All Handball Coaches – Travel Mileage Policy
The CHA pays $0.25 per travel mile to all coaching sites. EM me yr total mileage for a payout i.e. per quarter.
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To: Robin Carlsen – Tournament Director
“Play Till You Fall” Tourney - June 20, 2009 - Englewood Middle School
Re: Donations
Thank you once again for both a great tournament, & the $250.00 donation to the CHA. With your permission, we will apply the donation to the “Jim Costigan Youth” fund for future Junior Handball training.
With this letter, we also thank Bob Hickman, Chairman of the JCY Activities Committee, who generously donated $120.00 to your tournament. Based upon his donation, it seems only right to apply the total to his successful youth handball program.
On behalf of the 20 teams who played in your tournament, we thank you & Bob for a lot of fun, handball & a donation to the future players of Colorado Handball.
Recently, a number of CHA local members came to the aid of one of our own who is struggling with health issues, and raised a generous amount. This member is ill, and during treatments, is unable to work. We thank these members, and the Stemeister who started the initiative & collection of donations. The CHA gathered the checks, & forwarded one check to our fellow handballer.
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DAC ATHLETE OF THE YEAR 2009
Congratulations to this year’s DAC Athletes of the Year: Abigail Stevens, Cameron Allan, Blake Dowling, Patrick Murray, Sarah Clark, Olivia Syptak, David Ramsden-Woods, Ellen Hart, and Fred Duboc. These exceptional athletes, along with the Denver Post Student Athletes of the Year and Chauncey Billups were honored at our 34th annual Athlete of the Year Banquet on June 23. The sold out crowd of 450 filled the gym to hear inspirational stories about incredible athletes.
Note: Sarah Clark is the daughter of Marty Mercer. Her sport is Tri-Athalons/Marathons.
Sinclair 3 Wall happenings with the School of Mines – Gene Schneider:
Bob/Ron..........it was important to me to express this to the group but didn't know if it was appropriate. I was real proud of my guys for being there but really proud of the Sinclair group. When I expressed concern to you guys about the "retention" of students.......what transpired yesterday helped alleviate those concerns. Gene
I'm not sure where to go with this but wanted to express a happening that took place last Wednesday.
It is always a little bit of a rub with me that there are guys that don't accept or foster those that are just starting the game when the opportunity presents itself. We've all seen it and we all accept the fact that time is so damn short and precious that we want to spend it playing the best handball we can in the most competitive environment available. We Handballers are of an ilk that lends oneself to achieving the best that we can with the time and resources available. It's our nature and our mantra.
That being said, there are those of us that lend our time and energies toward the nurturing, maintaining and proliferation of a sport that means so much to all of us. Many do their part; some do more, some do nothing, and as in all organizations-some bitch about the lack of anything being done.
I digress-what I wanted to say is that I had a real busy week this week and next with a eulogy in Trinidad and next weekend my annual dirt bike trip which I've ramrodded for 30 years. Not to mention 60 hour weeks and still trying to maintain connections with the Mines guys. So I was going to blow off Wednesday-I had some work to do on the bikes and cooking to do for the trip and really an endless list of shit to do. The motorcycle guys predate HB guys as far as friendship and commitment goes-can't let them down.
So with my plan in mind I get an e-mail from Andrew Martin and he's been working with his brother for the last few months. He wants to bring him out but knows that it’s like bringing a lamb to slaughter. I told him to go for it--part of handball is observation and he'll not regret it. I also said that I'd work with him and give him the one hour "lesson" for handball. I got there knowing that I'd be coaching-again- instead of doing stuff I needed to do for the trip and not playing a lot of aggressive handball. I expected that though. I worked with Andrews’s brother a little when lo and behold Wade O'Rourke shows up with a buddy of his from Mines. It was great to see him. His buddy was kicking rocks having to go to handball (Wade was driving) but quickly got enthralled with the game. Wade and I got our asses kicked a couple of times as his buddy watched and saw how much fun we were having (even getting our assed kicked). I worked with Wades buddy also (Gabe) a frickin southpaw and he got me all mixed up......Lefties are simply not normal people. He had a blast and I'm going to work him in the class next year
Again I digress but what I wanted to say is that throughout the course of the evening I saw many of my friends and competitors take time out of their life and their game to bring my kids into the world of handball and it made me very proud to call them my friends. At times with the energy and time I devote to coaching Handball I sometimes wonder if it is just futile and simply a waste of time. Guys like Chad, Brandon, Ken and the two Mikes make me think otherwise. But when all the guys at Sinclair --ALL take the time to do diligence in helping the new generation, I am just thankful that I have the friends that I have.
I still believe that Colorado is a Mecca for Handball; the players at Sinclair demonstrated that Wednesday.........I just wanted to give kudos and Thanx to those who shared their passion.
At the end of the day, O'Rourke and Martin played a couple of Hispanic guys that have been hanging around lately-Diego and Alberto (I think). Of course there was a cacophony of hecklers and rude commentary from the mines guys, the Ibarra clan and the Veterans. The Mines guys took it but it was great entertainment after way too much beer and Obama bashing by Cunningham. Nonetheless, after the match and the shaking of hands, Diego and Alberto came up to me and wanted to buy equipment.....they are hooked also. I'll forward Ron their request for equipment as I'll be out of pocket for a while but here is the main point:
Colorado Handball is alive and well because the people who believe in the perfect sport make it .......alive and well. Thank you from a guy committed to bringing people into the game for showing them what it means to part of Handball. I appreciate it guys
Schneidermann - School of Mines – Staff Handball Coach – July 10, 2009