NYC Big Blue Tournament Continues to Grow
NYC Parks June 15,16 2002

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	Heavy rain showers interrupted play and forced rain dates for several categories.

In only it's third year, the NYC Parks Department Big Blue Championship has become the largest one-wall handball event. Preliminary rounds were held in eight parks located throughout NYC's five boroughs, with over 750 people registered and a total of 1200 entries (many players participate in both single and double competitions). The event draws players from all the major NYC courts as well as contingents from emerging one-wall centers such as Philadelphia

Coordination and responsibility is shared among the City's main handball associations who work with the Parks Department on publicizing the event. Paul Williams, current chairman of the NY Handball Alliance, is one of the coordinators of the event. Williams and the players held out hopes that games would be finished on Sunday as planned but after the day's third thundershower, competition had to be postponed for many of the categories until the rain date on June 29th or 30th.

Background

• Bronx - Van Cortland Park and Orchard Beach
• Brooklyn - Coney Island and Lincoln Terrace
• Queens - Far Rockaway & London Planetree
• Staten Island - Midland Beach
• Manhattan - Central Park

The NYC Big Blue Tournament is a jointly sponsored event between the NYC Department of Parks and the New York Handball Alliance (NYHA). NYHA is a coalition of the City's largest handball organizations and includes ICHA (the Inner City Handball association), OOHA (Our Own Handball Association) and SAHA(St. Albans Handball Association). The USHA (United States Handball Association) One-Wall Committee is also a member of NYHA. In addition the USHA is a co-sponsor of the NYC Big Blue event.

Handball Main Page

Inner City Handball Association (ICHA)

Our Own Handball Association (OOHA)

St. Albans Handball Association (SAHA)