Handball is a simple game.
Handball is a simple game played on many levels and within those levels lies many layers of complexity. At the Maryland State Doubles Tournament held in Saverna Park, the simplicity of our game was on display on every court and every level. As a fan and a player, I wish I could watch every game on every court, but logistics and reality dampens that pleasure. With so many games going on at once, we often choose a match with either our favorite players or the one with the finest display of skills and competition. With that in mind, I will try to recapture slices and glimpses of matches starting with my own saga as the day unfolded.
My partner Bruce and I were drawn in the 40s bracket that became combined 40/50s. As I looked over the draw, there were no walk-overs or easy pickings to be had. The path to glory was fortified with teams of players with both regional and national championship experience. Our opponents in the first round was Tony Winter and Dean Dimidio. Having played against Tony in 3-wall, we know of his tenacity and his relentless ball tracking ability. How that translates to the indoor 4-wall venue was about to be revealed. Thanks to the insight of several players who had played him in 4-wall, I had a hint as to what was in store. We knew nothing of Dean's skills but surmised if he was playing with Tony, he was no slouch.
Winter and Dimidio served first and loss serve without scoring a point. We in turn, scored one before side out. There was the slightest feel of nervous energy that always creeps into tournament situations. After numerous side outs, Winter and Dimidio blasted away in waves of points and we were down at 14-2 before scoring another point. At 19 we managed to get 4 more before Dimidio and Winter finished us off.
After the break, we had some momentum going into the second game and it showed as we battled to a 9-9 tie in a game that seemed destined to go down to the final point tied or at least closely contested. What worked in the first game for Winter and Dimidio failed repeatedly in the second game. In the first game their strategy was to serve to me defending the right side. For some inexplicable reason, I was just not focused enough to adequately handle anything they threw at me. I was frustrated by my lack of concentration and slight physical tightness. This was not nervous energy but a just not being physically loose. Admittedly, these days, it takes me awhile to get going. Arrrgh! Early in the second game, consecutive kills and passing shots for return of serves forced Winter and Dimidio to serve almost exclusively to Bruce. Bruce handle their serves and kept us in the match. The match turned at 9-9, when on our serve, I hit my first serve into the ground. This upset me tremendously and I immediately called time out before Bruce could get his serve in. On reflection, this was a tactical error. But in my haste to quell my frustration from my service gaff, I inadvertently killed the flow of our momentum. When we returned to the court, Bruce lost his serve on a brief rally and Winter and Dimidio found new life that propelled them to a 21-9 victory.
In one semifinal match, Winter and Dimidio battled the team of Joe Berman and Rob Landy to take the 11 point tie breaker. In the finals, they met their match in the team of the ubiquitous Mr. Anderson (Rick) and George Alicea-Ruiz. Having played against both these players separately in 3-wall, I was not surprised by the outcome even though, I always root for the team that eliminates me from contention. There is a salve of sort to know that you lost to the eventual champ. I have written those lines before, but for the moment it is solace as I hoe the road in my progress.
Though my progress has been noted through my steady improvement of play, there are still thousands of shots I have not seen and thousand of shots left for me to make. As I started out by saying, handball is a simple game, I must elaborate further by saying, the ball, when manipulated skillfully, rips the simplicity apart if you are on the defending side. If you have an answer for these repeated skillful manipulations, then from your perspective the game remains simply. Then again, if you are overmatched by an opponent, the revelation will no doubt result in a conundrum and confounded complexity.
As always, I had the pleasure of refereeing a couple of matches. It always makes me smile to hold the clip board, call the score and try to stay out of the way. When you are refereeing doubles games more so than singles, you must concentrate and follow the ball as it travels through the thicket of players. Ability and skill sometimes dictate whether a called is made or you let play continue. It can be a minefield of judgment within the rules as you try to keep the game flowing and stay out of the way. Make the call and stick with it unless overruled by players. And sometimes, we miss a call with no predisposed notion of partiality. But being a ref helps me understand the game better. As a spectator, we all are referees, but until you hold that clip board, your opinion is just simply a personal view.
Bruce and I faired slightly better in the consolation round as we readily handled the team of Joe Pleszkoch and Charlie Parsons. Waiting for us in the next match was the Bossung brothers, John and Steve. I was quite familiar with Steve's skill set. In combination with John, they were mirror images of one another. Though we had fun and battled hard, the Bossungs bested us in the minimum two games and sent us to the showers so we could later become spectators to semi and final rounds of several divisions.
There was a classic battle in the 60s division final. Long time partners Dave Hinkelman and Dan Ho went toe-to-toe against Bob Bardwell and Mike Razz. Although Hinkleman and Ho breezed through the first game at one, Bardwell and Razz clawed their back into the match to take it to the tie breaker. From all accounts, this was a classic grind ’em out battle between familiar opponents. In the end, at 10-10, Ho served to Razz, a dramatic change from the game strategy, and the ball hooked enough to befuddle Razz and ended the match.
As always, the Open division provides the highest level of skills on display. From the vantage point of a spectator and judging the reaction of others, there were exquisite matches and moments within those matches. In my estimation the semifinals of both sides of the Open draw created intensity and excitement that defines our game and makes me humble and glad that I play. On the side that I witnessed the most, Lee and Eric Anderson were pitted against the venerable (smile) team of Alan Frank and Dan Zimet. After battling to a standstill via a split of the first two games, the 11 point tie breaker ramped up the boisterous urgings of the Andersons, led skillfully by the ever tenacious Lee. At 9-8 in favor of the Andersons, the players and the crowd were treated to amazing gets and crafty shot making that created repeated side outs. At 9-9, Frank and Zimet slipped into a zone that their years of partnering have afforded them. Without elaborating on what it is they have, I have witnessed what I call the "the knowing look" between them when they say, 'Let's finish this.' And just like that, a brilliant passing shot by Dan dragged Eric beyond his athletic best to create match point. And after a fierce rally the epic battle was settled. The crowd roared with sustained applause and the opponents hugged singularly and as a group, heads held high, knowing that this day, only the score made the difference.
In the Open final, Alan and Dan were matched against a younger team of Keith Vassal and Raul Retian who managed to slip by Jay Miller and the stalwart and crafty Rick Anderson. From what I heard as I refereed part of a match in the adjacent court, this too was a match worthy of being the finals. The finals was almost anticlimactic. It did not match the intensity of the aforementioned semis, but it had its moments of sweet shot making by both sides. Vassal has what seems to be an unorthodox almost awkward looking swing, but his shots often translate to effective kills. It was fun to watch how the experienced team of Zimet and Frank dictated both pace and outcome of the match. 'Let's finish this, Al!' was transmitted before this match begun, as Vassal and Retian were dispatched with classy ease.
Another great tournament run by the Maryland Handball Association. As always, I cannot end without kudos to Nathaniel Frank for his organizing skills and other contributions to our simple game.