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Jaime Paredes Discusses the Old Pro Tour, His Start in the Game, Today’s Game and Much More!
WPH Press
Jaime Parades was a 1980’s pro tour legend, winning a pro stop in his rookie season, finishing second in the national 4-Wall doubles finals for three straight years with Dennis Haynes, reaching #3 on the Spalding/Gatorade pro tour and amassing wins against virtually every top player of his era. During his heyday, Parades took his serve-and-shoot game to 50 tournaments a year, often playing singles and doubles every week!
Parades did not fully dedicate himself to handball until his college baseball career ended. Playing handball for just two months a year during his baseball career as a middle infielder to improve his eyes and feet, Parades “caught the bug” after college and played every day, advancing from the CA State B’s to the pros in just three years. Wow!
In this exclusive interview with one of the game’s greatest players and thinkers, Jaime gives us an inside look at his start in the game, his coach and greatest influence, his first tournament wins, his rookie season on the pro tour, his breakthrough moments, his biggest disappointments and much more! This is a true treat for handball fanatics!
How did you start in handball?
I played for the first time in high school when I was 16. Some guys bet me lunch that they could beat me and in those days, that $1 or $2 for lunch was a big deal. I was competitive right away and I picked up on the game pretty quickly, I just got the concept of it. I could hit a 90 mph fastball, so the speed of the game didn’t bother me, I just needed to figure out how to play the game
Who was your coach and greatest influence?
My dad. My dad was a very good athlete; he was a former professional baseball player, won the San Diego city golf amateur at the age of 40 and was just a stud at every sport. I came home from high school and told him I played handball and wanted to challenge him. We went down to the college courts, which was about 30×50 court with no ceiling and he just ran me all over the court and just killed me. I found out later that he was one of the top handball players in San Diego in the 1950’s, although he never mentioned it to me. My dad was always there to motivate me and to encourage me to continue to travel to pro stops, even after several bad losses. He always stressed to work on your feet, to have great feet and get into position.
What were your first tournament wins?
Won first tournament in the Novice at the age 18 in the Novice at a San Diego pro stop, then won the CA State B singles in Oceanside CA State Championships the year after college graduation in 1980, “catching the bug” with the B title
What was your greatest inspiration to improve and become a pro?
Watching the San Diego pro stop at the Atlas Health Club in which I won the novice at the age of 18 was mind-blowing. To have a chance to see what Freddy Lewis, Naty, Sr., Terry Muck, Dennis Hofflander, Gordy Pfeifer, Gary Rohr, Bo Belinkski, Steve August (August could blast the ball) Don Duarte, Don Chamberlin and others could do was just astonishing. Watching those guys play was wild, I thought I was good but this was a different ballgame, those guys were special. Back then it was the Haber influence, passes, straight balls on the serve, using the ceiling, Rohr was the only guy who hooked the ball big. The old black ball was heavy and you could spin it really well, it grabbed the floor and would break at right angles
What do you consider to be your breakthrough?
The 1980 Nationals at the Tucson Athletic Club – in May of 1980 I went to the Nationals at the Tucson Athletic Club and played doubles and 23-and-under. We slept in the parking lot in a thousand degrees on the pool chairs that I climbed the fence to grab after the club closed. I teamed with Don Duarte beat some great teams, including New York’s Steve Lott and Ken Ginty. We eventually lost to Don Chamberlin and Russell in an 11-10 tiebreaker in the semifinals.
In the 23-and-under I beat Chris Roberts, Doug Glatt and played Dave Dohman in the semis. Haber was there and told me I had no chance to beat Dohman but I beat him to make the final. In the loss that still keeps me up at night, I played Steve King in the final. Steve King reminds me a lot of Sean Lenning – big, tall, hit the living daylights out of the ball. I had just beat King in a tournament in San Diego a month prior and felt really good about my chances. I won the first game on the two-glass court at the TAC, having never played in a glass court before. King won the second game. In the tiebreaker, I was hooking the ball and doing everything right and took a 9-5 lead. After successfully throwing natural hooks into the left side glass wall from the right side of the court, I decided to try to fool him and serve down the right. I left the serve to the right hanging and King just crushed it, blew the ball right by me. I never served again, as King ran it out. I’ll never forget, I rode home to San Diego in the back of a truck with a shell on the top thinking about that serve the whole way and haven’t stopped thinking about it since!
How did you crack the pro tour?
The 1983 Nationals in Houston – I advanced to the semifinals of the 1983 Nationals, beating Dohman in the round of 16 and Sabo in the quarters. I frustrated Sabo by getting everything he hit, got my serve going down the right with the glass right wall and played Naty Sr. in the semis. Just like in the finals of the 1980 23-and-under in Tucson, Stuffy Singer told me that I had no chance. Morty Goffstein, a friend of mine, turned on Singer: “Don’t tell that kid that, you go out and beat that guy.” I gave Naty a run for his money, losing 21-15, 21-18.
I teamed with Dennis Haynes and lost to Naty and Vern in the doubles final
Could you discuss your rookie season on the tour?
A rocky ride – I got a call from Bob Peters in January of 1984 inviting me to Seattle for the first stop of the season. I did not have to qualify because I finished in the top four at the nationals in Houston in 1983 and earned enough ranking points to be invited to Seattle (the top 12 were invited at that time). The pro tour was a rude awakening: I lost to Sabo in the first round in Seattle in 1984, Freddy crushed me in Tucson in the first round of the next tournament, and Vern killed me at the end of March in the first round of the third stop in Houston. I was discouraged but my dad said if you don’t have to qualify just keep going, run, hit balls, train, and play to get ready for the next one.
Bob Peters then called to ask me to play doubles for the U.S. in Ireland with Dennis (since we finished second at the Nationals). I went to Ireland in early May for two weeks and played the best handball of my life, I don’t think I made a mistake in the two weeks. Haynes and I won the world doubles title, I lost in the semis of the 60×30 singles in a limit match- I ran out of gas, 15 minutes, no timeouts, and lost in finals of the 60×30 doubles
Right after the Ireland trip I traveled to Quebec for the next pro stop and beat Sabo, Kendler, Hofflander, Vern to win the event. I did not lose a game in the tournament. The two weeks in Ireland and Quebec reminded me of going on a hitting streak when the baseball looks like the size of a softball. The handball looked really big and nothing fooled me. My serve was on and I was able to beat Vern pretty good in the final.
The following month in June in Baltimore I played Ken Ginty. Pete Tyson was sitting courtside and would later tell me that out of 42 points I scored in the two-game win, 38 came on ace serves. Ken Smolack said it was one of the best serving exhibitions ever. I played Vern in the quarters and it was a complete reversal: 21-20, 20-21, 11-10 to Vern in three hours and 45 minutes, the longest match of my career and maybe the longest match ever. I then played 2.5 hour doubles match an hour later and had to play two on one because Haynes was hurt. 1984 was a trying year but a special year
What were the biggest disappointments in your handball career?
I was scheduled to play doubles with David Chapman in the 1992 Nationals in East Lansing. I got a staff infection and spent the week in the hospital in East Lansing and could not play. David picked up Naty Jr. and they won it. I knew David and I could have won it together. The second disappointment was at the 1992 3-Wall Nationals in Toledo. I tore my Achilles at 9-6 in the semifinals tiebreaker against Richard Lopez and had to pull out of the singles and doubles. I was playing with Tati Silverya and we had a great chance to win it against John Bike and Dave Dohman. Those two injuries really hurt me
Who was your toughest rival during your pro tour career?
Freddy Lewis, I hated to play him. Our styles conflicted, he was pinpoint, great defense, knew the court, controlled the court, court general, and saw things before they happened. Our matches were ugly. I beat him most of the time but it was a grind. I would have rather played Naty, Kendler, Bike, or Tati instead of Freddy. It saved me that I could run and was younger. Youth always prevails
Who was your toughest opponent on the tour?
Naty, Sr. No one on tour could beat that guy, for my money, he is the greatest to ever play. In Tucson in 1985 Naty beat me in the semis 21-19, 21-18 in the semis. Pete Tyson said there were six ceiling balls hit in the 2.5 hour match. We stood on each other’s hips, we both played extremely tight. One time I hit Naty with a fist follow through, that’s how close we played. When everything was said and done, Naty had more power, Naty had just a little bit of a handball edge, could find something in his bag of tricks and no one could serve like Naty Sr.
Who was your handball hero?
As a novice at the 1979 San Diego pro stop, I loved to watch Hofflander. Dennis had the same build as me and I loved his style. He shot everything, had two good hands and was just dynamite. Dennis was introverted and did not let a lot of people in but he and I were friends. I always felt badly when I beat him. If Dennis liked you, he would give you the shirt off his back.
Terry Muck was another one of the guys I admired. He was small but he could really run, great shape, fly around the court, and was every bit as fast as Naty, faster than Vince. Terry didn’t have much power but he could really play.
Naty was only a couple of years older and me and I thought if he can do it, I can do it, that was a goal for me after watching him at the 1979 pro stop.
What would you tell an aspiring pro player who is trying to reach the heights that you reached in pro handball?
Use more than one serve, use combinations, learn to hook the ball a little bit, use z serves, learn to keep guys off-balance, learn to put guys in a bad positions and that will give you a shot at it. Use combinations in kills, start with side front, once someone catches on to the side front, hit straight in kills, then go cross court, then back to side front, make it a guessing game for your opponent . To play this game at a high level, you need great feet, a great first step, always work on your feet, always get in good position. If you look at Freddy Lewis, he was always under great feet, as were Vern, Poncho, Kendler, and any pro athlete. Naty Sr. had a first step like Michael Jordan. Learn the serve and shoot game, be aggressive, control the front court- if you could control the front of the court you will not lose
How difficult was it for you to step away from the pro tour?
I knew that because of career, eventually getting married, and most importantly, that it was a young man’s game that it was time to stop. Tati, Chapman, Vince, and Bike were coming on at the time I played my last pro tournament in Nebraska in 1995 and it wasn’t my time anymore and I couldn’t run with those guys anymore. I could only play one game, not a match. As the saying goes, I had the heart and head but not the ass – I knew what to do but just can’t do it anymore
What do you miss most about playing pro handball?
The people. I had a blast spending 10-11 years traveling the world playing a game I loved, meeting people from all over the world and the country and I don’t regret one minute of it. From 1985-1986, I was on an airplane every weekend and only took Christmas and New Year’s Day off. I played in 50 tournaments in each of those years! If you get an opportunity like that don’t pass it up. When all is said and done, I loved the people and I miss my friends. I especially loved Toledo, LaGrange, special thoughts for Houston (first pro nationals), loved Tucson and the Milwaukee Classic, South End Memorial Day Weekend (if you won that tournament you had a good chance at winning the nationals), LAAC, Alaska: “Party with the Pros”, Prince George and Vancouver and so many more great places.
What is the importance for pros to grow the game?
I would play anyone at any level. I had just won the semifinals of the Western Regionals in Long Beach and right after the match, a seven-year-old named David Chapman asked me to play. We played on the adjacent court to the second open semifinal and after about five minutes, no one was watching the open semifinals, they were all watching us! From that point on, David and I always had a standing game every time we saw one another. I would play any B or C player, I never turned down a game because I was in their position when I started. I tried to talk to everybody and to play everybody.
How would you compare the style of game of the pros on the tour during your run to the pro style in today’s game?
The was more variety back then, more ceiling, hooks, wrap-arounds, most likely because the ball being heavier
Which pro players do you enjoy watching on the Race 4 Eight tour today?
Killian, Brady, Cordovas, Sean, Mando, and Marcos
Who would you have liked to play in today’s game when you were in your prime?
I would have loved to have played Brady and any of the pros today. Everything being equal, these guys could have played in my era (and us in their era). The only difference I see in today’s game is that the ball is lighter and doesn’t grab the floor as well. The game looks flatter today and the ball doesn’t allow for the all-around game. There was a lot of control in the previous era because of the ball
Word Association
David Chapman: man child, brilliant, caught on to so many things at a young age, extremely smart, genius
Naty Alvarado Sr.: greatest player ever, two great hands, speed, control, had too much of everything, could hook, hit it straight, run it down the walls, great first step like Michael Jordan, heart, won the nationals with one arm with a bad right elbow, grinder
Paul Brady: great condition, great player
Tati Silverya: power plus, could pound the ball
John Robles: great left hand, he could rock it, could not hit it as hard as his brother Mike
David Wyrsch: great talent, two great hands, a lot of fun, goofy, he could play, as talented as anybody
Jon Kendler: handball didn’t matter to him much but when he turned it on he was devastating, two great hands, did what he wanted to do, very smart guy
Vince Munoz: great all around ball player, speed, two good hands, needed a little better serve, if he could have hooked the ball more he would have been even better, dynamite player, great person
John Bike: worker, made his right hand a priority and it got better and he could do a lot with his right hand, Adonis, always in shape, worked hard
Thank you to pro tour legend Jaime Parades for reliving his handball journey with the WPH!
David Fink
WPH Patreon Writer