WPH Showcase, Denver/Boulder CO, 11/6/24
The WPH is excited to continue the WPH Handball Destination Series to showcase the world’s greatest handball cities and venues. On this edition of the WPH Handball Destination Series, we will feature Denver and Boulder’s vibrant handball communities, one of the country’s best handball regions.
Denver
4-Wall Courts in Denver
Denver Athletic Club
- 6 courts
- Singles and doubles
- Mostly small ball, occasional big ball
- Most popular times to play at the DAC: Denver Athletic club usually has games every Monday and Wednesday evening starting around 4 pm (Donna Mosely sends the weekly emails)
- The DAC has hosted two Race 4 Eight events (2013, 2014)
Apex Racquetball and Fitness Club
- 6 courts with the possibility of 8 (2 have water damage)
- Singles and doubles
- Mostly small ball, occasional big ball
- Most popular times of day to play at Apex: 8 am on Saturdays during the colder months
Englewood Rec Center
- 4 courts
- Singles and doubles
- Mostly small ball, occasional big ball
- Most popular times of day to play at Englewood: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10am – 12pm (organized by Jim Hale with 8-16 players generally participating)
Wheat Ridge Rec Center
- 2 courts
- Singles and doubles
- Mostly small ball, occasional big ball
Goodson Rec Center in Centennial
- 8 courts
- Singles and doubles
- Mostly small ball, occasional big ball
Leagues in the Denver Area
- The Fall League is currently running with eight teams with players from Fort Collins down to Colorado Springs participating
- Every week each team will be matched up against another playing eight total matches, four singles (Open, A, C1, C2) and four doubles (Open, A, C1, C2)
- The end of the season features a Championship Day with the top four teams and a Toilet Bowl for the bottom four teams
Active players in the Denver area: 150+
Top players in the Denver area:
- CJ Laffey: Current 4-Wall Singles Champion
- John Chapman: Current 3-wall singles and doubles champion (currently ranked on the Race 4 Eight tour)
- George Repine: Current 3-wall doubles champion (formerly ranked on the SR48 tour)
- Jonathon (JT) Hingey
- Alex Ibarra
- Luis Perez
- Stas Hammond
- Jon Gutierrez
- Eli Gutierrez
- Armando Ibarra
Denver Community leaders
- Lloyd Garcia Organizes games in Northern Colorado 4-Wall and 3-Wall
- Stan Dunlavy (tournament director at two Race 4 Eight events at the Denver Athletic Club)
- Sarah Whitlock, Matt Craig, Bianca Verlangieri, Reggie Vair, Spence Wilson, Fred Sycuro
- Donna Mosely – Denver athletic club email list
- Jim Hale – Englewood shuttle
- Brent Cottrell Organizes tournaments in CO Springs
- Gene Schneider – Head coach of the Colorado School of Mines Handball team, he also runs a youth program
- Levi Osen – assistant couch
- Aaron Therekildson – helps with the Mines team on Tuesdays
4-Wall Tournaments in the Denver Area
Tournaments are held at either the Denver Athletic Club or Apex, with 5-6 tournaments per year:
- Colorado State Singles Handball Tournament every March
- Colorado State Doubles 4-Wall Handball Tournament
- Behemoth Handball Tournament in CO Springs in February
- Cinnamon Bun Doubles one-day Tournament at the Apex Racquetball and Fitness Center around Christmas/New Years (lots of cinnamon buns and lots of handball)
- Mines Appreciation Tournament every year to raise funds for their collegiate handball program run by Bianca Verlangieri, Matthew Craig, and others
Most memorable tournament in the Denver Area
“The Colorado State Singles tournament is the best 4-Wall tournament around Denver,” stated Colorado Handball WPH correspondent John Chapman. “The Colorado State Singles has brought Race 4 Eight pros Leo Canales, Mark Doyle, and players from around the country. The environment and hospitality are great with a high level of handball.”
Guest access to Denver Area Handball
Guests can play at the clubs in Denver – most clubs require a day pass, but the Denver Athletic Club requires a member there to access the club
Junior Handball in the Denver Area
Gene Schneider and Jon Gutierrez run a successful junior handball program
Gene Schneider – Head coach of the Colorado School of Mines Handball team. They have about 20 Mine’s students that are actively playing handball. He also runs a youth program.
Levi Osen – assistant coach on the Mines Team
Aaron Therekildson – helps with the Mines team on Tuesdays
Mines Handball Club – they have brought many new players to the community and several alumni continue to stay involved and run tournaments. They participate in collegiates every year, there is a team on the yearly handball fall league and have a strong presence in every tournament.
Up and coming Junior Players in the Denver Area
- Eli Gutierrez: 17-and-under 4-Wall national champion, 19-and-under doubles finalist
- Zait Bustillos: 13-and-under singles 4-Wall national finalist, 13-and-under doubles finalist
- Jahaziel Montes Hernandez: 15-and-under big ball 4-Wall national finalist
3-Wall in Denver
There are no 3-Wall courts in Denver, but there are courts in Boulder at the East Boulder Community Park and in Englewood at the Costigan Courts (much more on Boulder 3-Wall below)
1-Wall in Denver
There are several 1-Wall courts in City Park close to the Zoo that play on Sundays starting at 10 am – there are usually two full courts going with people waiting to play
What do you like about playing handball in Denver
“I love the community that has developed here in Denver, and the games are really competitive,” stated John Chapman. “There are courts all around Denver from Fort Collins down to Colorado Springs. There are consistent groups that play each week that are followed by BBQs, beverages, and sometimes other games such as tennis, volleyball, and spike ball. There are players of all ages that just love to get together and play handball.”
Boulder
3-Wall
East Boulder Community Park
- 4 Courts
- Both Singles and Doubles
- Mostly small ball, but big ball becomes popular later in the day
- Most popular times of the day to play: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings – the main regular day is Saturday mornings
- Number of players: 20+
Costigan Courts in Englewood
- 4 Courts
- Both Singles and Doubles
- Mostly small ball, but big ball becomes popular later in the day
- Most popular times of the day to play: Thursday nights starting at 5 pm, and Sunday mornings starting at 8 am
Number of 3-Wall players in Boulder: 75+
3-Wall season in Boulder
- Any time the sun is out year-round
- The main 3-Wall season is April-October
Top 3-Wall players in Boulder
- John Chapman
- George Repine
- CJ Laffey
- Luis Perez
- Jon Gutierrez
- Eli Gutierrez
- Stas Hammond
- Aaron Therkildsen
Boulder Community Leaders
- Spence Wilson organizes the email list for Boulder
- Sarah Whitlock, Matt Craig, Bianca Verlangieri, Reggie Vair run the Groupme messaging chain to organize games in Englewood
3-Wall Tournaments in Boulder/CO Springs:
- Colorado State 3-Wall Doubles
- Pikes Peak Invitational 3-Wall Singles in CO Springs
Most memorable tournament in Boulder
“The Boulder 3-Wall tournament is a fantastic tournament right at the base of the Rocky Mountains,” stated John Chapman. “Located at the East Boulder Community Park, a beautiful park and backdrop. This tournament includes top-tier hospitality, with home-made lunches and dinners, live music, and of course amazing handball action. This is one of the best tournaments in Colorado.”
Junior Handball Program in Boulder: Run by Gene Schneider and Jon Gutierrez with help of Levi Osen and Aaron Therkildsen
What do you like about playing handball in Boulder
“I love playing handball in Colorado, specifically, Boulder, it’s just great to get outside in the beautiful area,” stated John Chapman.
Plans for 3-Wall in Denver
“Right now, the plans are in the very early stages of the process,” stated John Chapman. “This is being presented to the South Suburban Parks and Rec District Board next Wednesday and ran by racquetball players Scott and Erika Manilla (current LPRT pro). Erika reached out to me to see if I would like to get involved in the handball community. She introduced me to Scott Walker who sounds like is leading the effort for the new courts. We are hoping for at least six 3-Wall courts.”
Additional Colorado Handball Info
“There is a Facebook group (Colorado Handball) that is utilized for games, tournament and event information,” stated John Chapman. “Colorado has a fantastic handball community with multiple tournaments, leagues, and regularly scheduled games. Several players from Colorado have played on the pro tour, and traveled to tournaments around the country, including Race 4 Eight stops in Juarez, The Memorial (Tucson), Aces Players Championship (Salt Lake City), and 3-Wall Nationals (Toledo) to name a few. There are players of all ages and skill levels. With beautiful scenery and court locations, this is one of the best handball areas in the country. It would be great to continue to grow handball here through youth programs (big thanks to Gene and Jon) and bringing back the Race 4 Eight here at the Denver Athletic Club. This past year Erika Manilla hosted a Ladies Pro Racquetball Tour (LPRT) pro tournament at the Denver Athletic Club which was a huge success. The club is a great venue right in downtown Denver.”
All info and pictures from this Denver/Boulder Destination Series obtained from John Chapman. Thank you, John!
Thank you to Jeff and John Chapman, Bianca Verlangieri, Fred Sycuro, Gene Schneider, George Repine, Stan Dunlavyfor sharing info and what they love about handball in Denver and Boulder.
Would you like to see your handball facility featured on an upcoming edition of WPH Handball Destination Series? Please contact David Fink at David.fink@wphlive.tv to showcase your city or handball club.
Check out all of the WPH Destination Series HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer