After 10 years and thinking about it for the past year, I have come to the firm conclusion that it is appropriate for me to resign from the Maryland Commissioner role. There are numerous reasons for doing so, the most critical being a need for new ideas and energy, and my desire to contribute to Handball in a different way. I am hopeful that a new Commissioner will be better able to draw players to our tournaments and invigorate an agenda that help Maryland Handball grow. My tenure has had its ups and downs, and I'm aware of many things that I could have done or done differently. I have always done my best to insure that our tournaments meet our budget, are as competitive as our turnout allows, and run as smoothly as possible. In forming an MHA Committee I tried to create an open atmosphere welcoming new ideas and promoting joint contributions to growth, organization and goal setting. In stepping down I hope that everyone I have served in my role as Commissioner knows that every decision I made was guided by my passion and desire to give a competitive and enjoyable experience to as many of you as possible.
The below individuals have made the largest contributions to Maryland Handball over the past ten-years and I want to extend my deepest appreciation to each of you for the efforts you have made. Alan Frank has been instrumental in offering advice, support, tournament day organization and hosting, and creating the draws. Nathaniel has been an amazing addition offering great energy, website development and maintanence, tournament day organization and hosting, and maintaining an organized list of entries. Both of the Franks have also recruited players and fielded correspondance at every tournament. Simply put, without them I would have never been able to run as well as play in our events. Charlie Parson and Sharon have brought Maryland Handball into the technical age with clever draw displays and design suggestions for giveaways (most notably the political cartoon from the 2012 singles). Dan Ho as well as Joe P have give their time, patience and support to player development and teaching anyone interested in learning about our game. Joe Berman has assisted at numerous events, provided critical support and offered information in draw development. Josh Ho has been present in a range of periferal supports, most notably website design and cooking the BBQ at the 2012 Eastern Regionals. Peter Peart has allowed us to relive our tournaments with wonderful write ups, and he has always made himself available to reff a match. I am also grateful to the many others who ran the desk, cleaned up, reffed matches, and otherwise provided support and encouragement.
Thanks to each of you – I look forward to the 22nd, where we can determine in whose hands the future of Maryland Handball will rest and how to best support a transition.
With warmest regards,
Dan Zimet