WPH Handball Destination Series Showcases Tucson, AZ
WPH Showcase, Tucson, AZ
The WPH is excited to introduce the WPH Handball Destination Series to showcase the world’s greatest handball venues. On this edition of the WPH Handball Destination Series, we will feature handball’s North American handball hotspot, Tucson, AZ, home to Clark Park, the Tucson Racquet Club, multiple Race 4 Eight stops and Icebreakers each year, the 2023 USHA Collegiate Nationals, and dozens of current and former pro handball players.
WPH’s Clark Park
Number of courts: 5
Number of handball players: 50+
Popular handball hours: weekday evenings, weekend mornings
Biggest tournaments at Clark Park: The WPH 3-Wall Icebreaker Series, The R48 Icebreaker
Address: 200 S. Alvernon Way, Tucson, AZ 85711
Tucson Racquet Club
Number of courts: 11
Number of handball players: 70+
Popular handball hours: weekday mornings, Tuesday evening, Saturday morning
Biggest tournaments at the TRC: The R48 Tucson Memorial, the USHA Hall of Fame
Address: 4001 N. Country Club Rd., Tucson, AZ 85716
Current pros living in Tucson
David Fink, Sam Esser, Shorty Ruiz, Abraham Montijo, Ashley Ruiz, Mikaila Esser, Danny Perez, Ivan Burgos
Let’s hear from several Tucson handball ambassadors to see what makes handball in Tucson so special
R48 Elite 8 Pro, Former Collegiate All-American and Tucson Pro Sam Esser
The passion for handball by the players/spectators in Tucson is unrivaled. Whether it’s a tournament or a Saturday morning practice match, the locals here are engaged.
Clark Park Quarterback, WPH Board Member, and Tucson Handball Champion Benny Young Describes the Tucson Handball Community
Tucson handball has been important to me since I first witnessed the game being played in a 4 court/4wall wooden ‘complex’ just outside the east entrance of the University of Arizona’s Bear Down Gym (right after enrolling as an engineering student freshman) in the fall of 1969. I was immediately ‘hooked’.
What makes Tucson so ‘special’ for handball?
Naturally, it is ‘The Game’ that draws us all together (the world’s oldest and best); however, in response to the specific question, for me it is primarily 3 things:
- The people– from all walks of life. Those who call Tucson home and also play handball include multiple National Champions (including previous and current professional players), along with a ton of ‘regular folks’…doctors, lawyers, engineers, developers, firefighters, cops, salesmen, contractors, builders, shop owners, small business people, executives, handymen, laborers, public servants, accountants, teachers, coaches, craftsmen, architects, heavy equipment operators, broadcasters, caterers, college professors, photographers, chiropractors…you name it!
- The place – has been a hotbed for handball since the Tucson Athletic Club was constructed in the early 70’s (by and for handball players!). It has been, and still is, headquarters for the USHA and WPH. Historically, there have been so many venues (both indoor and outdoor), and so many wonderful players of all skill levels. Some have even moved to Tucson specifically to be with, a part of, and around the handball community here. In some cases, their children are still here – and playing!
- The ‘Vibe’ – The Tucson group has always been intergenerational, intercultural, and comprised of players of mixed income strata. There is one common denominator… Handball is the great equalizer! In many ways, it is a large family – admittedly ‘dysfunctional’ at times, but always held together with the common bond of love (for the game and each other!).
As you well know, it is a lifetime sport that leads to lifetime friends and socialization. I have long been impressed with the way that the Tucson handball community’s dedication to the game has also led to a determination to ‘pass it on’ to others and the next generation (through individual instruction and interaction, as well through organizations such as “Yes 2 Kids”, the Fred Lewis Foundation, and Junior WPH). In my view, that, as much as anything else, is a defining and enduring characteristic of ‘Tucson Handball’!
Multiple-time WPH Lifetime Award recipient, Clark Park grill-master, and co-Memorial tournament director Scott “The Commish” Cleveland
Tucson handball has it all, 3-Wall, 4-Wall, and even a little 1-Wall. But what makes it special is the amount of players! You can find a game at any level. All of this and no freezing weather!
Thank you to Sam Esser, Benny Young, and Scott Cleveland for sharing what makes Tucson handball so special
Would you like to see your handball community featured on an upcoming edition of WPH Handball Destination Series? Please contact David Fink at David.fink@wphlive.tv to showcase your community
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer