JR WPH Highlighting Race 4 Eight Pros Giving Back to the Game: Dylan Hernandez
JR WPH Press, Tucson, AZ, 8/2/22
Dylan Hernandez has established himself as one of the most promising young stars in handball, winning a WPH Icebreaker title in 2020 and finishing tenth at the 2022 R48 Player’s Championship en route to a top 20 R48 ranking. Not only is Dylan one of the sport’s rising stars, he also coaches a group of young handballers twice a week in Southern California, enthusiastically giving back to the game that means so much to him. Several of Dylan’s proteges competed in the 2022 USHA 3-Wall Junior Nationals in July in Los Angeles.
Dylan discusses his practice routine with his young players below.
“I have the kids start off by warming up. After that, the routine depends on the day. I might have the kids do drills. I have them do some basic hitting drills so I can critique their swings. I believe mechanics are necessary to hit the ball consistently hard and without hand errors. I will critique their swings and break down the fundamentals, just how a batting coach would for a baseball team. If we don’t do drills, I have the kids hop in the rotation with myself and the other pro players that train with me. If we play singles, I play them hard and ask them after the game what they could do better to improve, or I will give my own tips that they could work on. I play them hard purposely so they realize to keep working and to try to elevate their game to my level. If I play them easy then it’s easy for them to make shots and return shots without trying, and it keeps them in that comfortable state of mind. I want them thinking all the time that they have to play hard and give it their all. If I play them hard, they get used to playing at a faster pace and it makes them focus more because they know they can’t make mistakes.”
Thank you to Dylan for giving back and helping to grow the game.
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