VENICE BEACH, Calif. — The Venice Beach Boardwalk was crowded with the usual summer tourist traffic. Many of the visitors stopped to watch and marveled at the talented athleticism of the juniors playing at the 2018 USHA National Junior 3-Wall Championships.  Banners hung across the event’s canopy tents and on the bleachers indicating that National Championships were in progress, and many curious onlookers stayed to ask questions about handball and pulled out camera phones to film the action.

The day’s biggest upset belonged to Los Angeles’ Fermin Victoria (shown with coach Patrick Saito) who upset No. 1 seed Bryan Trejo of Santa Barbara in the Boy’s 15-Under singles.  Victoria has been one of the most improved players in Patrick Saito’s program out of Washington Irving Middle School. 

All junior players were given the royal treatment, getting a backpack, three shirts and a hat as part of their tournament swag bag.  Quarterfinal and semifinal play continues tomorrow.  (Intro image is of Michael Madden from Ft. Collins in first round action).

This year’s Junior 3-Wall Championships, hosted and supported by the Southern California Handball Association and the Los Angeles Fire Department Handball, is packed with 80 players, traveling from Colorado, Mexico, Arizona and all over California.  Small ball competition started the event on Thursday, July 26, with Big Ball divisions beginning on Saturday. 

See the event’s draws and start time at the official r2sports.com site HERE.

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