Coming soon to North Avenue Beach, Chicago

For those who, like many Chicagoans, are getting weary of the long winter, here’s another reason to look impatiently forward to summer: Chicago Inter Handball’s first annual beach handball event!

To celebrate the arrival (hopefully) of summer, some big names of handball will demonstrate the fun of beach handball under the beautiful Chicago skyline.  The tournament, a sister event to the immensely successful Big Apple Tournament in New York city will take place on Saturday, June 22nd on the sands of Lake Michigan at the popular North Avenue Beach from 9am to 7pm.  Players from across the US and the World will unite in co-ed teams of 8 with a minimum of 2 women per team.

A second court will be available to beach-goers to try out the sport and spend some fun time with Chicago Inter.  Kids are welcome and if we have enough, we can organize mini-games.

Club President, Jacque Messel is excited to host the first-ever beach event.  ”The beach aspect of our sport is so much more visible and accessible, so this is a great opportunity to introduce Chicago to Olympic handball. ”

Stay tuned for more updates and information about how to participate.  Also be sure to check out our Facebook page and that of the Big Apple Tournament.

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The Ladies clean up well for a dinner in honor of the tournament’s name sake, 1LT Laura Walker.

First up is West Point Gold.  Chicago Inter struggled early as players tried to get used to playing new positions and next to new people.  Francie Moehring stepped up in the pivot position, where Jolanta usually dominates.  Francie had played pivot in Germany, but has been a left wing for many years since coming to play for Chicago.  Aurelie Bie started at the playmaker position, which seemed a bit risky since she has only played in the wing position since joining Chicago Inter.  It turned out to be a stroke of genius by Coach Felix Murokh, and she had a fantastic tournament.  Veteran player, but new to Chicago Inter, Sunny Chen proved her worth on defense as she stepped up to take on a very physical Army team.  With new players and some in new roles, Inter worked out the kinks and came out with a 16 – 11 win over the cadets.

The next game proved to be much tougher as Inter took on the younger, but experienced, Canadians from Levis  The game was evenly matched at halftime, 7 – 7, but Levis got a good start and went on a run to start the second half.  Chicago could not recover and Levis took the win, 11 – 16.  After losing a game they knew they could have won, Chicago was ready for rivals, Carolina.  This was a hard-fought and physical game from the first minute until the last.  Fast breaks from Tabby Hardison gave the team a big boost and helped set the tone for the game.  Chicago played tough defense and was supported by Jacque Messel in the goal.  It was good to see Jacque playing in her first game of the season as an injury has kept her off the court since September.  Inter was in the lead most of the game but Carolina battled back to make it an exciting finish.  Chicago was able to hold on, 18- 17, with help from a 7m save by Messel and Carolina’s last-second shot bouncing off the goalpost.

Sunday started with a cross-over game against NYC.  Chicago’s offense struggled for the entire game against the defensive wall and solid goalkeeping of NYC.  It was back and forth with Inter fighting to take advantage of fast breaks and mistakes by NYC’s defense.  Katrine Buur played a great game at the right backcourt position, but this game showed how much the team missed the rest of the players who were not able to travel.  NYC was slow to start,  offensively, but found their groove in the second half.  Costly mistakes at the end allowed NYC to grab a one goal lead and hold on to win, 12 – 13.  This was a much more bitter loss than the one against Levis and Chicago is looking forward to a rematch in Reno at USA Nationals.

Chicago ended the tournament with a 12- 4 win against Levis B, the second Canadian team from Levis.  Chicago is certainly not used to finishing third, but it still felt like a victory given the circumstances.  This team will be a force to contend with in Reno.

Exhausted, but satisfied.

2013 Laura Walker Tournament Results

1. Levis A
2. NYC Team Handball
3. Chicago Inter
4. Levis B
5. WP Black
6. Boston
7. Carolina Blue (Alumni)
8. WP Gold
9. Carolina

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Despite planning a sufficient amount of time to recover from the travel and get into the spirit of the tournament, the men’s team got off to a slow start. “We knew going in that West Point would be able to provide a high level of intensity both physically and technically,” commented Patrick Jalabert.  This fact would be quickly confirmed by the Cadet’s convincing 30-13 win over Air Force before stepping on to the court to tango with Inter.
The Chicago machine took time to warm up, giving the local team the opportunity to pull ahead early in the game. Despite managing to increase the level of play in the second half, WP Black did not drop the pressure and maintained a steady lead all the way to the end.  The game ended with a disappointing 7 goal loss ( 20-13 ) for the Inter men, while WP Black moved to 2-0 and its path to 1st place in the group going seemingly unchecked.

Tak Mimura flying high on a break through. Photo by Andrzej Choinski

Andrzej Choinski‘s

“We need to pull it together if we don’t want to be on our way home tomorrow!” was the main message coach Pawel communicated to the players as we remained on the court for a second consecutive game, this time against Air Force.

Once again the youthful opponents proved to have more physical intensity in their game and with one game in the bag already, Inter seemed to struggle to make its presence felt and fell to a three goal deficit in the first 10 minutes.  But the men dug deep and refused to lose a second time, and by strengthening their defensive efforts, gradually took the upper hand. Although Air Force never gave up, Inter held on to take the win 24-19 and ensure a place in the quarterfinals on Saturday.

Saturday, March 2nd

With only one game on the schedule for the day, it was key that the team come fully prepared to take on the Canadian champions, Levis.  After a strong start, it seemed the team could hope for a positive outcome. Unfortunately, the defeat to WP had left its marks and the group began to lose focus and fall apart when the opponent upped the stakes and, slowly, they drew level and ahead. Once again, our strong determination brought the men back within a respectable distance in the last few minutes but the damage was done and disappointment could be read all over all of the players faces after a 28-23 loss which relegated the team to waiting for the outcome of the other quarterfinals to know if it would be playing for 5th or 7th place on Sunday.

Pedrag Bezbradica attacks the defense on the dribble. Photo by Andrzej Choinski

Sunday, March 3rd

After a night on the town to relieve the pressure and regroup the team, the men regrouped to face  UNC for 5th place.  Despite the desire to go out on a win, the start of the game did not look promising. With few turnovers, UNC knew they had nothing more to prove and caught Inter off guard with some good plays that gave them an early 6-3 lead after 8 minutes.  It was, as ever, the collective will of the Inter men to not go home on a loss, that helped them battle back to a halftime lead of 12-9.  However, the second half got off to another rough start and it looked like the game might slip away.  But a change of defensive strategy (new goalie, new positioning) helped to maintain the lead and, finally, take 5th place with a 24-21 win.

A break from the traditional team in the goal pose!

This weekend ended with another win for NYC and some convincing handball from West Point Black despite their 21-20 loss to Celtique for 3rd place. It seems the contenders for a medal in Reno will be numerous and the men will have to regroup over the coming weeks.  Tuesday begins our road to Reno, hoping for a Wild Card spot and working towards a strong group.

Let’s go Inter! We know we have it in us!!!

The post Inter Men Secure Fifth at 2013 West Point Invitational appeared first on Chicago Inter Team Handball.

These are the official dates of training:

January 8, 11, 15, 18, 22, 25, 29

February 5, 8, 15, 19, 22, 26

Off: Feb. 1, 12

March 1, 5, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26, 29

Off: Mar. 8

April 2, 5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30

Also, important to note that Nationals will be in Reno, NV on May 17-19.

The post Spring 2013 Schedule appeared first on Chicago Inter Team Handball.

Inter women’s defends against Carolina at the Michael Lipov Memorial Cup

On the men’s side however, Hurricane Sandy was the ultimate winner of the tournament. With 3 out of the top 4 teams hailing from the New York region they had to hasten back home before the “frankenstorm” stranded them in our fair city. This result was a disappointingly abrupt end to what was shaping up to be a pair of highly competitive medal games.

The tournament was still a successful for many, including our special guests, the Legion XXI handball club from the Ukraine, the home country of the tournament’s namesake, Michael Lipov. “We really loved playing in the Michael Lipov Memorial Cup. Compared to other tournaments we have been to, this tournament was so well-organized and we got to play more games in a great facility. Our stay in Chicago has been very enjoyable. Inter has been a great host, very friendly and welcoming, and we would be happy to come back to play again.” Genadi Dikhtiar, manager and captain of Legion XXI said through a translator.

Everyone was impressed with the play of the experienced Legion club, which tied host team Inter Black in the tournament opener and later defeated Inter Yellow. Inter Yellow’s pivot, Zak Dich observed, “The Legion team were true sportsmen: brutes on the court and super nice guys off the court. I think having a team from Ukraine here, gave some of the young Americans to a glimpse into the handball world.”

A New York City player tries to fast break through Chicago defense. @Photo courtesy of Minnesota Team Handball

The always competitive New York Athletic Club also had a great showing at a truncated tournament. One of many USA men’s national team players on the NYAC roster, returning to Chicago was a little like coming back to his handball roots for Jordan Fithian. “Several years ago this was the very first tournament that I ever played in, so it was nice to come back to Chicago. It was even better for us to beat New York City [two-time defending National Champions]. I was disappointed the weather on the East Coast kept us from seeing them again in the finals.”

New York City Team Handball versus crosstown rivals, New York Athletic Club @Photo courtesy of Minnesota Team Handball

A sentiment echoed by pretty much everyone. Even though handball players are notoriously crazy, it was more important for everyone to get home safely. “It was upsetting that we couldn’t have the men’s finals,” commented Inter Women’s coach, Felix Murokh. “We look forward to a complete tournament next year and will continue to develop the women’s side of the tournament to rival the competitiveness of the men’s event.”

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Somewhere between Chicago and Chapel Hill the ladies picked up a mascot named Rolf Holunder

For this tournament Inter was joined by several players from the growing group of Georgia Team Handball and it took a few minutes to get familiar with one another on the court.  The first half of the first game was a little rocky, but the girls quickly found their groove.  ”We were nervous and hadn’t played together in that formation, but the support from our new teammates was great because they helped us outrun a smaller DC Handball team.”

Inter Ladies goof off with their new medals

While winning is always fun, it is the camaraderie of the Inter women that makes them so successful.  Player Fitti Kolbe mused, “No matter if in the game or on the bench you could feel the ‘team spirit’. We grew together as a team from game to game and we played as one team which is to my mind the reason that led us to the final game and the victory.”

The post 2012 Tarheel Invitational appeared first on Chicago Inter Team Handball.

Club President, Jacque Messel, had trouble keeping up with the flurry of emails. “There were so many emails!! It was exciting to see our sport get so much interest.” Inter is always looking to attract new members, but it can be intimidating to jump into practice with the experienced and competitive players of the Inter squad, many of whom grew up with the sport. The obvious solution was to host a training session specifically aimed to new players.

USA Team Handball Technical Director Mariusz Wartalowicz makes a cameo appearance

Under the tutelage of long-time Chicago coaches, Pawel Gryc and Felix Murokh (with help from Mariusz Wartalowicz, Gosia Gunka, Jolanta Kunicaite and Jacque Messel), 25 newcomers spent two and a half hours learning the important rules, like no clothes-lining opponents and respecting the 6m zone and the basic fundamentals such as passing, shooting and defending. It is very rare to introduce a person to handball and not have him or her love it, so the new players were very enthusiastic and eager to learn more.

The handball veterans show the rookies the most important part of handball: the traditional group photo in the goal

“I had a lot of fun, and it was great to see the eagerness to learn this fantastic sport!” remarked Katrine Burr, one of the several Inter players who volunteered at the seesion.  Women’s coach, Felix Murokh echoes the sentiment, “Everyone who came showed such a great interest in handball.  I think we will pick up a many new players for our club, which was one of our goals for the clinic.”

It’s about time handball started getting noticed by American athletes.  Chicago Inter is thrilled to strengthen its development program and to welcome these new handball players.  It just proves what we have always thought about “everyone else” who doesn’t play handball…. Just because they don’t know about our sport, doesn’t mean they won’t love it!

The post Inter Teaches Handball To New Recruits appeared first on Chicago Inter Team Handball.

Here are all the dates:

September: 7,11,18,21,25,28.
October: 2,5,9,12,16,23, (26-27-28 our tournament),30
November: 2,6,9,13,16,20,27,30
December: 4,7.

The post 2012 Practice Schedule appeared first on Chicago Inter Team Handball.

We’ve got you covered.

Handball is high-scoring, fast and physical. Of course you want to play.

The Chicago Inter Handball Club is hosting an introductory clinic on the basics of this great sport. Consider this your on-ramp to playing Olympic handball, from one of the best clubs in the country!!

Clinic Details

The clinic will begin at 9:45am with a brief orientation before jumping right in to 2 full hours of learning and playing. The clinic will be held at the Physical Education Complex – Main Gym 5500 North St. Louis Avenue Chicago, IL 60625, US

Participants should wear comfortable clothing and non-marking court shoes. Absolutely no dress shoes and please try to avoid running shoes since these can lead to ankle injuries.

The clinic is $25 for participating players, and is tax deductible since Chicago Inter is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization. As a bonus, the $25 will be credited towards your annual membership fee when you decide you can’t live without handball and decide to join the Chicago Inter Handball Club.

Players of all ages are welcome. Are you interested in being a coach or referee? Please come and check us out!

Could we also add “for players” after “The clinic is $25…

Registration

Please indicate whether you are interested in being a player, coach or referee by purchasing the appropriate ticket.

The post Learn to Play Handball appeared first on Chicago Inter Team Handball.

Francie Moehring takes a shot during a practice game.

Every 4 years, the Olympics shine a little extra light on our favorite, but relatively unknown, sport of team handball. The Chicago Red Eye came out to practice to investigate how Chicagoans can play Olympic sports in the city. Read the full story at the Chicago Red Eye.

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