BOULDER — Sunday meant finals day for the small ball divisions at the 2025 Junior Three-Wall Nationals, and there was no final players and spectators were more excited for than the 19 and under match between Tucson’s Ayden Brule and Colorado’s own Eli Gutierrez. The juniors and local players packed the park to watch these two junior stars go at it.
Gutierrez had defeated Brule at the Junior Four-Wall Nationals this past December and that had stuck with Brule. He brought his A game to Boulder and was determined to win.
The pair were even for the beginning of the first game before Brule caught fire with his serve that went out the door down the left. He rode that to a 21-11 victory. Game two Brule picked up where he left off and jumped out to a 13-0 lead, playing near perfect Handball. Gutierrez refused to go down easy in front of his home crowd though and kept battling. It took Brule four match points to close out Gutierrez before he finally finished it off 21-11. Both finalist are already amazing players. Brule is 18 while Gutierrez is 16, so there is a good chance they will be seeing each other again.
Ayden Brule (middle left) and Eli Gutierrez (middle right) with their coaches Abe Montijo (left) and Jon Gutierrez (right)
In the 17 and under it was a battle of Albuquerque residents and friends Alex Guajardo and Angel Valenzuela. The two play often at their home court and know the others game well. Guajardo was the stronger player today and kept Valenzuela out of the front court for the majority of the match in his 21-15, 21-13 win. Guajardo slammed the 17 and under with the win.
Azriel Gomez completed the slam in the 13 and under by defeating Luis Cordova III in two convincing games. Gomez has improved so much in the past year and continues to practice 4 times a week in Tucson. He is dedicated and a future star in the sport.
Thank you to the Colorado Handball Association for an incredible tournament with phenomenal hospitality all weekend. The juniors were well taken care of. A special shout out to Jon Gutierrez, David and Donna Mosley, Stan Dunleavy and Reggie Vair for their hard work each day that included being the first to show up and the last to leave. Lastly, thank you to the junior coaches who brought their kids to compete and are working hard for the future of our sport.
BOULDER– On Saturday we were greeted with more beautiful weather and we also crowned our first champions of the weekend in the Big Ball singles events.
In the 19 and under we had the highly anticipated final of Eli Gutierrez and Ayden Brule. Brule looked like he was on a mission in the match as he crushed the ball and pushed Gutierrez all around the court en route to a 21-6, 21-10 win. The pair will also face off in the small ball final tomorrow morning.
In the 17 and under big ball final we had a rematch of the final last year between Alex Guajardo and Angel Valenzuela who are both based in Albuquerque, NM. Guajardo won last year’s event in a tiebreaker but he only needed two competitive games to defeat Valenzuela this year.
In the 13 and under big ball final, Azriel Gomez finally broke through and won his first gold medal by defeating Luis Cordova in two dominant games. Gomez had around six silver medals but had never taken first place before. He stopped that trend by dominating Cordova. They will also face off in the small ball final tomorrow.
Gomez (left) with Cordova (right). It was Gomez’s first gold medal.
There was plenty of great handball on the court but the highlight of the day was probably the new player clinic. The United States Handball Association partnered with the Play Boulder Foundation to introduce new juniors to handball. From Noon to 1:30pm all the matches stopped and top players Abe Montijo, Jon Gutierrez, Ivan Burgos and Sam Esser took the time to introduce handball to 10 new juniors. They had a blast and will have the opportunity to join the Colorado Youth Handball Association, which many seem like they want to do.
Some of the kids who came to learn handball at the junior nationals.
Small ball finals will be played tomorrow morning. Stay tuned for the results!
BOULDER — We couldn’t of asked for a better day to kick off the 2025 Three-Wall Junior Nationals at the East Boulder Recreation Center Friday. Sunny skies and a beautiful mountain background surrounded the facility as the juniors took to the court.
The Colorado Handball Association took great care of the juniors and kept them well fed and hydrated throughout the day. They needed it as there was some fierce action on the courts.
Tucson’s Liam Schnaar and Juarez’s Luis Cordova III played more handball than anybody today and were apart of some exciting matches. They played eachother in singles of the big ball 13 and under division. After Cordova won the first game convincingly, Schnaar bounced back to shock the crowd and win 21-19 in the second game. Schnaar could not keep it up in the tiebreaker as Cordova won the final game 11-2. Despite falling short in the match, Tucson coaches Abe Montijo and Ivan Burgos were in agreement that the match was some of Schnaar’s best handball yet.
Cordova lines up for a shot against Schnaar
Schnaar was on the right side of a tiebreaker later in the day when he and his partner Azriel Gomez rebounded from a first game loss to Adrian Valenzuela and Arial Flores to win in a tiebreaker.
Cordova was on the wrong side of a tiebreaker later in the day as he and his partner Angel Valenzuela fell to Alex Guajardo and Luan Cordova in heartbreaking fashion 11-10.
Top seeds in the 19 and under and rising stars in the sport Eli Gutierrez and Ayden Brule cruised in their opening matches. They look to be on a crash course to face off against eachother in the finals.
The 2025 Junior Three-Wall Nationals will kick off in Boulder, CO this weekend where juniors all around the region will be competing for a National Championship! The divisions will range from 19 and under to 13 and under. The courts are located at the East Boulder Community Center at 5660 Sioux Drive, Boulder, CO 80303.
The tournament is headlined by current 19 and under four-wall champion and Colorado native Eliseo Gutierrez. He will have his handfuls though with junior rival and ranked pro Ayden Brule along with other hungry competitors.
In the younger divisions, many rising stars continue to improve and will look to show that off this weekend as they battle others in their age divisions. Stay tuned to this page for updates from the tournament!
Opportunity for new juniors to learn Handball!
This year we are excited to partner with the Play Boulder Foundation and invite any 19 and under youth to come learn the game on Saturday, July 12th from 12pm to 1:30pm. This event is FREE to the juniors and they will receive a free swag item. After learning the game, juniors will have the opportunity to join the Colorado Handball Youth group and continue to play.
Q. How do I find a game (players and courts in a particular area)?
A. Our online player and court/club directory has just recently been updated and posted. Go there to find players and places to play in your area. You may also want to post a message on our message board, asking for games in your area or the area you are visiting.
The USHA is now accepting sponsorships and ads for upcoming national tournaments.
The United States Handball Association hosts numerous tournaments throughout the year. These tournaments display the sport at its best and are a perfect way to reach out to the numerous handball players and spectators.
That is why the USHA offers sponsorship opportunities. These opportunities allow you to reach out to the handball population and inform them about your organization. There are many opportunities available so contact us to see what fits your budget.
Help the USHA recognize the handball heroes in your community!
The USHA board of directors is looking forward to recognizing the people at the grass-roots level who are making our sport grow by honoring an Organization of the Year, Coach of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.
The awards committee will look at the nominations to see if any more information is needed and then make recommendations to the board. Recipients can be honored at the annual national handball championships or where the recipient has had the most influence. Awards may be given to more than one person each year or not at all. Coaches can be either developmental (junior) or collegiate. Organizations can be state associations, athletic clubs, YMCAs or local handball associations. Volunteers can serve in any capacity, such as tournament directors, heads of local associations or other types of ambassadors. The new process allows for nominations to come from USHA members.
USHA Members can fill out and submit an online form HERE.
Nominations for Organization, Coach or Volunteer of the Year must be received at USHA headquarters by Dec. 31. USHA Members must include their name and information with the nomination. Anonymous forms will not be accepted.
If handball is your passion, you may want to consider joining the many, many volunteers throughout the country, who serve U.S. Handball in one of three official capacities.
Click on each title for the guidelines for each position (pdf files).
Can’t Find Handballs and Gloves in Your Town? Take matters into your own hands and become a USHA Distributor…
We created the USHA Distributor program in order to get handball equipment to players in the most efficient and cost effective manner. This program can also serve as a money maker for your local club.
Fill out and sign the agreement and return it to the USHA by email HERE.
That’s it! Complete those three easy steps and you’re officially a USHA Distributor. To get a USHA Distributor Price List, call the USHA at (520) 795.0434.
The Basics
You must be a USHA member in good standing.
Pay up front. We accept credit card and checks.
We will not invoice for the USHA Distributor program.
You pay actual shipping charged to us by UPS (or USPS if outside of the continental US) – we get a discounted rate for being a preferred UPS customer and we’ll pass that price on to you.
Minimum Orders
Distributors are required to place at least one order per year in order to maintain status as a distributor.Below are the minimum amounts you can get of each item per order.
For example, if you’re purchasing handballs, you have to order at least a case (60 cans) of handballs per order, though you can mix red and white label if you choose. If you’re purchasing gloves, you have to order at least 12 pairs per order.If satisfy the minimum order for one product, you can add other products without having to reach the minimum order amounts.(Example:1 Case of Handball and 6 Gloves, or 12 Gloves and 10 cans of Handballs).
Minimum Order
1 case (60 cans) of handballs
12 pairs Elite or Rollout Gear gloves (mix & match sizes and colors)
12 Big Blue balls
12 pairs knit glove liners (s,m,l)
12 pairs thin glove liners (one size fits all)
Sign Up Members – Get a Commission
We encourage you to sell merchandise at a discount to USHA members, but it’s not required. However, we offer a great incentive to get more players to sign up. You receive a $10 commission for every new member sign up and $5 for every renewal membership. That means you can charge the regular USHA membership price of $55 for a one-year or $150 for a three-year membership and keep the commission or become the most popular guy at the club and pass the savings on to the players you sign up.Either way, just fill out the Membership forms and send in the money: $45 for new members ($130 for 3-year) and $50 for renewals ($135 for 3-year). You can contact the office to determine whether a player is a new member (they need to be a brand new USHA member or expired for over six months) or a renewal member.
Suggested Retail Price
You can sell the merchandise for any price you see fit. If you have a group of players and you pooled your money to get gloves and balls, you most certainly can distribute at cost. That’s fine. Conversely, you are also free to sell to the general public at any price the market will bear, making a profit for your efforts.
Territories
There are no USHA Distributor territories. Any USHA member can become a Distributor even if they’re in the same neighborhood as another Distributor. We do ask you to respect the wishes of clubs, pro shops and schools that prohibit the sale of merchandise on the premises.
Return Policy
Returns and exchanges go through the USHA Distributor. Let it be known that if for any reason the merchandise needs to be returned, customers should bring it back to you. You can, in turn, work with the USHA office.
Handballs –The “21” logo must be clearly visible on any returned handballs. Any balls that do not rebound from free fall, 70-inch drop to a hardwood floor from 48 to 52 inches at a temperature of 68 degrees F don’t meet spec and can be returned. Also, balls that break with the label still visible can be returned. We offer a full refund or replacement balls.
Gloves – If gloves fall apart during normal handball play, or if they are received defective, we’ll replace them or offer a refund.
If the return is due to USHA error (we sent the wrong size glove or type of balls) or the product is defective, we will pay for you to ship the merchandise back to us for refund or replacement (call the office and we’ll send you a UPS return label).
If you ordered the wrong glove or ball, you’ll have to return them at your own expense, but we will more than gladly refund your money or replace the gloves free of charge (if the merchandise has not been used).
USHA Reserves the Right to Publicize USHA Distributor Contact Info
We want to widely promote our new USHA Distributors. The main reason for this program is to make reasonably priced handball equipment readily available. Anybody can call or go to our web site and purchase direct from us, but we’d rather have them go to a local distributor, so they don’t have to pay shipping and they can get their stuff immediately. Thus, in order to be a distributor we need you to sign off on the following stipulation on your application for being an USHA Distributor.
As we move through another handball season, we’re looking for sites and hosts for next season’s schedule. We’re as anxious as ever to find new sites to showcase the best the game has to offer in playing, refereeing and sportsmanship.
We’ve learned that moving our premier events around the country is a win/win situation for us and the local club(s). Without fail, the USHA membership in areas hosting USHA events gets a boost and the local club sees a surge in interest in handball from existing as well as new handball players.
In all, 12 national championships are decided each year. The schedule reflects the USHA’s goal to spread the word around the country and use the tournaments to promote the game in different venues.
With that in mind, we’d love to know of other potential sites and cities where a major event could help bring the local players closer together, attract the local media and draw new USHA members. We have been most fortunate in recent years in that each host of a major event has had one thing in mind–showing its handball guests a great time.
Each event has different goals. For example, the national juniors are supported by the First Ace Fund for the future of our sport, while the Masters events can attract the stalwarts of the sport in spite of a higher entry fee. Thus, the agreements also are different, with varying sanctioning fees.
USHA Tournament Portfolio
Event
Approximate Dates
Fee
Facility Minimum
National One-Wall
May-October
N/A
10 courts
National Wallball
May-October
N/A
8 courts
National Three-Wall
July-October
N/A
8 courts
National Four-Wall Singles
Spring/Fall
N/A
10 courts
National Four-Wall Doubles
Spring/Fall
N/A
8 courts
National Juniors Four-Wall
Dec. 26-30
N/A
8 courts
National Collegiates
Late February
N/A
12 courts (bids go to collegiate chair)
Women’s Classic
Early Spring
$1,000
8 courts (open event recommended)
Masters Singles
Winter/Spring
$1,500
8 courts
Masters Doubles
Winter/Spring
$1,500
6 courts
National Juniors One-Wall
Spring/Summer
N/A
4 courts
National Juniors Three-Wall
Summer
N/A
4 courts
Each event has some of the same requirements:
The USHA balls are the official tournament balls.
All entrants must be USHA members.
Final seeding and draws will be done by the USHA.
The USHA has exclusive rights to sell merchandise on site.
Concurrently, each host has some of the same benefits:
Increased publicity through Handball magazine.
Entry blank printed in Handball magazine.
USHA representative on site during duration of the event.
Local sponsorship through seat and program sales.
Larger entry for your tournament.
The host fees range from zero for the national juniors to $1,000 for the Women’s Classic or $1,500 for a Masters. Each of the open nationals has agreements concerning who pays for what. Contact the USHA for more information on those listed as “N/A” (not applicable) in the chart.
This information is intended for anyone wishing to bring to their hometown a national championship event and the accompanying shot in the arm for local handball.
Most important, now is the time to speak up if you’d like one of the dates on the tournament calendar still open for next year. Contact the USHA by email or call 520-795-0434 for more information.
A Development Program that will introduce more players to Handball and help them achieve their FIRST ACE!
An ACE is a Mark of Perfection: An instant point. An unreturnable shot. We want our youth to strive for perfection on the court, in the classroom and in life. We hope to instill values that are incorporated in the Perfect Game as we introduce the sport of handball to the masses.
The USHA’s mission statement is to Organize, Promote and Spread the joy of Handball, the Perfect Game. That is what FIRST ACE is all about.
The continued growth of the sport is crucial for success.
So, when did you get your FIRST ACE? Regardless of where, when and how it happened, we all remember the joy of hitting that “FIRST ACE.”
