10th Annual Steve Kraft Memorial Outdoor One-Wall Handball Tournament
For a paper entry form that provides more detail (including options for entry by email or mail, paying by cash, check, or Venmo, etc.), please contact Mark Winkelman at mrwinkelman@gmail.com
HOTELS: Book your hotel room early!
This year, the tournament is being held on the same weekend as both the Downtown Fargo Street Fair (July 17-19) and the National USA Wrestling Tournament at the FargoDome (July 12-19)! Players who booked rooms late in past years stayed in Detroit Lakes (45 miles away) or farther because there were no rooms available in Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo.
Entry Limitations:
- Since there are only two outdoor one-wall courts at Island Park, the tournament will cap registration at roughly 28 singles players and/or doubles teams so that all brackets/games can be completed by about 6:00pm on Saturday, July 19.
- The tournament committee reserves the right to (1) reclassify players and/or consolidate brackets for optimal play and (2) move consolation bracket games to the Fercho YMCA’s indoor one-wall courts (if needed) to keep games on schedule.
START TIMES:
Practice/Warm-Up: Courts will be available for practice games/warm-up starting at 12:00pm (noon) on Friday, July 18.
Tournament Games: Games will start at 4:00pm on Friday, July 18. Games will start at 8:00am on Saturday, July 19.
Tournament Brackets/Game Schedule: The brackets (with game times) will be emailed to each registered player on Wednesday, July 16. If you do not receive the brackets/schedule by email on the 16th, please contact Dick Reis at dickreis1309@gmail.com or 701-306-2071.
TOURNAMENT RULES:
General: The Big Ball will be used. All players MUST wear eye protection. USHA One-Wall rules, which can be found at https://www.ushandball.org/index.php/rules-development/one-wall-rulebook
Matches: Two games to 15 (tie breaker to 11 if needed)
Referees: A scorekeeper/referee and line judges will be provided for Championship matches.
For non-championship matches a scorekeeper/referee will be provided (losing player from previous game). An additional line judge will be provided upon request only (either before or during the game). Otherwise, receiving player(s) will make in/out of bounds, short, and long calls.
AWARDS:
Awards will be given for 1st place, 2nd place, and consolation champions in all events.
Facilities & Amenities:
The Island Park outdoor courts feature true one wall handball (no side walls), fenced perimeter, colored tartan surface, and lights for play after dark (if needed). The Fercho YMCA gym has two indoor one-wall handball courts and will be used if required due to weather or to keep games on schedule.
Parking: The Island Park Swimming Pool is currently going through major reconstruction and renovation https://www.fargoparks.com/foundation/island-park-pool-project , so the parking lot south of the pool and west of the one-wall courts “might” still be closed (even though the new pool is “scheduled” to open in mid-June). Parking is available (1) in the Fercho YMCA lots, (2) southwest of the one wall courts in the tennis court lot, or (3) east of Island Park in the outdoor basketball courts lot on 4th Street S (north of Prairie St. John’s).
Locker Rooms/Showers: Fercho YMCA locker rooms and showers will be available to registered tournament players at no cost, please bring your ID and a lock (towels are available upon request at the front desk).
HOSPITALITY:
Food: Snacks and beverages will be provided throughout the tournament on Friday & Saturday. A picnic lunch will be served about 11:30am on Saturday. Lunch is free to all registered tournament players and guests of registered tournament players.
Friday Night Social: From roughly 8:30pm-11:00pm, the F-M Handball Club (thanks to generous donations from players and other Club members) will buy players some pizza and beverages at Rhombus Guys, 606 Main Ave, Fargo ND 58103, which is located 1-2 blocks from both the YMCA and Island Park.
Saturday Night Social: From roughly 7:00-9:00pm (or shortly after tournament play ends), the tournament committee will buy players at least a beverage or two of their choice at Tailgaters Sports Cafe, 1322 Main Ave, Fargo ND 58103, which is located 6-7 blocks from both the YMCA and Island Park.
Tournament History:
This is the 10th year of the F-M Handball Club's Annual Steve Kraft Memorial Outdoor One-Wall Handball Tournament honoring the 10-time National Champion Grandmaster Handball Champion from the Bronx, and officially adopted by the F-M Handball Club as its outdoor handball hero. Steve Kraft passed away April 27, 2016 after a 10-year battle with lung cancer. Steve was a “Champion of Life” as an attorney, advocate for social rights, teacher, humorist, family man, and…not least of all…handball player. Steve is greatly missed, but his legacy continues.
COMMITTEE:
Dee Jones, dee.jones@ymcacassclay.org, 701-364-4130
Kent Jones (President), kjsony13@msn.com, 701-793-1888
Dick Reis (Treasurer), dickreis1309@gmail.com, 701-306-2071
Dave Reuter, david_reuter06@yahoo.com, 218-230-8878
Dave Viseth (daveviseth@gmail.com), 701-660-9415
Dennis Tallman, dennis.tallman@ndsu.edu, 701-361-6950
Jeff Bry, fargoceltics@gmail.com, 701-730-1563
Pat Revier, pat.revier@gmail.com, 218-204-0501
Mark Winkelman, mrwinkelman@gmail.com, 701-799-0877