Year: 2013

Categories
Local News News

Welcome to the New Maryland Handball Website

It has been awhile since we had a major update to the Maryland Handball website.    All of the content we had on the old site has been moved over so you can still view old results, news, and player development articles.  Obviously we have updated the site format and aesthetics but we have also regained control of our old MDHANDBALL.COM domain.  Both mdhandball.com and marylandhandball.com will come here.
In the future we would love content contributions.  Anything that you would like to post on the site, let us know.

Notable Site Updates

  • New “What is Handball?” section – Hopefully to narrow down the requests for team handball and promote our sport.  Originally written by Dan Zimit, but we also added some youtube embedded videos.  There is also a link to contact us if you are interested in playing that leads to an email form.
  • Updated “Find a Game” section – Added google maps to update our playing location addresses and also added a form where players looking for a game can contact Maryland handball players
  • Updated “Tournament” section – New contact form where other people can attach a file and include information on tournaments you want promoted.
  • New Subscribe to blog updates – New section that is always on the right hand side. You will be notified of new content via email.  Feel free to signup
  • New Subscribe to newsletter –  At the bottom of the page.  A user can subscribe to our newsletter updates.  Nothing gets to you automatically.  (You may already be signed up, as we have consolidated our previous email lists to here)

Let us know what you think.  Feel free to comment below.

Categories
Local News

A Note From our New Commissioner

Fellow local handball players, as I assume the role of Current Maryland Handball Commissioner from Dan Zimet, I look forward to continuing and building on what Dan has accomplished as our lone Commissioner over the past ten years.  His efforts have helped build a solid foundation of handball in the community and his hard work has enhanced the financial position of Maryland Handball as an organization.
With Dan’s continued help, the commitment of Commissioner Elect Dan Ho, as well as dedicated others (Titles and Committee members to be determined) my hope is to keep handball in the local area moving in a positive direction and to build on the camaraderie we enjoy together as handball players throughout the region.
Over the next few months I will be seeking volunteers to serve in somewhat of an official capacity, perhaps as Tournament Chair, Food and Refreshment Chair, Publicity Chair, etc.  I know that many of you worked with Dan in the past and the support you have provided is immeasurable in making events and tournaments run smoothly and in keeping them enjoyable for all participants and their guests.
As we move into a new calendar year of handball, I anticipate a seamless transition with only one significant change to our current local tournament structure.  The change which has been discussed with prior board members and other prominent faces in the handball community is one of formatting the Maryland State Singles and Doubles tournaments into a single event. The idea to combine both the singles and doubles into a two-day event is due to the fact that individually, each of the tournaments has met mixed success as to the number of participants.  Certainly, participation from outside the immediate local commuting area has dwindled.  With a two-day event, the hope is to expand on the overall tournament venue, increase the number of handball participants and guests, and perhaps most importantly, expand on our camaraderie that is important to the game of handball.
Therefore, the Maryland Singles tournament scheduled for March is cancelled.  With the help of your input, a future date will be determined combining both a singles and doubles format.
In concluding, I welcome all comments and suggestions.  I welcome new ideas or old ones that still work.  I have pretty thick skin for criticism and welcome constructive debate.  My goal is simply to keep handball alive and enjoyable for us all.
Thank you for taking the time to read and correspond with me any thoughts. I look forward to seeing you on the handball court soon!
Bob Maguire ( bonzomagoo@aol.com) …until I set up a handball account
Categories
Handball Tips and Instructions

Skills Evaluation Checklist

Have some fun with this list taken from: Handball Basics George Zafferano Sterling Publishing 1977. Using a scale of 0 to 5 points, rate yourself against the 25 mistakes listed in this Checklist. If you commit a mistake frequently give yourself zero. Thats right you gotta be brutally honest!! Occasionally is worth three points and rarely is worth five points. BE SINCERE and self critical! Reevaluate yourself every few weeks to see if your total increases.

SKILLS EVALUATION CHECKLIST:
1. Rarely waits for a second or third set-up before shooting for a kill. Plays too much with the ball.
2. Serves lack control, accuracy and effectiveness. Uses the serve merely as a vehicle to put the ball in play.
3. Dishes up disastrous second serve set-ups to eager, aggressive receivers.
4. Server’s offensive game and court strategy ineffective, especially on the return of the served ball. Shows poor reaction to the receivers return of serve. Fails to keep the receiver on the defensive.
5. Server fails to kill off weak service returns. Lacks a one-two punch and “killer instinct”
6. Uses the offhand excessively, especially on the serve, when the strong hand would produce a better shot or make the point.
7. Hop serves not employed judiciously or cleverly. Receiver is not kept guessing and can anticipate hops.
8. Encroaches on partner’s ball to make an inferior shot.
9. Does not back up partner or back up the play, resulting in an inferior shot by the partner.
10. Alternate placement shots not thought out in advance, resulting in haphazard and disjointed court and game strategy. Opponent is not kept guessing and on the defensive.
11. Shots lack control and accuracy, giving the opponent an easy opportunity to execute effective counter returns.
12. Attempted hop passing shots not hit in relation to an opponents court position, resulting in ineffective hop placements.
13. Quickly sizes up his opponent and displays an uncanny ability to anticipate shots and position himself favorably.
14. When on defense, fails to anticipate the type and direction of the serve. Shows poor reaction to straight or hopped serves, resulting in listless return shots.
15. Receiver defensive strategy ineffective. Returns fail to drive the server out of the front court area. Fails to keep the rival off balance.
16. When on defense, fails to anticipate the type/direction of shots during a rally so as to move quickly into the best possible position to return ball.
17. Chooses wrong return shots, based on court position of the opponent.
18. Makes an incorrect decision. Plays the ball either on the first bounce instead of hitting a fly volley or fly kill or hits a fly volley when he should have waited for the bounce off of the side wall or back wall.
19. Not opportunistic! Fails to take advantage of opponent’s miscues. Plays too conservatively.
20. Fails to exploit rivals obvious weaknesses.
21. Fails to adapt and make quick adjustments to game plan during play. Fails to improve under fire. Should be a more “thinking” and innovative player. At times appears to be totally bewildered on the court.
22. Uses wrong stroke for specific shots. Radically incorrect.
23. Uses improper stroking position for specific shot selection.
24. Uses improper stroking position for specific shot selection. Displays unorthodox, error prone characteristics.
25. Fails to use a time out to gain strategic and psychological advantages (cooling off a rival’s hot streak). Uses his time out injudiciously and lets rest periods help his opponent.