From the HUNTSVILLE TIMES: [link=http://www.al.com/sports/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/sports/1178183849137530.xml&coll=1]article for to be read![/link]

Early Friday evening, Army Black defeated Army Gold in the first game of the 5 team round robin tournament.

The Dunwoody Crier, a weekly paper in the Atlanta suburb of Dunwoody, has reported that the $1/year lease deal for an Athlete’s Dormitory at Brook Run Park may be in jeopardy in light of the USA’s failure to qualify for the PANAM Games. In the article former USA Team Handball President, Mike Hurdle, is quoted as saying that Dekalb County has been swindled by the USOC and speculates that the USOC will pull any funding pledged towards training for the PANAM Games or Olympic games.

Dunwoody Crier Article (10 April 07): http://www.thecrier.net/articles/2007/04/10/front/brookrun.txt

Atlanta Journal Constitution Article (4 April 07): https://www.ajc.com/search/content/metro/dekalb/stories/2007/04/03/0404metdekalbb.html (Registration required)

Frequent updates on scores and standings at the ongoing US National Championship tourney in Delaware are available at the Houston Stars website: http://houstonhandball.org/news.php

Following on the success of the Miami and North Carolina web broadcasts, Santa Clarita will also provide a free webcast of their tournament this weekend.

Schedule
Saturday, 24 March (California local time)
1015 – 1700

Sunday, 25 March
0915 – 1500

Webcast site: http://www.livesportsvideo.com/teamhandball2/handball2.asp

Santa Clarita Site: www.thsantaclarita.com

The USA Women’s National Team posted the following USOC statement to their website on 17 March:

“Christian Latulippe has made an extraordinary effort to develop and structure a quality Women’s National Team (WNT) program. During the last four years he has endured organizational short comings and yet his loyalty and devotion to the success of the overall WNT program never wavered. He was central to the genesis and nurturing of the Resident Program at Cortland University.

Successful qualification for the 2007 Pan American Games is an important benchmark for the WNT for the short and medium term. It is our desire to continue the support of the WNT program with the goal of restructuring the roles within the program in the attempt to use all available resources within existing limitations to bring an energized focus to the goal of successful qualification for the 2007 PAG.

It is also our desire to retain Christian within the future for U.S. Team Handball and to position him to have perhaps a larger impact on the national program including both administration and coaching duties. Christian will begin working closely with Mr. Cavanaugh on a range of High Performance Planning, Event Direction and Technical Planning issues.

We are very optimistic about the realistic chances of the WNT to successfully qualify for the 2007 Pan American Games. To accomplish that goal we will need a total team effort from the athletes, coaching staff and administration supporting the WNT program. Best wishes for continued solid training and preparation for Mexico City.

Jay Warwick Michael D. Cavanaugh
Director – Sport Partnerships Manager of High Performance – Team Handball”

USA Women’s National Team Website: http://www.usateamhandballwomen.com/content/view/132/1/

The statement was read to the Women’s National Team on 6 March and obliquely references Coach Latulippe’s resignation as “restructuring the roles within the program.” The statement also hints as to rationale with the text: “to bring an energized focus to the goal of successful qualification for the 2007 PAG. Later this week, Team USA will be traveling to Mexico to participate in the 2nd Chance tournament in Mexico. The winner of this round robin tournament (Mexico, Chile, USA) will secure the 8th and final spot for the PANAM Games this summer in Brazil.

The USOC has issued a press release highlighting the upcoming US Club National Championships at the University of Delaware, 6-8 April 2007: http://www.usoc.org/11597_51732.htm

Former USA Women’s National Team Coach, Christian Latulippe, has provided TeamHandballNews.com with the following official statement:

“After a major disagreement with a decision made by the USOC regarding a restructuring of my coaching duties, I have decided to step down from the head coach position of the US Women's National Team in Team Handball. I will be working until April 20th for the USOC to finish the NETHC season, to help Mike (Cavanaugh) during the National Championship and to help with the WNT transition. Finally, I might reconsider a reassignment of my duties with the USOC. The USOC will have until April 20th to come up with a proposal.”

Chris Cappelmann, USA Men's Coach has announced the roster for the upcoming 2nd Chance Tournament in Chile. The selection consists of the following players

Troy Steffen, Wing, Atlanta Team Handball
Ryan Hansell, Wing, Atlanta Team Handball
Levi Henderson, Wing, Atlanta Metro Condors
Gill Bozeman, Wing, Atlanta Team Handball
Patrick Oliver, Circle, Atlanta Team Handball
Jeff Goss, Circle, Atlanta Team Handball
Gary Hines, Back, Tolimar Tres de Mayo (ESP)
Derek Brown, Back, Atlanta Metro Condors
Alex McGlynn, Back, Univ of North Carolina
Bill Bigham, Back, Atlanta Metro Condors
Divine Jackson, Back, NY Athletic Club
Tom Fitzgerald, Back, NY Athletic Club
Bobby Dunn, Back, NY Athletic Club (Withdrawn)
Darrick Heath, Back, Atlanta Metro Condors
Italo Zanzi, GK, Atlanta Team Handball
Danny Caparelli, GK, NY Athletic Club
Matt Van Houten, GK, NY Athletic Club

The US will conduct a training camp in Lake Shore, Alabama from 31 March to 2 April and then depart for Chile on 3 April. The tournament matches will be played in Nunoa, a suburb of Santiago, from 6-8 April 2007. Schedule: (To be confirmed)

6 April USA vs Venezuela
7 April USA vs Chile
8 April Chile vs Venezuela

The winner of the round robin tournament will secure the 8th and final spot for the PANAM Games this summer in Brazil.

More information on the tournament is available on the Chile Federation website:
http://www.balonmano.cl/

In what is undoubtedly a first for U.S. Team Handball, The Carolina Blue Cup will feature live streaming of the final day of matches, this Sunday, 18 February. The Carolina Blue Cup was established in 1990 and is one of the top weekend tournaments in the United States.

Live Streaming is scheduled for the following matches.
0900 Semi-final 1
1000 Semi-final 2
1100 5th Place Game
1215 Bronze Medal Game
1330 Gold Medal Game
(All Times are US East Coast)

The link is http://mediaserv.unc.edu/ramgen/broadcast/cbc07.rm
(Note: This link won’t work until the streaming starts on Sunday)

[b]Tourney Field[/b]

[b]Group A[/b]
Atlanta Team Handball
Carolina Blue
West Point Gold

[b]Group B[/b]
Atlanta Metro Condors
North Carolina Tar Heel Club (NC THC)
Tar Heels

[b]Group C[/b]
Carolina
West Point Black
Georgia St.

– Group winners will play a round robin in Group D
– Group 2nd place teams will play a round robin in Group E
– Semifinal 1 (Group D1 vs Group E1)
– Semifinal 2 (Group D2 vs Group D3)

Carolina Handball Site: http://www.unc.edu/cthc/

US backcourt Gary Hines has arrived in Tenerife, Canary Islands, where he will be playing for Tolimary Tres de Mayo in the Spanish 2nd Division. The article notes his speed, jumping ability and powerful shot and highlights his willingness to practice the same day he arrived despite the 14 hour tip and jet lag.

Spanish article (w/picture): http://www.diariodeavisos.com/content/155413/
Earlier THN article: https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.218

Thank to Miguel Garcia for the link and rough translation

An article on the Salt Lake Warriors Team Handball club was in the 28 December edition of the Salt Lake Tribune. The article highlights the multi-national (France, Romania, Germany, Korea, Vietnam, Ukraine, and the former Yugoslavia) roster often seen with US Club teams.

Salt Lake Tribune Article: http://www.sltrib.com/jordan/ci_4914457
Club website: http://www.saltlakewarriors.org/

US National Team Left Back Gary Hines has signed a contract with Spanish Club, Tolimar Tres De Mayo. The club is located in Tenerife, the Canary Islands and plays in the in the Division de Honor B or the Spanish 2nd Division, just below the Liga ASOBAL. The club has had some injuries and is currently in last place with a 3-0-12 record. The goal for the second half of the season will certainly be to avoid relegation to the lower division. (15th and 16th place are automatically relegated while 13th and 14th place have a 2 game playoff against the lower division clubs). Gary’s contract starts in January and concludes at the end of the season in May.

Spanish Federation Club Information Page: http://www.rfebm.com/EQUIPOS/EQ16DI02.HTM (Note: There are 3 non-Spanish players on this roster)
Spanish 2nd Division Standings: http://www.rfebm.com/PA70121C.HTM
Wikipedia Article on the Canary Islands: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canary_islands

From Matt Van Houten’s Myspace page: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=73440975&blogID=205230478&MyToken=5d72b783-4329-4986-85a7-6e588e18a4d1

The following players have been selected to represent USA Team Handball at the Pan American Qualification Games, Jan. 4-7, 2006, versus Canada in Lake Placid, NY (Jan 4) and in Montreal, Canada Jan. 6-7, 2007.

Bill Bigham
Levi Henderson
Derek Brown
Gary Hines
Bobby Dunn
Micheal Hinson
Danny Caparelli (G)
Alex McGlynn
Ben Ewing (G)
Patrick Oliver
Tom Fitzgerald
Chris Poole
Ryan Hansell
Troy Steffen
Darrick Heath (player/coach)
Matt Van Houten (G)

The following players will be replacement players:
Wilder Freed
David Thompson (G)
Mark Ortega
Brian Walsh
Sean Tenny

The coaches are Chris Cappelmann and Darrick Heath.

Notably the roster includes two veteran players coming out of retirement, Matt Van Houten and Darrick Heath.