Starting on October 4th, and culminating ten weeks later with the Queen City Tournament, was one of the most successful beginners programs that we have had in Cincinnati.  In addition to the young novices, there were a number of older players who came to learn more about the game.  This year we introduced “expert presenters” for each lesson.  We were able to call upon the membership of the Greater Cincinnati Handball Association (GCHA) to select outstanding players who were better than usual in one phase of the game or another.  Many thanks to those who presented:  Jack Prather, Bob Lohmueller, Sam Peters, John Allen, John Love, Skip Dixon, Richard Gregg, and Bob Burkitt.

Our program consisted of a ten to fifteen minute lecture by the guest presenter on the subject of the day, then half an hour of court time playing “King of the Court” under the direction of the presenter and regular weekly teachers, Marion Kollstedt and Ralph Weil.  While the players were enjoying the chance to be on the court, they were encouraged to follow the guidelines that had been presented.  Basic fundamentals were also stressed throughout the playing time.

The next hour was devoted to playing the game with a small amount of correction and a large amount of encouragement.  At noon, lunch was served courtesy of Jerry Shaughnessy, Rick Garcia, Sam Ma (Krogers), and the GCHA. The cost of the lessons was $5 per player.  The additional cost of the court time (normally $10) was paid by the GCHA. Such a deal!  Two or more hours of court time, lunch, and instructions. After lunch players could stay for a few more hours as the guest of Paul Baker, owner of the Athletic Club @ Waycross.

The culmination of the nine weeks of lessons was the Queen City Tournament where all of the students were encouraged to participate. The tournament was the test to show how well each player had progressed. Six of the young men are shown in the picture with their trophies provided by Will Straw. From left to right: Chris Arnold, Ralph Weil, Spencer Straw, Liam Garrett, Chandler Straw, Austin Behler, and Isaac McMichael.

 Ralph Weil