University of Pittsburgh, in addition to teams from West Point and New York City. In time, USA Team Handball officials hope to have this format in place coast to coast. The Southeast Region hopes to have a league in place by 2011, Pastorini said. "We talk a lot about having a de-centralized structure," Pastorino said. "National championship teams qualifying from various regionals." Among the best of those clubs now are the teams from New York City Team Handball Club and West Point, which played to a 21-21 tie in the recent Chicago Inter Challenge. But why, suggests Pastorino, do both of those New York teams have to go all the way to Chicago to play each other? "They should be playing each other on a regular basis, never leaving the region (except for tournaments)," Pastorino said. League play on a regional level is just one substantial change being invoked within a sport that hasn't had a USA team in the Olympic Games since they were held in Atlanta in 1996. That year, the United States earned an automatic entry by being the host country of the Games. The men finished ninth in a 12-team field that year, and the women finished last out of eight teams. Since then, the sport has fallen to low levels in the USA. At one time, the former handball governing body-the USA Team Handball Federation-wound up being de-certified by the U.S. Olympic Committee. USA Team Handball was certified in 2008 with Dieter Esch as president, and is headquartered in Salt Lake City. Despite the news in October that Chicago would not be hosting the 2016 Summer Olympics, which would have provided automatic berths for USA Team Handball, the new governing body has plodded on aggressively toward earning an Olympic berth. USA officials have their eyes on the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games, but haven't given up hope on the London 2012 Olympic Games. The biggest obstacle is that the USA is among 57 countries in the Americas vying for one Olympic handball berth. Esch and other officials are attempting to get the USA split into a North America group with its own Olympic berth. "Realistically, 2012 is a long shot,'' Pastorino said. "But we wouldn't be doing anybody any favors if we don't at least make an attempt to get there." On the women's side, a group of former Olympians was formed to study ways in which the sport can grow in the USA. Chairing that effort is Kathy Rex, a 1988 Olympian. Already, the USA has forged relationships with Croatia, Germany and Poland, in which foreign handball federations will help train coaches and referees, and develop players. Pastorino said those are three of the top five handball-playing nations in the world. He added that the USA is working to establish partnerships with the other two top handball nations, France and Denmark. France won the men's gold medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. "We're telling them they can have a great impact on building the sport in the U.S.," Pastorino said. "It is an honor to be able to help the United States. At the same time, this is a great recognition of Croatian handball,'' Croatian Handball Federation President Sandi Sola said in a statement. As a part of the program, coaches from Croatia, Germany and Poland will visit the U.S. for two months at a time to train coaches here, said Mariusz Wartalowicz, USA Team Handball Technical Director. The European connection doesn't stop there. Some of the U.S.'s top male handball players are playing for club teams in handball-rich Europe, including Keith Find, 23, a national team goalie and West Point graduate, where handball has a tradition covering more than 30 years. This month, the U.S. women's national team is heading to Poland to play Denmark, Poland and other select U-21 teams in Szczyrk, Poland. Earlier this year, a pair of USA U-18 teams had an impressive showing in Germany. The girls' team won four of five matches, and the boys' team won three of five. Eight youth athletes, including Kobi Rex, son of former Olympian Kathy Rex, have been training all fall in Iceland, and going to school there. Iceland was silver medalists in the men's division at the 2008 Olympic Games. To see such success at the youth level is no small accomplishment, Pastorino said. While men's, and eventually women's league play in various regions will promote handball at the adult levels, it is the youth development that will play a key part in chasing those Olympic berths. By 2012, four years out from the Rio de Janeiro Games, USA Team Handball officials want to have 50 girls and 50 boys identified as strong candidates for national teams. Many of those athletes will come out of USATH Futures Programs, which will begin in January 2010 at five sites: Los Angeles/San Jose, Calif.; Bozeman, Mont.; Denver; Dallas, and Salt Lake City. The programs grew out of a national camp that was held in Colorado Springs, Colo. The program includes six to eight weeks of instruction for groups of kids split into grades 4-5, middle school and high school, and is especially geared for girls. The original program, Wartalowicz said, produced eight to 10 athletes for the U-16 and U-18 national teams. "They'll feed into our national teams," he said. Additionally, USA Team Handball has worked with World Sport Chicago, an outgrowth of the Chicago 2016 bid, to introduce team handball at selected high schools. Elgin, Ill., a Chicago suburb, was host to the national championships. And in New York, members of handball clubs are actually going door to door to promote the sport. "The New York guys are going into schools. They're handing out the handball gospel all over town,'' Pastorino said. Even at West Point, promoting the game at a grassroots level is crucial. "Most of the guys, they're former basketball players or former baseball players,'' Hodges said. "They come and try out, and make the (handball) team and they learn the game." Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc. Paul D. Bowker is a freelance contributor for teamusa.org. This story was not subject to the approval of any National Governing Bodies. Dipping Toes in International Waters November 22, 2009 Goalkeeper Toni Ernst earned USA game MVP honors as the USA Women's Junior National team concluded a weeklong training camp in Poland with a 33-11 defeat at the hands of the Polish U21 National Team. Ernst stopped 20 of 33 shots in a defensive first half, as the USA stayed close to Poland through halftime, trailing 13-5. Showing the effects of three games in less than three days, the USA could not rally in the second half. Jen Haubrich led all USA scorers again and was honored as the team's Outstanding Player during the tournament. The 24-year-old Haubrich now returns to Grenzach, Germany where she is not quite midway through her first season in the German Regionaliga. It was the first international experience for several of the team's 15 players. Exposed to the size, speed and technique of some of the top women's players in the world, the USA players were motivated and inspired to narrow the gap between us and them. The squad's teenagers return to high schools from Reykjavik to Munich to Colorado Springs. Circle Julia Sayer, who impressed USA coaches in her first stint with the national team, returns to her Oberliga squad in Germany. Several U.S. college students fly back on Monday to classes at the University of North Carolina and Furman University. USA Defense Improves November 21, 2009 In their second match of three games on back-to-back-to-back games, the USA Junior Women's team lost 34-12 to the U21 Czech Republic selection on Saturday in Wilkowice, Poland. Coach Marko Brezic's staring lineup included UNC's Sarah Whitley and Whitney Gelin, Colorado Landshark Stephanie Hesser, Iceland-based Morgan Thorkelsdottier (at 14, the youngest player in the tournament) and Germany-based players Jen Haubrich, Julia Sayer and Sophie Fasold. After surrendering 59 goals to the European U21 Champs Norway, and 45 goals to the World Championships-bound Senior Polish team, the USA turned up the defensive intensity and had good success stifling the Czechs. Jen Haubrich led USA scorers for the third consecutive game with six goals; The Colorado contingent picked up the bulk of the other goals, with Hesser notching a pair of goals, and Taylor Proctor, Kate Louthan and Amber Turner each getting on the scoresheet. Julia Sayer scored for the third consecutive game. The USA wraps up their week in Poland on Sunday with a game against the hosts at the Polish Olympic Training Center in the mountain resort of Szczyrk. USA Juniors Fall to European Champions USATH November 20, 2009 Norway showed no mercy as the reigning European champs raced to a 59-11 victory over the USA in the first match of the Silesia Cup in Wilkowice, Poland on Friday. Although 15-year-old goalkeeper Sophie Fasold made an impressive save on Norway's first attack of the game, the Scandinavians attacked in wave after wave, pressing the Americans all over the court until the final seconds of the game. Jen Haubrich again led USA goalscorers with four. while Fasold and Ernst shared time in goal. USATH coaches felt that the team felt better than in Tuesday's loss against the Polish Senior National team. The USA cut unforced errors in half, handling the ball and connecting passes much more precisely than against Poland. Next up for the USA is the Czech Republic, which fell 25-22 to Poland on Friday. The USA will play Poland Sunday before the USA players return to their clubs and homes on Monday.
USATH Chairman continues meetings in Europe USA Team Handball December 04, 2009 USA Team Handball Chairman Dieter Esch spent the past week across the Atlantic collaborating with important members of the international handball community, and will continue meetings through next week. Esch began his week by meeting with Zoran Gobac, Vice President of the Croatian Handball Federation and manager of RK Zagreb. Esch and Gobac announced a partnership between RK Zagreb and the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Zagreb is 18-time champion of Croatia, two-time European Champion, and features some of the best players in the world in Ivano Balic, the Valcic brothers (Tonci and Josip) and the leading scorer from the 2009 World Championships, Kiril Lazarov. Pittsburgh boasts the United States' largest population of Croatians, so the pairing was a natural choice. USATH is working with Alex Hinsey and the University of Pittsburgh Handball club to build up handball in western Pennsylvania. In Basel, Switzerland, Esch had dinner with Dr. Hassan Moustafa, the president of the International Handball Federation, and spent a day at the IHF lobbying on behalf of the new North American and Caribbean Federation, which will be voted upon at the IHF Extraordinary Congress in Rome, Italy, from April 23-25. He also proposed that the IHF recognize the Florida Cup as a Challenge Trophy event for Caribbean handball countries. USATH's chairman also met with handball bloggers, players and engaged couple Jen Haubrich and Jordan Fithian over breakfast before heading to Germany next week. On tap are meetings with Gerd Butzeck, the president of the G-14, which represents the 14 most powerful handball teams in the world; followed by meetings with clubs of the Bundesliga, and the president of the Swedish Handball Federation. Busy pre-Holidays by Steve Pastorino / December 08, 2009 As you know, we spent the last week moving from temporary offices in South Salt Lake to comfortable new digs on the second floor of Snaplock Industries, the parent company of USA Team Handball sponsor SnapSports. We're thankful to SnapSports for the space - in addition to professional space for Lauren, Dan, Marko and Angie - we have access to a conference room, kitchen and a basketball-soon-to-be-handball court. Our phone number remains the same (801) 463-2000, and we're now located at 2330 California Avenue (1300 South) if you ever find yourself in Salt Lake City. I want to say thank you to Matt Sabatino who has stepped down after over a year of assisting USA Team Handball with management of the Army, Air Force and Navy World Class Athlete Programs. Matt has moved down to our Nation's Capital to focus on graduate school, work and family obligations. We still expect to see him in/around handball in the near future. Meantime, Capt. Brian Lucas has stepped forward to manage the Army WCAP handball program. Capt. Lucas is headed to Dormagen, Germany in early January along with Justin Key to train full-time in handball. Right on their heels later in the month, we expect Brian Walsh, Trevor Williams and Alex Mullin to follow. We're also in active contact with four Air Force athletes hoping to enter the WCAP program, and one Navy officer. Welcome Capt. Lucas! Some of our clubs know that we have entered a U21 Select Team in the West Point Invitational in January. Expect to see some of our top high school and/or college-age players on the court against the likes of Army, Carolina Team Handball Club, NYC THC, at least two Canadian clubs and others in the 12-team event. Done with your holiday shopping? If not, USA Team Handball is offering a 10% discount to members on all merchandise in our online store. There's plenty of time to get pre-Christmas delivery. If you have questions your promo code, feel free to call our office at 801-463-2000. Finally, below is an update on Americans in Germany and, for the first time, two in Norway as well. Be sure to check out the pictures of Jordan Fithian. Cheers! KEITH FINE / TSV Bayer Dormagen / Regionaliga West (3rd Division) Against the third place team, young Bayer Dormagen II put forth a game effort but came up short for the 13th time in 14 games. Fine earned limited playing time as the home team lost 34:39 (14:19) against SG Schalksmule-Halver. JORDAN FITHIAN / ESV Weil / Sudbadenliga (5th Division) Jordan Fithian played a huge role and drew commendations from his coach as Weil earned a 32:26 (15:13) victory at home agasint TSV Alemania Freiburg. Fithian scored three goals, played nearly the entire game and was singled out for his defensive play. "He is a great team player and the team responds well when he is on the court." Weil has climbed to fifth in the Subadenliga with a 7-4 record. See the pictures here. GARY HINES / DJK Waldbuttelbrunn / Oberliga Bayern (4th Division) DJK came up short 26:32 (14:15) in Oberliga play against SSG Metten. Individual scorers were unavailable. CHRISTOPHER KOERNER / SC Kronau - Ostringen (Rhein Neckar Loewen II) (3rd division) / Regionaliga Sud Koerner's team kept it close for much of the game, but feel 33:27 (19-17) at TV Bretten on Saturday night. Koerner did not score. MARK ORTEGA / Pulheimer SC / Oberliga Mittelrhein (4th division) Pulheimer battled to the end but came up one goal short, 30:29 at Weidener TV. The team was praised for its defense, but couldn't close the gap against the second-place club. Ortega scored one goal. HANS SELF / SG Bruchkobel / Oberliga Hessen (4th division) SG Bruchkobel did not play this past weekend. JENNIFER HAUBRICH / TV Grenzach / Regionaliga Sud (3rd division) Like roommate and fiancée Jordan Fithian, it was a big game for the American in southern Germany. Haubrich scored four goals in a 22:20 (12:12) win over TSV Ismaning (parent club of U18 goalkeeper Sophia Fasold). According to her coach, "Jennifer Haubrich gets better from game to game. Especially on defense she is a really good player. Tonight she did a perfect job." TV Grenzach is eighth in the 13-team Regionaliga Sud with five wins and six losses. JULIA SAYER / TSV Hahlen / Oberliga Nord (4th division) After a midweek resignation by the team's coach, Hahlen could not rally at BV Borussia Dortmund, losing 29-28. Reports indicate one player jumped in as player-coach. Sayer did not score. Hahlen sits 10th in the 15-team Oberliga. KAROLINE BORG / Asker (Norway) ANJA BORG / Vollen (Norway) One of the revelations of USA Team Handball's two women's youth excursions to Europe this fall, Karoline Borg unfortunately did not play in Poland after breaking her 5th metatarsal bone on her left foot, during the first game against the Polish Senior Women's National Team. She's now the owner of a 3" screw in her foot. After another week or so in a cast, she'll have four weeks on crutches before beginning rehab. Her club, Asker, meanwhile, maintains its hold on first place in the Norwegian Second Divisions. U15 player Anja Borg led her club Vollen to seven wins in eight games - good enough to win its local league and qualify for regional competition against three other top Norwegian clubs. Following the Poland trip, Anja Borg returned home to earn a spot on a regional all-star team training for a major domestic competition in February 2010. Junior National Team trip to Poland by Jen Haubrich / December 08, 2009 Hey Everyone, Sorry it has taken me a while to get on here and write about Poland, but you know how things go. I have to start by saying it was a great experience. So many new faces to the US Handball world is great. We need to keep it going! The facilities were great. We always had a big buffet at each meal. Although I have to say I think we had an overall consensus that there were too many cucumbers at breakfast. Other then that we stayed fed and full which is always important on these kinds of trips. The Polish Federation really took care of us. It was really nice to know we had support from outsiders in our situation. They were excited to see improvement throughout the week and always cheering us on in the stands at our games. They were very impressed with how young we were even for a Junior National Team and how we just didn’t seem to give up no matter how big the deficit was. So obviously everything wasn’t so positive. The scores were a little tough to take. But the truth is people can say whatever they want but we have to start somewhere. And against the best 19 year olds in the world (U19 Champs in Europe) from Norway we lost 11 – 59. Yikes, I know. Welcome to handball. But we have to lose big before we can learn how to win and win big. We went with many girls around the age of 15 that had only played for 6 – 12 months. The older players also had little training for the most part. We did have three girls that are US citizens that have grown up in Europe playing Handball play with us and that is really exciting. I hope that they stay involved along with the rest of the new kids on the block. So many new faces that are already learning to love this great game of Handball. In the end, we lost all 4 games that we played but we learned a lot and we are that much closer to competing on the world level. It might not be tomorrow but hopefully in the near future. I still want to be on the court when we do!! So from this week in Poland we have to keep rolling. We need all of my new USA Teammates to stay with the sport and keep learning. We need more coaches, players, and spectators. I know this is old news to anyone that has been reading this blog or is already part of the system but maybe think outside the box. Who else can we introduce to this game? It belongs in the US. Happy Holidays, Jen
USATH delegate en route to World Championship USA Team Handball December 16, 2009 The competition at the 19th Women's Handball World Championship continues to amplify leading up the Final Round matchups. France, Norway, Spain and Russia, the last teams of the initial 24 eligible for first place, will resume to push for the Championship Friday. First and second place winners from 2007, Russia and Norway, will face off after Spain and France. Angola, Austria, China, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Korea and Romania will compete for fifth through 12th place in the Placement Matches Thursday. The President's Cup came to a conclusion Tuesday, with Sweden snagging 13th place after edging out Tunisia. Brazil took bronze; the other Pan-American representative at the World Championship, Chile, placed 23rd. The President's Cup final rankings are as follows: 13. Sweden 14. Tunisia 15. Brazil 16. Japan 17. Ukraine 18. Ivory Coast 19. Argentina 20. Congo 21. Thailand 22. Kazakhstan 23. Chile 24. Australia USA Team Handball Women's Working Group member Janet Vise arrives in Nanjing on Friday to attend the Semi-Final and Final Rounds; she will also meet with other delegates of the International Handball Federation. Follow the 2009 Women's World Championship at ihf.info, the official site of the IHF. USOC formally certifies USA Team Handball USA Team Handball December 16, 2009 COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) Board of Directors on Monday formally certified USA Team Handball as the National Governing Body (NGB) for team handball in the United States. "We are deeply grateful for the trust placed in us by the USOC and American handball community," said Dieter Esch, founder and chairman of the Board of Directors of USA Team Handball. "We are still in our initial phase of uniting the sport of handball here, reaching out internationally for sporting partnerships, identifying public and private means of support and elevating this great sport in this country. This announcement gives us the green light to accelerate our development in 2010 and beyond." The USOC had granted "probationary" status to a group led by Esch on April 30, 2008, but withheld "full" recognition until its Board of Directors meeting Monday in San Francisco. "USA Team Handball has demonstrated a willingness and desire to operate in a manner that is consistent with the NGBs that make up the Olympic Family," said USOC Chairman Larry Probst. "Now, moving forward, it is important that USA Team Handball and the USOC use this momentum to benefit the sport and begin to make significant advances in grassroots development and overall competitiveness internationally." "Today is a great day for the sport of Team Handball throughout the world as the flame is officially reignited for the great sport of USA Team Handball in the United States," said Cindy Stinger, USOC Manager of the U.S. Olympians Association and a three-time Olympian in the sport of team handball. "USA Team Handball has a rich tradition that we are excited to help grow and support through this important recognition by the United States Olympic Committee.". In order to gain full NGB status, USA Team Handball had to demonstrate financial independence and the ability to manage all aspects of sport including governance, domestic competition, international relations, high performance plan development and a broad-based grassroots platform. USA Team Handball is now one of 29 NGBs authorized by USOC to prepare American athletes for Olympic Summer Games competition. DC, Philly build momentum USA Team Handball December 17, 2009 Recently formed clubs Philadelphia Revolution and the DC Diplomats continued to build momentum with a few friendly matches Sunday, giving the public an opportunity to learn more about the sport and a chance to play. The Diplomats defeated the Revolution two of three matches. In the first 2x15 match, the Diplomats took and maintained an early lead with the help of Andreas Anwander for a final score of 16-11. Chris Maynard capitalized on his developing goalie skills to block 12 goals. The Revolution struck back in the second match for a 16-15 win by using a 4-2 offense. The Diplomats took down the Revolution in the third match, highlighted by a spectacular fast-break goal by Jesus de Leon. Both clubs, formally established within the last year, are bustling with activity and helping the sport thrive in their respective cities. Check out both clubs online!
Team Stuttgart Wins Big Apple Tournament January 03, 2010 In a weekend that showcased dozens of current and former Toyota Bundesliga handball players, Team Stuttgart defeated Teamsportreisen to win the first Big Apple Tournament. The brainchild of USA Team Handball sponsor Karl Gladeck (TR Team Travel) and with practically flawless execution by the New York City Team Handball Club, the tournament was unanimously considered successful as All Stars, administrators, veteran players and families prepared to depart frigid New York City on Sunday night. On the court, Team Stuttgart was led by the tournament Most Valuable Player Jorg Lutzelberger, circle for VfL Gummersbach, one of the most storied clubs in German handball history. Off the court, they were united by their charismatic goalkeeper Marcus Rominger, a decorated player in the twilight of a nearly 20-year career for TV Grosswallstadt. Rominger, who is a licensed architect, combined his massive size, perfect English, friendly demeanor and warrior-like long hair to quickly become a fan favorite. The Most Valuable Goalkeeper, however, was Thomas Stubner, who performed admirably for runners-up Teamsportreisen. A physical therapist for soccer's Eintracht Frankfurt by trade, Stubner showed his considerable handball abilities all weekend to earn the award in the presence of goalie greats such as Peter Gentzel (Silver Medal, 2000 Olympics) and Henning Fritz (2004 World Player of the Year). Medialine I defeated NYC THC for third place honors. In addition to hosting the tournament, NYC also played the Bundesliga All Stars on Sunday afternoon, losing to a "who's who" of handball stars including Stefan Lovgren (Silver Medal, 1996 Olympics), Ljubomir Vranjes (Silver Medal, 2000 Olympics) and, Jan Olaf Immel (2004 Silver Medal). Congratulations to Bini Mustafa and all of the players, members and families of NYC THC for hosting the event at Park West HS in Manhattan. USATH also thanks and recognizes TR Travel Team (including Karl Gladeck, Christopher Monz, Jacque Messel and Maren Schulenberg), SnapSports (Dan Wollman and Thomas Peterson) and everyone else who put this event together. On hand to witness festivities were many handball notables including USA National Team players (Ivan Igjnatovic, Adam El Zoghby, Thomas Giordano, Jordan Fithian, Jason Borchik, Jacque Messel, Jennifer Haubrich, Jen Farrell), USATH senior leadership (Dieter Esch, Dominique Dumont and Steve Pastorino), Bundesliga General Manager Frank Bohmann, HSV Hamburg owner Andreas Rudolph, Rhein Neckar Lowen management (including GM Thorsten Storm), TV Grosswallstadt president Georg Bollmann, player agent Marco Stange and many others too numerous to name. The event, which was widely covered in Germany, also featured media from Eurosport, Handball Woche and handball-world.com. German media pick up Big Apple Tournament USA Team Handball January 04, 2010 Major German media outlets have covered the first Big Apple Tournament, including Stuttgarter Zeitung and Frankfurter Allgemeine, two of the largest newspapers in the country, and Bild, which sells more than 4 million copies daily. The Big Apple Tournament was the largest gathering of international handball stars in the United States since the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta; dozens of current and former Toyota Bundesliga athletes competed in Manhattan with Team Stuttgart taking first place.
Select team to compete at West Point Invitational USA Team Handball January 08, 2010 A select team of aspiring Team USA players is set to challenge its opponents at the 34th West Point Invitational, Jan. 16-17 at the U.S. Military Academy - West Point, New York. The fourteen athletes represent 10 states and include several men who have already competed internationally under USA Team Handballe. Familiar names include three members of the U.S. Army WCAP program who are headed to Germany later this month. Brian Walsh, Trevor Williams and Brian Lucas all graduated from West Point in the past three years. Daniel Osborne is the lone member of the team who traveled to Lubeck Germany in May 2009 with a U-23 team led by Boban Zivovic. Southern California native Jeff Smith was discovered through the tryout process in 2009 and makes his debut with a Select squad. Gil Bozeman and Jared Cooper have significant handball experience, having played in Atlanta and New York respectively. At the younger end of the spectrum, Nick Allan will showcase goalie skills honed by three months in Iceland after playing with the USA U18 squad in Dormagen, Germany in September 2009. Marko Dumlija, John Bellard and Devin Holman were part of that youth squad as well. Ross Miner, who put together the Victorious Secret club for 2009 Nationals, earns his first look from USA national team staff. Goalie Todor Abramov and back Hesham Nadim learned handball abroad in Bulgaria and Egypt respectively. The team will be coached by Robert Michalik, who served as translator and third assistant on the Women's trip to Poland in November. Michalik, who now lives in New Jersey, is also a USATH-certified referee. Assisting him will be Washington, D.C.-based Edyta Popchopien, with Greg Streblow acting as the team's athletic trainer. Technical director Mariusz Wartalowicz will be on hand to represent USA at the West Point Invitational and evaluate the team. Check www.usateamhandball.org throughout the weekend for more information and results from the tournament. SELECT TEAM ROSTER Todor Abramov 21 GK Nick Allan 17 GK John Bellard 17 RW Gil Bozeman 22 Wing Jared Cooper 21 RW Marko Dumlija 18 Circle Devin Holman 17 RW Brian Lucas 25 LW Ross Miner 19 Back Daniel Osborne 22 Wing Jeff Smith 23 Circle Hesham Nadim 18 Back Brian Walsh 22 CB Trevor Williams 26 Circle Junior goalie leads squad to Sauerland Cup championship USA Team Handball January 06, 2010 American National U18 goalie Sophie Fasold led the U16 TSV Ismaning regional All Star team to the championship of the Sauerland Cup in Germany over the weekend. The cup pitted youth teams from Ismaning as well as Bayer Leverkusen, Dortmund, Leverkusen and Magdeburg against each other. Fasold, who celebrated her 16th birthday during the tournament, competed for the American Junior National Team in Dormagen, Germany, in September and the Silesia Cup in Poland in November 2009. After falling to Dortmund Sunday morning, Fasold's squad, facing off against larger competitors, later defeated tournament favorite Bayer Leverkusen and Magdeburg to take first place. Fasold was then one of three selected from Ismaning to compete at a regional tournament later this month. The World Championship, as seen by a Norwegian-American Karoline Borg January 11, 2010 The following is a recap of last month's Women's World Championship, as written by Norwegian-American USA Junior National Team member Karoline Borg. A championship - seen through the eyes of an American-Norwegian! Happy New Year to all and season’s greetings! The year of 2009 ended like every year, with an international championship for women. This year it was time for the World Cup in China. Here in Norway, this event is part of the pre-Christmas spirit and preparation. Every year in December, team-handball fans are glued to their couches, in front of the TV to follow the games. Actually, several hundred fans travel to the tournament and are always very visible and loud. Two years ago Norway made it all the way to the final, but lost against the Russians (but they beat them both in the Olympic Games and the European Cup in 2008). Unfortunately, history repeated itself and Norway lost to them again, only this time in the semi-final. Norway won the bronze medal, beating Spain. Giving the circumstances, a bronze medal, was not such a disappointment after all. The Norwegian team has lost several important players, among them Gro Hammerseng who was voted “best player in the world” in 2008. Several younger players have joined the team, but they are still inexperienced. The Norwegian team is especially known for its tough defense, often resulting in fast breaks. The wing players are extremely fast, and both the left and the right wing were selected for the championship’s “All Star Team." Linn Kristin Riegelhuth, the right wing, was actually voted “Best player of the year” in 2009. We have hardly caught our breath here in the cold (- 15-25 ˚C) before the now have to gear up again and prepare for the men’s European Championship in approximately two weeks in Austria. We will once again be “couch-potatoes,” as we watch and learn from the best in the world. The Norwegian men’s team has never made it to a final, but this year the team is stronger than ever.
NYC THC triumphs in West Point January 16, 2010 New York City THC was the last team standing on Sunday, taking home the 33rd West Point Invitational title. NYC defeated Chicago Inter, 14-9 (2-4), in a 2x20 defensive struggle dominated by great goalie play from both teams. Quebec's Levis (the Canadian champions) beat the Alberta Senior regional team for third place. West Point Black defended its home court with a 28-15 win over UNC in the 5th place game. A spirited Saturday of competition featured more than 20 games in three gyms from dawn to well after dusk. Levis secured a berth in the semifinals with wins over the USA Select team (28-17), Alberta Juniors (31-17) and West Point Black (27-21). They'll meet Chicago Inter, which defeated New England (24-17), West Point Gold (28-16) and West Point Black (24-20), their only blemish coming in a 22-24 defeat to New York City. NYC continued an undefeated streak with wins over West Point Black, New England and Chicago. Alberta's Senior regional team defeated NYAC, Carolina THC and Air Force. In placement games played on Saturday night, NYAC defeated New England for 7th place, 22-18. Air Force beat USA Select 28-18 for 9th place, and the Alberta Junior team defeated West Point Gold, 31-28 for 11th place. The USA Select team was paced by Brian Walsh, who returned to handball after a nearly 8-month layoff to top the squad with 24 goals (through three games) including nine against his alma mater, West Point, and 11 more against the Alberta Juniors. . Walsh is slated to head to Germany with the Army World Class Athlete Program in the next month. Trevor Williams (2 goals) and Brian Lucas (6 goals) tuned up their games before departing for Germany next week with WCAP. Atlanta Team Handball's Gil Bozeman notched eight goals. Teens Marko Dumlija and John Bellard added six goals apiece, while Devin Holman scored four. Hesham Nadim, Daniel Osborne, Ross Miner and Jared Cooper all got on the scoreboard for the USA as well. Gary Hines Leads OL Bayern in Scoring - and more! by Steve Pastorino / January 18, 2010 On the heels of the first U.S. event of the year in West Point, and on the eve of the European Championships in Vienna, American handballers are back on the court all across Europe. Here's the latest: KEITH FINE / TSV Bayer Dormagen / Regionaliga West (3rd Division) Bayer Dormagen II continues to struggle, losing their 2010 debut 36-32 to HSG Handball Lemgo II. Keith Fine is awaiting paperwork from WCAP to return to his squad in Germany and did not play. Dormagen has one win in the season and is in last place in the Regionaliga. JORDAN FITHIAN / ESV Weil / Sudbadenliga (5th Division) Eight goals by Jordan Fithian weren’t enough as the southern German squad fell, 29-27, to undefeated league leaders, Willstatt on January 15. The tense affair saw Weil come back from a 5-goal deficit in the second half to pull within one goal with under two minutes remaining, but Weil lost a narrow one to Willstatt for the second time this season. Back on January 11, Weil delivered their best performance of the season, a 38-27 victory over TuS Steisslingen., with Fithian scoring three goals. Weil sits in fifth place in the 14-team Sudbadeliga. GARY HINES / DJK Waldbuttelbrunn / Oberliga Bayern (4th Division) Despite 13 goals from Gary Hines, DJK lost a thriller, 29-27 to TSV Rothenburg. A week earlier, Hines scored six but DJK lost 29-24 to TSV Winkelhaid. Hines’ club is battling for their lives in the season’s second half, sitting in the relegation zone and three points from safety. Hines leads the league in scoring with 149 goals, an average of 11 per game – nearly 40 more goals than any other player in the league. HANS SELF / SG Bruchkobel / Oberliga Hessen (4th division) SG Bruchkobel finished fifth in their holiday tournament, losing to Landesliga and 2nd Bundesliga teams before beating Oberliga squad TSV Pfungstadt in the fifth place game. As Oberliga play started up agin, Bruchkobel fell to the top club in the league, HSG Nieder Roden, 40-34. Bruchkobel is 11th in the 14-team league. Self has 12 goals on the season. MARK ORTEGA / Pulheimer SC / Oberliga Mittelrhein (4th division) Mark Ortega did not score in two January games as Pulheimer started 2010 with back-to-back wins. Pulheimer defeated Ubach-Palenberg, 33-28, and Stolberger SV, 27-24. Pulheimer sits ninth in the 14-team league. JENNIFER HAUBRICH / TV Grenzach / Regionaliga Sud (3rd division) Teammate Antje Bauer missed a 7-meter penalty in the game’s waning moments and Grenzach tied ESV Regensburg 24-24. Jen Haubrich, who is injured, did not play. Grenzach sits eighth in the 13-team RL Sud. Poland defeats Germany on first day of EHF championship USA Team Handball January 19, 2010 Poland defeated Germany in a highly-anticipated matchup the first day of competition Tuesday at the 2010 European Handball Federation Men's Championship in Austria, 27-25. Germany was plagued by poor shooting percentages and defensive mistakes in the first half, allowing Poland to outscore and pull ahead for a 12-8 gap at halftime. The 2007 World Champions improved scoring in the second half, but could not catch up with the Poles, who maintained their rhythm and held on to the lead. Also in Poland and Germany's group, Slovenia triumphed over Sweden, 27-25. The 9th Men's European Handball Championship will continue until Jan. 31. To watch a live stream of matches, visit http://www.ehf-euro.com/2010/ Teaching the Teachers by Brian Finley / January 19, 2010 Last week myself and our Regional Coach, Marko Brezic, had the unique opportunity to teach the teachers. We were invited to Las Vegas to participate in the annual in-service training for the Clark County School District physical education teachers. It was refreshing to talk about our sport to a group of people who, for the most part, already knew what team handball was. What was disconcerting was first, how few knew the correct rules, and second, how few were actually using handball as a regular part of their curriculum. We had the opportunity to make our presentation and demonstration to three different groups of teachers with each group having about 40-50 attending. The common misconception was about the dribbling and steps rules and I heard just about every variation of the three steps and dribble that you can imagine. I would guess that only about 10% were using handball in their curriculum. What I left excited about was the response we got from the majority of the teachers. Many wanted us to come to their school and do demonstrations and we will, some vowed to start a club program with the goal of competing this summer in Colorado Springs or San Diego, while others were excited to add the sport to their regular teaching models. I think we are well on our way to making Las Vegas the latest growth area for youth handball. We know we’ve got a great sport and we know if we can educate the educators we can be well on our way to our goal of having 100,000 kids playing handball in the US. If you’d like to set up a demonstration at your local schools I would be more than happy to assist you in your goal.
USATH takes 2010 Collegiate Nationals to the beach USA Team Handball & Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce January 26, 2010 MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - USA Team Handball has selected Myrtle Beach as the site of its Collegiate National Championships, to be held April 23-April 25. The championships will attract athletes from men's and women's college teams across the country; spectators may watch the matches free of charge. "We are extremely pleased to have Myrtle Beach as our host and an innovative setting for Collegiate National Championships this year," said Steve Pastorino, USA Team Handball general manager. "Athletes can expect three days of fun, sun and great handball." "Once again Myrtle Beach has been chosen as the site of a national sporting event," said Brad Dean, Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce president and CEO. "This is the area's first national handball competition and the first such sporting event to be held at Broadway at the Beach, a top Myrtle Beach attraction, with about 14 million visitors a year." Teams interested in registering for the 2010 Collegiate Championships should visit http://usateamhandball.org/pages/8220?ngb_id=4. The West Point Black men's team, the varsity squad from the U.S. Military Academy will try to win College Nationals for the fourth consecutive year, having defeated the Carolina Team Handball Club from the University of North Carolina in three straight finals. Army has won seven of the last 11 Collegiate Championships, thwarted only by Carolina (2004-2006) and Air Force (2002). On the women's side, defending champs Carolina THC will attempt to defend the title they earned in Richmond, Virginia in 2009. Furman University and Army are considered top contenders. USA Team Handball will also field College Select teams, comprised of athletes who don't have a university club to compete with; and has invited Canadian colleges to participate as well. Handball, an Olympic sport, is an aggressive 7-on-7 team competition that takes place on an elongated basketball court. Teams will compete outdoors on temporary courts to be constructed at Broadway at the Beach. SnapSports, the official floor of USA Team Handball, will provide two state-of-the-art courts. Hampton Inn at Broadway at the Beach will serve as the official host hotel. USA Team Handball, a 501(c)(3) corporation headquartered in Salt Lake City, was certified by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) in April 2008. The federation's board of directors is chaired by Dieter Esch. Its jurisdiction includes development of grassroots programs, preparation of national teams and day-to-day oversight of the sport of Team Handball throughout the USA. Visit the federation at USATeamHandball.org. Since 1938 the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce has stood as the unified voice of the Grand Strand's business community. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has awarded the MBACC its five-star accreditation, one of only several chambers in South Carolina to earn this distinction. The MBACC serves Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Little River, Atlantic Beach, Garden City Beach, Loris, Conway, Aynor, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield Beach and Pawleys Island. For more information, visit MyrtleBeachAreaChamber.com. Denmark shuts down Russia USA Team Handball January 26, 2010 As the 2010 EHF Men's European Championship soldiers on toward the Final Round, Croatia leads Group 1 of the Main Round with five points, followed with a three-way tie between Iceland, Denmark and Norway for second. France and Poland lead Group 2: Group 1 1. Croatia - 5 2. Iceland - 4 3. Denmark - 4 4. Norway - 4 5. Austria - 1 6. Russia - 0 Group 2 1. Poland - 5 2. France - 5 3. Spain - 3 4. Slovenia - 2 5. Czech Republic - 2 6. Germany - 1 The Ukraine, Serbia, Sweden and Hungary were eliminated after the Preliminary Round. On Monday, Denmark dashed Russia's chances for entering the Semi Finals with a 34-28 win. The defending European Champions pulled ahead of Russia 18-15 at halftime; the Russians nearly rallied in the first 10 minutes of the second half by closing the gap to one point, but fell behind again. Denmark will face Norway Tuesday to determine which team will inch closer to the Semi Finals. Also Tuesday, Group 1 leader Croatia is pitted against Austria, and Russia is to take the court with Iceland. In Group 2, Slovenia and France, Germany and Spain, and Poland and the Czech Republic will compete. The Ninth Men's European Handball Championship will continue until Jan. 31. To watch a live stream of matches, visit http://www.ehf-euro.com/2010/ Check USA Team Handball online throughout the tournament for updates on the EHF Men's Championship, brought to you by Grundfos Pumps, an international supporter of handball and sponsor of USATH. New York Youth League - Volunteers Needed! by Dominique Dumont / January 22, 2010 As some of you already know, our first youth league in New York City starts in a few weeks. In partnership with the New York Parks and Recreation Department, four centers will participate in a citywide program! We have Cromwell in Staten Island, Al Oerter in Queens, Chelsea in Manhattan and Sunset Park in Brooklyn participating. Next week, I'll be going up to Staten Island where Dannette Leininger and I will be training 20 staff members from all boroughs. Apparently, they have all watched videos of our sport and are psyched to learn! Should be fun. Divine Jackson from NYAC also volunteered to come out and help me with the P&R troops. Nothing like a captive and enthusiastic audience! Following the staff training, each center will hold Learn to Play clinics on each Saturday in February. Now, here's where I need everyone's help! Not a catch, just an opportunity to give back to our sport! Even though the P&R staff will have learned the sport, they will obviously not feel totally comfortable in teaching their centers' kids....yet! So we need 1-2 handballers to volunteer 2 hours on chosen Saturdays to come out and help teach the kids! Kids will be aged 12-17 years old so it should be balls of fun..pardon the pun. A six week league will follow on each Saturday in March and ending on April 10th which is the media, grand finale! How can you go wrong in donating two hours to a fantastic program which could be the groundbreaking start to New York's youth playing handball? So who's in? Those interested, please e-mail me at dominique@usateamhandball.org asap. Nat'l team player learning the nuances in Germany January 25, 2010 The following is a translation of an article featuring Jordan Fithian, an American playing handball in Germany for ESV Weil. Read the original story here WEIL AM RHEIN - The popularity of the handball championship booms in Germany in contrast to handball in the United States, a shadowy existence. Only 40 teams exercise this sport in the new world. There are sure strivings to make handball in the United States presentable. American Jordan Fithian, of Boston, wants to contribute and therefore plays for ESV Weil. In college, he played basketball, and first started playing handball because of his fiancée, Jennifer. "In the United States, only about 40 teams play handball," said 24-year-old Fithian. With his stately height of nearly two meters, he was quickly nominated for the US national team. He came with his future wife to Germany in order to learn the nuances of the game. Jennifer plays in TV Grenzach while Jordan reinforces ESV. "In the ESV is it meanwhile to a valuable player become," said sport leader Roland Christian. Through his loose type and its joie de vivre, he supports not only as an athlete, but rather also as an energetic person the team that fought alongside in the past year yet for the class receipt in the south bath league. The ESV stands presently on the fifth place with tendency towards the top. Because the sympathetic US Boy is evidently comfortable, has yet already considerably develop further itself it under trainer Borko Jovicic. It is very training diligent and practiced also already often alone with the trainer. "The team plays good hand ball and the partners are very nice and help me where they can," said Fithian. It would like two to three years already yet in because remain in order to gather amply experience and to learn know so many tricks how possible. Fithian sees his time here as a personal challenge in order to bring the hand ball sport in its homeland further ahead and to make it popular. He counts basketball as well as handball as hobbies. Anyone who would like to see the US American play should on Saturday, 23rd of January, in which sports hall in the Egerstraße come: There the next home game against HC Elgersweier, the current table third finds, instead of - naturally with Jordan Fithian.
Higher-lever competition opportunities for youth teams USA Team Handball February 04, 2010 Because youth development and grassroots participation are priorities for USA Team Handball, the federation is attempting to work with as many communities as possible to create local, “in house” competition that does not require travel. There are certain clubs and coaches, however, that may want to accelerate player development – and seek higher level competition and/or “travel” opportunities. Below, please find a list of playing opportunities for so-called “travel” teams in through end of summer 2010. Although not 100 percent comprehensive, it is intended to give coaches and players in the U14, U16, U18 and U21 age groups an idea of competitions open to them. For example, a coach with a high school age players (U16 and/or U18) has the following potential competition opportunities: • April – HS tournament in NY • May – HS tournament in Colorado • June – International tournament in Spain or Sweden • July – HS tournament in Utah • July – California State Games • July – HS tournament in Chicago at Nationals if enough interest • August – International tournament in Florida If you are coaching youth teams this year, and interested in participating in any of these events, please e-mail answers to the following questions to youth@usateamhandball.org: 1. What is the name of your club/organization? 2. In what age group(s) will you have teams ready to compete in 2010? 3. What events are you interested in attending? 4. Are your players / club capable of raising the funds required to attend the events you’re interested in? 5. Have you identified other organizations close to you for training and/or informal competitions, even if they are a different age group (i.e., adult club)? 6. What are your most pressing needs? a. Finding enough players b. Equipment c. Coaching d. Finding an affordable gym/court e. Parent volunteers All events are for both genders unless specifically noted. Please note that the Florida Cup is a relatively expensive event – as it is designed primarily for high-level European clubs interested in combining a holiday with a handball experience. Relatively inexperienced USA clubs should consider attending events in NY, Colorado, Utah, Florida and/or Illinois. In addition, USATH has a tentative invitation for one (1) U14 team (one boys, one girls) to receive 10 days’ training in Sweden, plus entry into the Partille Cup, with all expenses paid on the ground. The federation also has an invitation to send a team to Granollers Cup in Spain, with all ground expenses paid. In both cases, the only cost is airfare. Please contact USATH immediately if you are interested in participating in either opportunity. Who’s Playing? Below is a partial list of cities and areas have teams and/or programs devoted to youth play. If you need help with a contact or for more information, please e-mail youth@usateamhandball.org: • Southern California (Pasadena, LA, SD, others) • Salt Lake City, UT • Texas (Houston, Dallas others) • Colorado (Denver and Colorado Springs) • Bozeman, MT • Chicago, IL • Minneapolis, MN • New York/New Jersey (Syracuse, Long Island, NYC, others) • Florida (West Palm Beach, Tampa, Ft. Myers, others) • Atlanta, GA • New Albany, IN • Wilkes-Barre, PA • Northern Vermont • Omaha, NE France Hits High Notes in Virtuoso Euro Final January 31, 2010 France went on a 7-1 tear in the five minutes surrounding halftime in Vienna on Sunday, erasing a three-goal deficit and carrying the team to win the European Championships. Like Iceland on Saturday, Croatia had no response for a furious French attack in the waning moments of the first half, and France won never relinquished the lead en route to a 25-21 game. Goalie Thierry Omeyer was named Player of the Game. Nikola Karabatic led the champions with six goals. In the third place match, Iceland jumped out to an early lead against Poland, led by 8 goals and settled for a 29-26 win. Gudjon Sigurdsson led the vikings with 8 goals. Modesto Bee: Oakdale High senior on U.S. handball team February 05, 2010 The following was posted on The Modesto Bee's Web site at modbee.com Oakdale High senior Devin Holman, a member of the USA Team Handball's under-18 team, is preparing for the Junior World Cup competition this summer. Holman, 17, who lived in Switzerland for nine years and played for the Swiss traveling youth team under dual citizenship, has logged trips to Germany and Iceland since he was selected to the national team last summer. Team handball is a hybrid of soccer, handball and water polo and features six players to a side and goals on each end. Holman is the only team member who's from west of the Rockies. Read more: http://www.modbee.com/sports/story/1036368.html#ixzz0ehn6NpbU
Youth athletes with dual citizenship gather in Norway USA Team Handball February 23, 2010 Asker, Norway - Sophie Fasold, the 16-year-old German American youth national team goalkeeper from Ismaning, recently spent nine days in Norway with fellow dual-citizenship athletes Anja and Karoline Borg. She first met the Borg sisters at Poland's Silesia Cup in November 2009. Fasold practiced with and competed for 15-year-old circle Anja's team, Vollen, one of the best squads in the Oslo region that now leads the 15A and 16B leagues. Vollen's coach offered Fasold a position on the team in the event she relocates to Norway. Karoline, 19, is still in rehab after breaking her foot at the Silesia Cup; Fasold trained with her second division team, Asker, as well and received special coaching from one of Norway's best female goalkeepers, World Champion Heidi Tjugum. Fasold also got to be a handball spectator and had the opportunity to watch three wins by Anja's regional all-star team. "I'm impressed by the technical skills and speed of the Norwegian players," said Fasold. "The senior ladies as well as the players my own age." All three girls enjoyed their time together and came to the conclusion, "As Americans and handball players living in Europe, we should really get together and bond more often." Registration for Futures Program begins Created in Dec. 2008, the Futures Program enables youth to play handball in Colorado Springs, and to date, more than 20 athletes from the program have been named to USA Team Handball's Youth National Team Pool. In 2010, the ambitious Futures Program will expand to six new locations: Los Angeles, Denver, Salt Lake City, Dallas, Bozeman, MT and New Jersey. The growth of Futures will support the development of young athletes in these locations and continue to increase the number of handball players in the United States. Each program will recruit the top female athletes from their region and run an 8-week program in the spring. A team will be selected from this group of athletes to the National High School Tournament in Colorado Springs over Memorial Day weekend. REGISTER NOW To sign up for the Futures Program in your area, please visit: https://www.signmeup.com/site/reg/register.aspx?fid=N72V2K7 FUTURES PROGRAM DIRECTORS Bozeman, MT - Dawn Allinger: dawn@usateamhandball.org Colorado Springs, CO - Kathy Rex: kathy@usateamhandball.org Dallas, TX - Dee Miller: miller@usateamhandball.org Denver, CO - Attila Agoston: attila@usateamhandball.org Los Angeles, CA - Julio Sainz: julio@usateamhandball.org New Jersey - Robert Michalik: robert@usateamhandball.org Salt Lake City, UT - Angie Webb: angie@usateamhandball.org Director promotes sport to 600+ students News and Tribune: USATH Tech Director spending time promoting sport at NAHS February 25, 2010 The following is an article by News and Tribune writer Chris Morris about USATH Technical Director spending time in New Albany, IN. Read it on the News and Tribune site here: http://www.news-tribune.net/local/local_story_055214357.html Mariusz Wartalowicz understands that the only way the United States handball team is ever going to succeed on a national level, more youth have to start playing the sport. That is why he is spending three days at New Albany High School this week, watching students in Jason Orr’s physical education class participate in team handball. While Wartalowicz has his eye out for potential talent, the main purpose for being at New Albany is to encourage students to play the sport and to give them pointers on the proper way to play team handball. “Hopefully, there is enough interest so next year it could maybe become a club sport and play other schools in the area,” said Wartalowicz, who is based in Chicago and is the technical director for USA Team Handball. Orr said he loves the sport and played in a team sports class at Anderson University before teaching it while in graduate school at the University of Louisville. Orr said while he was a PE teacher at Hazelwood, he introduced team handball to students and said “they really loved it.” “The kids took it and ran with it,” he said. “This time of year we usually do floor hockey, but Team USA Handball was interested in coming down this year.” The sport may not be as well known in the states as football and basketball, but it includes all of the same skills necessary to play those sports — running, jumping, body contact and team work. “One of the problems we have had is name recognition,” Wartalowicz said. “This is an easy game to pick up but a difficult one to master. They have adapted hand ball for their PE class, but it can be taken to another level.” Students — mainly freshmen and sophomores — have been playing since mid-January during PE at New Albany and league standings have been kept. Orr said a tournament will be held next month where teams will perform in front of the school’s freshmen and sophomore classes. Wartalowicz said few schools play team handball on such a large scale as New Albany. He also said he is implementing a grass-roots movement for the sport to encourage people at an early age to play. This is vital after the United States failed to place a team in the 2008 Olympics in team handball, which has been a part of the Olympics since 1936 and is the second most popular sport in the world behind only soccer. Wartalowicz will be presenting strategies and techniques from the sport and conducting a free after school team handball clinic for NAHS students today and tomorrow. He will be scouting for potential players to play in a tournament in Colorado Springs where all Olympians train. He will also be looking to see if there are any potential students who might be considered to play in an exhibition game at U of L to help instill an excitement for the game at the secondary level. Wartalowicz oversees the technical part of the operation for USA Team Handball including selecting the national team and coaches. “The grass-roots effort has been neglected for a long time,” he said. “We were competitive [national level] until 2000. Our leadership realizes we can’t allow this to happen again. We want to introduce younger kids to the sport so they can hopefully take it to the next level.” Collegiate Nationals - The FUN event of the year! by Dominique Dumont / February 24, 2010 The USA Collegiate Championship battle is set and less than 60 days away. Myrtle Beach is ready for us, and I, personally, can't wait to round up our college students and have this event unroll. As you already may know, this championship will be held outside on our great, shiny red, white and blue SnapSports courts. Some of you may be asking why outside? We say, why not? Yes of course a tad risky, but 30 years of weather reports show less than 6 percent chance of rain at that time of year. Let's hope 2010 doesn't prove to be an exception! Regardless, backup plans exist and given good weather, the event promises to draw crowds and not only determine our champions but become an exhibition to non-handballers! Like I've always said, a tournament between four walls is great, but a tournament which is in open view to the community is better! Let's face it, one open air match with passers-by allows outsiders to partake in our event and embrace our sport since it's the best form of free advertising. In the long run, you can't beat it. Now in terms of participation, we always count on our armed forces to be well represented. West Point Army teams and Air Force teams are coming ready for battle as always! UNC, Furman, also a constant. Looks like we'll even see some fresh teams this year! No doubt we will offer the warmest of welcomes. I also want to put out a special invitation to any college student who wishes to play to contact us. If your college doesn't have a team, don't fret, there's always a place for you at USATH. In as much as we, Regional Directors, pound the pavement entering college doors to expose our sport, we know the country is too vast to cover it all so quickly. Our promise to those students without teams is that we will find a way for you to play. Our Competition Committee is in its final stage of determining how best to do this. We want students and more students, plain and simple! For now, spread the word! This event WILL be fun, exciting, filled with hard core handball, socializing time, games, and maybe even a little after hours beach handball competition! Get rested and ready for a great weekend and don't forget to sign up as early as possible at http://usateamhandball.org/pages/8220?ngb_id=4 Book your hotel to ensure our preferred USATH rate too! Our hotels are only hundreds of feet from the courts, restaurants, entertainment, canals and attractions. Questions, ideas, recommendations...call or e-mail me as usual! Dominique 561-301-8730 Dominique@usateamhandball.org
Viva Team Handball: 2010 Nationals to take place in Las Vegas USA Team Handball March 11, 2010 Save the date! USA Team Handball announced today the 2010 USA National Championships will be held May 21-23 Las Vegas, Nevada. The competition will consist of men's elite, men's open and women's open divisions. Pending final contract approval by USATH and venue attorneys, room rates and additional details are to be announced early next week. The competition venue will be on the same property as the host hotel. Check back soon with www.usateamhandball.org for all of your 2010 USA National Championship needs. Want information on the go? Follow USATH on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook. "Handballs For Haiti" Drive USA Team Handball March 09, 2010 USA Team Handball is joining the United States Olympic Committee’s efforts to give support to those in need after the Haitian earthquakes by launching a “Handballs For Haiti” drive. In the wake of the devastating earthquake in Haiti two months ago that laid waste to the capital city of Port-Au-Prince and took away sport opportunities from its children and athletes, the USOC, in the spirit of the Olympic Movement, is urging its fellow partners – national governing bodies, athletes and anyone else interested in helping – to restore hope to Haitian children through sports programs and the rebuilding of sports infrastructure. The Haitian Olympic Committee has requested 200 handballs, and USA Team Handball is setting a goal of exceeding the committe's request through corporate and individual donations. Those interested in contributing to help the Haitian children should mail new or used handballs in good condition directly to the USOC: USOC Warehouse c/o Sport for Haiti 2975 New Center Point Colorado Springs, CO 80922 Handballs must be received by April 12, 2010, at this address to be shipped to Haiti. The USOC is working in conjunction with the Haitian Olympic Committee, the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO), the Central American and Caribbean Sports Organization (CACSO) and UNICEF to help RESTORE and REBUILD sport in Haiti as well as bring HOPE to the country through the participation of Haitian athletes in the upcoming 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games, 2011 Pan American Games as well as 2012 Olympic Games. An estimated 100,000 Haitian children who have nothing and nothing to do are living in tent cities right now. The USOC is supporting a partnership between the Haitian Olympic Committee and UNICEF to donate sports equipment for children in tent cities. USATH coaching certification program launches online ASEP March 08, 2010 Champaign, IL - The USA Team Handball Coaching Education and Certification Program has teamed with the American Sport Education Program (ASEP) to provide online training opportunities for USATH coaches through the ASEP Coaches Education Program. "We are very pleased to team up with the American Sport Education Program in providing our coaches with a unique opportunity to broaden their professional knowledge through high quality online courses which will supplement our in-house on-site education and certification programs," says Mariusz Wartalowicz, USA Team Handball technical director. The online course offerings and corresponding certification levels are as follows: The ASEP Coaching Orientation course satisfies the USA Team Handball Coaching Certification Program Level 1 "Gateway" and Level 2 "Milestone" requirement of a Foundations of Coaching course. The ASEP Coaching Principles course satisfies the USA Team Handball Coaching Certification Program Level 3 "Insight" requirement of a Foundations of Coaching course. The ASEP Sport First Aid course is a required course for both Level 1 "Gateway" and Level 2 "Insight" licenses. "I am excited to partner with USA Team Handball to provide ASEP coaching education courses to handball coaches across the country," says Jim Schmutz, ASEP executive director. "Most importantly, these courses will enhance the ability of coaches to provide the highest quality experience for their teams, consistent with the mission-focused efforts of USA Team Handball," states Schmutz. Those with questions about the program and handball coaches looking to take the courses can visit the Partner Organizations/USA Team Handball section of the ASEP Web site at http://www.asep.com/asep_content/org/USATH.cfm ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONS USA Team Handball (USATH) is the national governing body for the sport of team handball in the United States and is recognized by the International Handball Federation (IHF) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). The mission of the USA Team Handball is to develop, promote, educate, and grow the sport of team handball at all levels in the United States and to enable the U.S. athletes to achieve sustained competitive international excellence. The goal of the USATH Coaching Education and Certification Program (CECP) is to be recognized as the leading provider of coaching education and certification for team handball in the United States. For more information, visit the USA Team Handball Web site at www.USATeamHandball.org and follow the Resources/Coaches link. The American Sport Education Program (ASEP) is the leading provider of youth, high school, and elite-level sport education programs in the USA. Rooted in the philosophy of "Athletes first, winning second," ASEP's courses and resources are used by local, state, and national sport organizations; more than 30 state high school associations; and 200 colleges and universities in certifying coaches. For nearly 30 years, ASEP has led the way in making sport a safe, successful, and enjoyable experience for all involved. For more information on ASEP sport education courses and resources, call 800-747-5698, e-mail ASEP@hkusa.com, or visit www.ASEP.com. ASEP is a division of Human Kinetics Inc., www.HumanKinetics.com, Champaign, Illinois, the world's premier publisher of sports and fitness.
Germany vs. Poland: July 17th in Chicago USA Team Handball March 17, 2010 USA Team Handball today announced international handball heavyweights Germany and Poland will battle on American soil this summer in Chicago, IL. The UIC Pavilion on July 17, 2010, will be the site of a fierce rematch of the 2007 World Championship, which saw the men's German national team take the gold from Poland with a 29-24 victory. The match, sponsored by USA Team Handball, Exlibris and World Sport Chicago, will be broadcast live in Germany and Poland thanks to a partnership with SportFive. Tickets go on sale April 30. More information coming soon. Polish Daily News: Handball conquers America March 22, 2010 Read the original article in Polish at http://www.dziennik.com/news/sport/9401 Chicago, July 17: Poland vs. Germany in handball Polish Daily News "This is probably the last time these gentlemen smile and shake each other hands. The stadium will filled with shattered bones," said USA Team Handball chairman Dieter Esch of the Chicago match between the Polish and German national teams, to be held July 17 at the UIC Pavilion. "The best Polish team, playing in red and white, will come to show the world," said Polish Handball Federation president Andrzej Krasinicki after signing the contract with German Toyota Handball Bundesliga representative Ralf Uhding. The President did not exaggerate the global publicity about the friendly duel, as the Poland-Germany match will be broadcast live across Europe and the Middle East. Negotiations with American broadcasters are in progress. Esch did not conceal the fact that the match between the two handball world powers has a much farther-reaching goal - developing handball in the United States. "We have a plan in the next four years to raise up the development of handball in schools and universities. We want to have 500,000 American players in this sport in 2014. In 2015, we want to be the organizers of the World Championship and rise to the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. There may be a fight for the semi-finals. Handball is far more American, than, say, soccer. There is always something going on in handball. For now, we do not have such a developed team, to have a chance to face off with powers such as Poland or Germany, but that will change quickly," Esch said. Shortly after the three federations signed the contracts at the Chicago Palmer House Hilton, Polish Daily News had a moment with the President of the Polish Handball Federation. Mr. President - to fly for one match in United States is a bit far. Far, but definitely worth it. The idea was born a half a year ago, because making handball a real sport in the United States is a matter of honor for USATH chairman Dieter Esch. We talked about it before the IOC's decision for the 2016 Summer Games, so there were many reasons it made sense to so research in Chicago, which was an Olympic favorite. The victory in Rio de Janeiro is not an obstacle? Of course not. To play and show up in this American Polish city with a good competitior like Germany and millions of viewers - the decision was easy to make. Our entire team was in favor of this idea, but for the staff of the July holiday period. We will play, like Germany, the strongest competition, beacuse it is an issue of national pride. This will be a real feast for Poles, not only those living in Chicago, but in the entire United States. Yes, as mentioned, it's also very important for us so that we could see the Polish fans in the U.S. I know we have a lot of them. We'll arrive in Chicago five days before the match, we obviously hope that of the 8,000 available tickets, 5,000 fans are in red and white shirts. Provo (UT) Daily Herald: Angie Webb Launches Utah Futures Program March 24, 2010 High school girls sought for Olympic handball training USA Team Handball is searching for female high school athletes to train in its second annual Futures Program. Athletes interested in becoming part of an Olympic sport, especially talented runners, jumpers, and throwers are invited to sign-up. For eight weeks, the Futures Program conditions new handball athletes for national and international competition; a team from the Utah location will be sent to the Futures National Championship on May 28 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Past participants of USA Team Handball's Futures Program have gone from high school athletes to junior national team members and trained for a semester in Iceland. Olympians and international coaches will lead the sessions, which will take place at the Utah Futsal Arena in Lindon. The cost is $85 and includes training, uniform, USA Team Handball youth membership and the chance to try out for the national U-18 handball team. Interested girls should sign up online at www.usateamhandball.org and then come to the first practice on March 25. Sessions will take place on Thursdays from 6-to-8 p.m. and on Tuesdays from 5-to-7 p.m. For more information, e-mail Futures Director Angie Webb at Angie@usateamhandball.org. • Handball is a popular sport all over the world: Handball, widely known as Team Handball in the United States, is played in 159 nations by 39 million people. Many people link elements of basketball, soccer and lacrosse to the sport. It is fast, physical and exciting. Two teams, each composed of six players and one goalie, face-off on a court about 40-feet longer than a basketball court. Successful scoring-attempts result in a single point. Defensive play is fierce, however, and allows aggressive person-to-person full body contact to prevent the offense from shooting. Final scores in this action-packed game are often in the 30s. A regulation game is played in two 30-minute halves with one team timeout per half. The clock stops only for team timeouts, injuries and at the referee's discretion. The United States has qualified for the Olympic Games numerous times since modern handball's inclusion in 1972. The men's and women's teams have medaled in the Pan Am Games and Pan Am Championships, including gold for the women in 1995. Bozeman (MT) Daily Chronicle: Dawn Lewis Launches Montana Futures March 24, 2010 By Tim Dumas, Bozeman Daily Chronicle Sports Editor Dawn Allinger Lewis once scoffed. She was supposed to become a head basketball coach, maybe later an administrator. But when she was given tickets to a foreign sport at the Goodwill Games in Seattle nearly two decades ago, the intervention began. Team handball? "I thought it was the handball (you see) on the racquetball court," Allinger Lewis remembered thinking. "I wanted to see some of the more well-known sports." And that is what the next phase of her life is about: helping make team handball become well-known. After a career in which Lewis represented the United States at the Olympics, the Pan Am Games and the World Championships, the 1987 Bozeman High School graduate has veered into "giving back" mode. On Sunday, Lewis will begin instruction for an eight-week team handball program for girls in grades 9-12 at Bozeman High in an effort to help her country improve on the national level. The new USA Team Handball Futures Program is being held in five other locations across the country: Dallas, Los Angeles, Denver, Salt Lake City and Lakewood, N.J. The Bozeman Futures program meets three days a week and culminates with a select team from the six locations heading to Colorado Springs, Colo., for the Junior National Championships. "We're trying to grow at grass roots level, which hasn't been there (in the past)," Allinger Lewis said. At Bozeman High, Allinger Lewis was a three-sport athlete, playing volleyball and basketball and running track. She still holds the school record in the triple jump, though Meagan Davis broke her long jump mark last year. Allinger Lewis played basketball at Washington State University, where she led the Cougars into the NCAA Tournament, was a three-time All-Academic selection, and was later named to WSU's All-Decade Team. While earning her masters in athletic administration - and serving as an assistant basketball coach - at Montana State University, she began to take up team handball in 1991. Two years later, Allinger Lewis made the U.S. national team and helped her country win the gold medal at the Pan Am Games in 1995. She played in the Atlanta Olympic Games a year later - where the Americans finished eighth - and is a two-time MVP at the U.S. National Championships, where she was a part of five gold medal-winning teams. Allinger Lewis also played professionally in Norway and Germany and later served as a commentator for NBC at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games. She has traveled to 25 countries and has held several posts within the U.S. Team Handball Federation. Her goal now is to provide an opportunity she never had: to pick up the sport in high school. "As someone who has a tremendous passion for the sport and someone enjoys giving back, it feels good to try and create something like this," Allinger Lewis said. "I think it's one of the best sports in the world and I feel like I need to expose some kids in the area to the sport." Team handball is played all over the world and combines several sports into one. Each team is comprised of six players and a goalie on a playing surface roughly 40 feet longer than a basketball court. Players dribble pass and shoot a cantaloupe-sized ball into a goal. Match scores often end up in the 30s and the clock stops only for timeouts and injuries. Allinger Lewis thinks the sport would be a good match for Bozeman area because of the athletic ability already displayed here. "It's a combination of a lot of different sports they're already involved in - basketball, soccer, lacrosse, softball," she said, "so it should actually come quite easy to the athletes in the area." Another draw is the fresh opportunity team handball provides for a school such as Bozeman High, which is one of the largest in the state, but with just one school for such a large city population, there are only so many team spots available. "It's a very large high school. Varsity teams are very competitive," Allinger Lewis said. "This could provide some new opportunities for some of those individuals who are on the cusp of making the varsity. Or maybe it's something else they're out there searching for. Or maybe they went head-on into a sport as a child, and then at 15 and said, ‘I'm burnt out on this already. I want to look into something new.'" Allinger Lewis, a stay-at-home mother of two children and a board member for Bozeman Schools Foundation, hopes to someday bring the sport to the middle-school level and possibly compete at the Big Sky State Games. "I have, of course, big dreams," she said. Futures program WHO: Girls, 9th-12th grade WHEN: Sundays (beginning March 28) 2-4 p.m.; Tuesdays and Thursdays (7-9 p.m.) WHERE: Bozeman High School, North Gym COST: $79 REGISTER: usateamhandball.org MORE INFO: dawn@usateamhandball.org
Save the date: 2010 USA Beach Handball National Championships USA Team Handball April 02, 2010 USA Team Handball today announced inaugural Beach Handball National Championships will take place Aug. 28-29, 2010, in Huntington Beach, CA, a city in Orange County known for its sand, sun and surfing. Recognized by the International Handball Federation, beach handball is a popular outdoor variant of the indoor team sport. Using the IHF's official rules of the game, there will be men's and women's divisions in simultaneous competition. "(The) tournament format will consist of an initial round-robin phase Aug. 28 with teams randomly assigned to groups of three or four teams. Teams qualifying from the round robin will advance to the single knockout phase on Aug. 29," said John Collin, Los Angeles Team Handball goalkeeper and tournament architect. "The draw will take place in Huntington Beach on Aug. 14. Teams are invited to send representatives to participate in the draw if they desire. The results of the draw will be sent out to all teams before Aug. 16." The LA Team Handball club hosted a beach handball tournament in August 2009; Collin said it was the inspiration for the national championships. Watch for more details on the 2010 USA Beach Handball National Championships, including registration and nearby hotel information, on http://usateamhandball.org soon. ABOUT BEACH HANDBALL Similar to indoor handball, two teams battle to throw a ball into a 3 x 2 meter goal. There are several important differences between beach and indoor handball, however, besides the sand. Teams include three field players and one goalkeeper each. Goals are worth one point each; spectacular throws, however, such as in-flight spins or goals by keepers, are worth two. Field players are allowed to try to grab the ball from outside the goal area, which is a rectangle instead of a half circle. Two 10-minute halves compose each match; the team with the most points at the end of each half is declared the winner. If each team wins a half and creates a tie, the match is decided by a shootout. Boston HC Wins in West Point March 30, 2010 The Boston Handball Club claimed its first tournament title, defeating NYC Team Handball Club 24-20 to win the 1LT Laura Walker Invitational at West Point, NY. West Point Black defeated Carolina THC for third place, while Tar Heels defeated West Point Gold for fifth place. in the final, Sarah Gascon paced Boston with six goals, with Melanie McCormick adding five. Gascon was the tournament's top scorer, including one game where she poured in 12 goals. NYC's Marleen Sterk and Amanda Priberg scored five goals apiece in the final for NYC. "We had great teams come down. It was great for our girls because they got to watch some really experienced athletes. Every team got to play every team," said Army coach CPT Jana Fajardo. "There are young teams, like UNC and us, and our junior players got some great looks at a few National Team players. Even though (Army) came in third and sixth, we thought it was really successful because the teams got more experience." Fajardo said the tournament provided a boost to teams participating in Collegiate Nationals. "We're pretty happy we beat UNC. We lost to them at the Carolina tournament a while ago, but now it is a couple weeks before nationals," she said. The invitational at West Point was named in honor of 1LT Laura Walker, a former captain of Army's handball team and junior national team athlete. A 2003 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, she was killed while serving in Afghanistan in August 2005. Walker was first deployed as a 2LT to Iraq in support of the 4th Infantry Division until April 2004. A combat engineer, she was re-deployed to Afghanistan in March of 2005 as a 1LT and soon named public affairs officer for Task Force Sword. Her military awards and decorations include Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Combat Action Badge, and Air Assault Badge. Her two brothers, father, and grandfathers served in the military as well. During her handball career, Walker competed on the junior national team in the Pan American Games and claimed the national collegiate championship title as team captain. Walker was even offered the opportunity to train in the World Class Athlete Program to prepare for Olympic competition. "She was playing handball here when I was a cadet," said Fajardo. "She was a really special, special person." Tampa Green Wave Hosts TuS-Nieder-Eschbach March 30, 2010 Last weekend, the Tampa Green Wave Handball Club hosted TuS 1894 Nieder-Eschbach in a friendly match. Nieder-Eschbach makes an annual trip to Florida, and contacted USA Team Handball about arranging friendly matches this year. The Green Wave are led by 1988 USA Olympian Bryant Johnson and features an international cast of players including students from several Tampa-area universities. Following a co-ed practice session and scrimmage, the Green Wave and Nieder-Eschbach faced off in a 60-minute game. The German visitors prevailed 29-25 - a result they credited to being in mid-season form. The match was ably officiated by Dr. Klaus Kattke, a member of the National Referee Committee and former German referee now residing in south Florida. TuS Nieder-Eschbach heads to Miami next to take on Miami Handball Club this coming weekend.
USATH Welcomed in Hamburg and Denmark by Steve Pastorino / April 16, 2010 HSV Hamburg's thrilling overtime victory over Rhein Neckar Lowen in the final of the Lufthansa Final Four was the highlight of a jam-packed five days in Germany and Denmark this past week. USA Team Handball Chairman Dieter Esch, board members Ralf Uhding and Jeff Utz (also president of Salt Lake Handball Club), new Chief Marketing Officer Greg Myers, and I participated in three days of matches and five days of meetings. Hamburg, the host of the Final Four, prevailed on the backs of performances from international stars including Pascal Hens, Igor Vori, the Lijewski brothers and goalkeeper Johannes Bitter. Bitter and Hens are expected to join the German National team in the Battle of Chicago on July 17, where they will confront the Lijewskis (along with RNL's Karol Bielecki and Slawomir Szmal) of Poland. We spent several hours off the court with members of HSV Hamburg's administration, mapping out plans for Germany's reigning Cup champions to lend technical, sponsorship and other support to Chicago's growing handball programs. I caught up with VfL Gummersbach's Jorg Lutzelberger, a defensive specialist who drew the daunting assignment of shutting down RNL's 6-foot-8 Bielecki in a 5-1 defensive scheme. Lutzenfelder was the MVP of the Big Apple Tournament in New York in January and can't wait to come back in 2011. At SportFive's gleaming offices in Hamburg, we discussed television (Poland, Germany, Middle East and USA), sponsorship, ticket sales for the Germany-Poland match in July. All systems are go! We met with representatives from other partner clubs including Lemgo, Berlin Fuchse and Dusseldorf. We hope to see substantive progress with all club partnerships, including the first American player(s) signing with them. Sponsorship conversations included companies like Toyota, Lufthansa and the Burda Media group. We spent Monday and Tuesday in Denmark. USATH board member Heins Kart Pedersen met us in Bjerringbro where we toured Grundfos and met with Global Marketing Chief Kim Klaustrup. We are optimistic that Grundfos will continue its support of USATH through at least 2013. Bjerringbro is a town of 7,000 people - with more than 4,000 of them working for Grundfos. We met with representatives from Bjerringbro-Silkeborg, the regular season Danish champions (with a mark of 25-1!). We agreed on a partnership in principle to pair Bjerringbro-Silkeborg with the Salt Lake Handball Club. We also toured the youth club, community handball center and Gymnasium (a college-prep high school) and in all cases found parties extremely willing and motivated to host American exchange students. Bjerringbro, by the way, has 50 handball teams! On Tuesday, we huddled with hummel, a company with nearly 90 years invested in handball and soccer. We're lobbying hummel to become the USA's exclusive apparel and equipment sponsor, and expect an answer in the coming days. Their hospitality was superb and their range of product exciting. Keep your fingers crossed. Finally, on Tuesday night, we attended the benefit match for HSV Hamburg and German National Team player Oleg Velyky, who lost his battle with cancer earlier this year. Hamburg played the German National Team, preceded by an "old-timer's team" against a local Oberliga club, SG Hamburg Nord. In an incredibly touching evening, the game raised more than $250,000 for Velyky's wife and son, who were in attendance and serenaded by a two-minute long standing ovation following the games. The veterans' team included Stefan Kretschmar, Ljubomir Vranjes, Lemgo GM Volker Zerbe, USATH board member Ralf Uhding and guest players including the world's 5th-ranked heavyweight boxer, Alexander Dimitrenko (29-1 as a boxer, but 0-for-3 from seven meters in this game!). Inter, New England to join New York City, others in Elite Division USA Team Handball April 11, 2010 Chicago Inter, New England Freeze and New York City ended their weekends victoriously as the teams seeded for their regions in the Men's Elite Division at the 2010 USA National Championships in Las Vegas, NV. Northeast League Division A After the final round of Division A of the Northeast League, New York City Team Handball Club and the New England Freeze of Boston will represent the region in the Men's Elite Division in the 2010 USA National Championships. New York City lost to West Point (41-49) and tied Boston (32-32), ending up with 19 points. Boston tied NYC and defeated West Point (41-38), securing second place with 13 points. Minneapolis Invitational Team Handball Tournament Chicago Inter will represent the Midwest in the Men's Elite Division at the 2010 USA National Championships. The Windy City team defeated Minnesota Team Handball in the Midwest qualifier at the Minneapolis Invitational Team Handball Tournament. The Chicago Inter, defending 2009 champion, also went undefeated on the women's side at the tournament. Minneapolis Pool Play Results Men's Matches Chicago Inter 3 Wins - 1st place MNTH 2 Wins 1 Loss - 2nd place Winnipeg Phoenix 1 Win 2 Losses - 3rd place The Garage 0 Wins 3 Losses - 4th place Women's Matches Chicago Inter 3 Wins - 1st place Winnipeg Deep Blue 2 Wins 1 Loss - 2nd place Manitoba U21 1 Win 2 Losses - 3rd place The Garage 0 Win 3 Loss - 4th place What’s New in Team Handball Chrös McDougall, Red Line Editorial April 14, 2010 Chicago Inter beat Minnesota Team Handball 27-24 in the Minneapolis Invitational Team Handball Tournament, securing a spot in the Men’s Elite Division at the 2010 USA National Championships. Chicago Inter, the 2009 champions, will defend their title May 21-23 in Las Vegas. The tournament was the first of its kind put on by Minnesota Team Handball, and featured eight teams—four men’s, four women’s. Only the championship game, between Minnesota and Chicago, served as the Midwest qualifier for nationals. Chicago Inter also won the women’s division, beating Deep Blue (Winnipeg, Manitoba) in the championship game. The tournament was a success for Minnesota Team Handball, a second-year club led by U.S. national team pool member Wilder Freed. MNTH stayed with Chicago Inter for much of their two matches, including a 33-19 loss in prelims. “We at MNTH think we can play with anybody now in the USA and give them a great game,” Dan Steinberg, MNTH’s administrative manager said in an e-mail. Darrick Heath, a star of the 1996 U.S. Olympic team, was on hand to help with refereeing and score keeping duties. In other regional action, Northeast League champion New York City Team Handball Club and runner-up New England Freeze earned berths in the USA National Championships’ Men’s Elite Division. New York City won the inaugural Northeast title with 19 points, although it lost to West Point and tied New England in the final round of league play. In all, eight teams will be named to the elite division of the national championship. Just ahead: Collegiate National Championships, April 23-25, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Ready for Collegiate Nationals to begin! by Lauren Harrington / April 23, 2010 Teams began to trickle in yesterday for the first-ever outdoor 2010 Collegiate National Championships. East Region Director Dominique Dumont and I have been in sunny Myrtle Beach since Wednesday evening making final preparations for the weekend tournament, which yesterday included helping to put down the two SnapSports courts in the shadow of the Hard Rock Café and nearly getting my laptop and camera obliterated by a forklift among a flurry of other errands. Visitors and business owners at Broadway at the Beach, a major Myrtle tourist oasis chockfull of restaurants, shops, and other goodies, scoped out our progress all Thursday in anticipation of the big event. Really, the courts look so fantastic outdoors next to palm trees and the Hard Rock's ancient Egyptian-style pyramid, it was almost worth practically sacrificing the MacBook. Almost. Competition for the seven men's teams and four women's teams will begin at 2 p.m. today. West Point, the reigning champion on the men's division for the last three years, will try for a fourth. Right on Army Black and Gold's heels are two men's teams from University of North Carolina, regular collegiate tournament heavyweights who have placed second place during Army's recent first-place streak. Three unfamiliar foes may shake up the mix, however. New squads from Ohio State University, Palm Beach Atlantic, and Texas A&M are also ready for their chance to dethrone the West Point men. Four women's teams from UNC and West Point are arriving in South Carolina to contend for the title. Since 2003, the Carolina women have been the collegiate champions twice, with Army taking first three times. The two universities have gone back and forth defeating each other this season, so the women's competition is shaping up to be a close one. Admission to the 2010 Collegiate National Championships at Broadway at the Beach is 120 percent free. If you're in the area, stop by for a fresh batch of handball and sunshine! Speaking of, bring sunscreen. If you can't make to Myrtle Beach this weekend, fear not, updates and other content will be posted to the USA Team Handball web trifecta: usateamhandball.org, Twitter, and Facebook.com/usateamhandball. Immediate courtside match results will be tweeted to USATH's Twitter at (http://twitter.com/usath). On Sunday you can catch all of the action of the men's (2 p.m. Eastern) and women's (noon) finals live via webstream on http://usateamhandball.org/live. Collegiate Nationals Schedule: April 23-25, Myrtle Beach, SC USA Team Handball April 23, 2010 http://usateamhandball.org/assets/d...4553/Screen_shot_2010-04-23_at_7.53.47_AM.png Above is the match schedule for the 2010 Collegiate National Championships in Myrtle Beach, SC, as of 8 a.m. Friday, April 23. Collegiate Nationals take place outdoors April 23-25 in the shadow of the Hard Rock Cafe (1322 Celebrity Circle) at Broadway at the Beach, Myrtle Beach, SC. The Sun News: Coastal business: College handball tourney starts at Broadway April 23, 2010 MYRTLE BEACH College handball tourney starts at Broadway The USA Team Handball Collegiate National Championship begins this afternoon at Broadway at the Beach, the first time the competition will be held outdoors. The men's and women's competition, which is free and open to the public, will be today through Sunday in the Broadway at the Beach parking lot near Hard Rock Cafe. The matches will run from 2 to 7 p.m. today; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Team handball, an Olympic sport, involves a ball slightly smaller than a volleyball. The competition will draw teams from as far away as Texas A&M University and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Read more: http://www.thesunnews.com/2010/04/23/1437153/coastal-business.html#ixzz0ltb0qrnm
West Regional Tournament to determine Elite Division placement USA Team Handball April 30, 2010 Four teams will compete this weekend in the West Regional Tournament for placement in the Men's Elite Division at the 2010 USA National Championships. Two Elite seeds are available for men's teams in the Western region of the United States; teams that do not qualify for one of the seven Elite berths will compete in the Open Division. Cal Heat, two teams from Los Angeles Team Handball Club, and newcomer San Diego will begin pool play Friday, April 30, at Los Amigos High School gym in Fountain Valley, CA. The tournament will continue throughout the weekend, finishing with the finals on Sunday. At the 2009 Nationals, Los Angeles Team Handball I placed fourth; Cal Heat placed sixth and Los Angeles Team Handball II came in 17th. Two women's teams, the Smurfs and Los Angeles Futures, will also compete for eligibility in the Elite Women's Division. The Smurfs placed sixth last year in the women's division. The 2010 USA National Championships will take place May 21-23, 2010, in Las Vegas, NV, at the South Point Hotel, Casino and Spa. For more information, please visit www.USATHNationals.com. Army Black men, Carolina women take titles at the 2010 Collegiate National Championships USA Team Handball April 26, 2010 The men of Army Black and women of Carolina will return home with gold again after defending their champion statuses Sunday at the finals of the 2010 Collegiate Nationals, held in Myrtle Beach, SC. The Carolina women were victorious over rival Army Black, 15-12, to secure their title. Army led a goal-for-goal game of catch-up in the first 30 minutes, with the half ending at 6-6. Carolina inched forward during the first 10 minutes of the second half, however, and soon widened its lead to several points, even after temporarily losing its only substitute due to an injury. Athletes from the Carolina men's squad, which defeated Texas A&M 34-14 for third in its division, rooted for their team from the stands. "They got some better shots off on us," said women's Army coach Keke Langkamp. "But both teams played amazingly incredible and Carolina has something definitely to be proud of." In the final match, Diva Desai, the tournament's Top Scorer, led Carolina with eight goals. Julia Taylor followed with three goals; Sylvia Exum and Rebecca Crabb scored two each. Army Black's Alexandria Scott produced three goals. Joy Turner and Amelia Storey each put two goals on the scoreboard; Audrey Moton, the tournament's MVP, Ann Brakefield, Morghan Mcaleney, Trish O'Toole, and Abigail Bandi all scored one. The Army women received more than one medal Sunday, however; the Gold team maximized its athleticism and speed to prevail in the bronze match against the Tar Heels, 9-7. Maria Kong of Army Black was named Most Valuable Goalie of the Women's Division. Experience trumped youth in the men's final when senior team Army Black bested its program's junior squad, Army Gold, 30-25. Army Black maintained a steady lead during the fast-paced match and was ahead 14-9 at halftime; Gold held its own throughout the game, however, such as when the tournament's Most Valuable Goalie Tim Wagner came down the court to score when his team was a man down during a 2-minute penalty. Jason Borchik led Army Black with nine goals during the final; Adam Moore followed him with eight and Thomas Giordano scored six. Preston Pham threw in three goals, and Marc Beaudoin, Greg Durso, and Greg Ayers each contributed one. What’s New in Team Handball Paul D. Bowker, Red Line Editorial April 29, 2010 The Army Black men’s team and Carolina women successfully defended their championships at the 2010 Collegiate Nationals held in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Jason Borchik led Army Black with nine goals in the 30-25 championship match win over Army Gold. Carolina’s Diva Desai, the women’s tournament top scorer (17 goals), scored eight goals in the final, a 15-12 Carolina win over Army Black. Jack Gibson of Army Gold was selected men’s MVP; Audrey Moton of Army Black was women’s MVP. Just ahead: USA Team Handball West Region Tournament, April 30-May 2, Fountain Valley, Calif.; USA National Championships, May 21-23, Las Vegas, Nev. From Army Gold, Mark Conrad topped his squad with six goals and Brendan Reber scored five. Kevin Rice, Craig Champlin, and Jared Mullane put three on the board; Jev Valles and Men's Division MVP Jack Gibson scored twice, and MVG Tim Wagner scored one as well. The tournament's Top Scorer in the Men's Division is Thomas Sherrill of Carolina. Video of both the men's and the women's finals will be available soon on http://usateamhandball.org. USA Team Handball will notify teams when the matches are posted.
Poland-Germany Tickets on Sale! May 02, 2010 USA Team Handball, the UIC Pavilion and TicketMaster put tickets on sale to the general public at 12:00pm on Monday, May 3 for the Battle of Chicago, featuring the national teams of Germany and Poland. The Battle of Chicago is scheduled to take place at 12:00pm on Saturday, July 17 - and will be televised live internationally. Poland beat Germany the last time these two historic rivals met at the 2010 European Championships in Innsbruck, Austria. Tickets range from $25 to $125, with food and drink included at the $125/VIP level Hines’ 13 goals not enough USA Team Handball May 07, 2010 Despite 13 goals from Gary Hines, USA’s European-based players fell 33-30 to Longericher SC in the third match in three days in Germany. Banged up after a week of games and practices, USA started very slowly and couldn’t overcome a 17-10 deficit at halftime. It was a strong day for several Army athletes, as Brian Walsh added five goals, Trevor Williams notched 3 and Justin Key added a pair. Martin Clemons Axelsson, Chris Koerner, Mark Ortega, Hans Self and Brian Lucas all got on the scoreboard as well. USA falls 41-24 to 2nd Bundesliga Side TV Korschenbroich May 05, 2010 In their first game during an eight-day camp in Dormagen, Germany, a team comprised of USA players living in Europe fell 41-24 in a friendly match against TV Korschenbroich. Seventeen-year-old Michael Williams (#3), who plays for SG Flensburg's top youth team in northern Germany, was the revelation of the game, scoring eight goals and demonstrating an arsenal of creative moves that TVK couldn't stop. The famed leaping ability of Gary Hines (#9) drew applause from the supportive TVK crowd, and the DJK Waldbuttelbrun back scored six goals. The USA started WCAP/West Point graduate Justin Key (#6) at one wing; with Rhein Neckar Lowen's Chris Koener on the opposite side. Hines, Mark Ortega (captain - #7) and Martin Clemons Axelsson (#5, plays professionally in Sweden) started across the back, with Jordan Fithian (#13) rounding out the starting lineup at pivot. The game was marred by a knee injury suffered by goalie Keith Fine. Fine will see a doctor in Dormagen on Wednesday. Although it is believed that the injury is not serious, Fine will likely miss the USA's remaining two games this week. On the other side, TVK started Austrian National Team keeper Thomas Bauer and his outstanding performance stymied USA shots all night long.
LA, Houston, Miami take division titles at 2010 USA National Championships USA Team Handball May 24, 2010 Los Angeles THC became the first team from the west coast to win the USA Men's Championship since 1995 leading a wave of new medalists in the 42nd USA Team Handball National Championships. LA defeated the New England Freeze in the Men's Elite Division Championship by the score of 25-20. Miami Storm won the Men's Open title, while Houston Firehawks took honors in the Women's field on Sunday, ending the three-day tournament at the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV. In the entertaining Men's Open Division, Miami held off pesky Minnesota, 29-26, to claim the title in its first season as a club. Denver THC claimed the bronze medal, capping a remarkable turnaround for them and Minnesota. Together, they fielded a joint team in 2009 Nationals only to finish 19th out of 20 teams in Elgin. Houston Firehawks, a team that placed third in 2009, avenged their loss to Chicago Inter in the 2009 semi finals and took the Women's Elite Division title by dethroning the two time defending champion 38-25. Video of the Men's Elite and Women's Elite Championships will soon be available to watch at http://usateamhandball.org/video. Preliminary Schedule Released for High School Nationals May 19, 2010 USA Team Handball released the preliminary schedule for High School Nationals, which takes place May 28-31 at Rampart HS in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The first-ever competition will feature Girls U18 teams from Colorado Springs, Bozeman (MT), Denver, Salt Lake City, New Jersey and Los Angeles. The Boys U18 tournament will feature two teams each from Colorado Springs and Salt Lake City. The Girls will play a 6-team round-robin. The Boys will also play a round-robin, but the top teams will square off for the 1st place honors. 1st HS National Championships May28th-May 31st Rampart High School in Colorado Springs, Co. Friday, May 28th 5:00 Girls New Jersey vs. SLHC 6:00 Girls Colorado Springs vs. Denver 7:00 Boys SLHC 1 vs. SLHC 2 Saturday, May 29th 8:30 Girls SLHC vs. Los Angeles 9:30 Girls New Jersey vs. Colorado Springs 10:30 Boys Colorado Springs 1 vs. SLHC 1 11:30 Boys SLHC 2 vs. Colorado Springs 2 12:30 Girls New Jersey vs. Denver 2:00 Girls SLHC vs. Bozeman 3:00 Boys Colorado Springs 1 vs. SLHC 2 4:00 Girls Denver vs. Los Angeles 5:00 Boys SLHC 1 vs. Colorado Springs 2 6:00 Girls New Jersey vs. Bozeman 7:00 Girls SLHC vs. Denver Sunday, May 30th 9:00 Girls Denver vs. Bozeman 10:00 Girls New Jersey vs. Los Angeles 11:00 Girls Colorado Springs vs. Bozeman 1:00 Girls Colorado Springs vs. Los Angeles 2:00 Boys Colorado Springs 1 vs. Colorado Springs 2 3:00 Girls Bozeman vs. Los Angeles Monday, May 31st 9:00 Girls SLHC vs. Colorado Springs 10:00 Boys #4 vs. #3 (Bronze Medal game) 11:00 Boys #2 vs. #1 (Gold Medal game)
