US Fistball Schedule: Summer 2014

The following information has been sent to every corner of the global faust community! US athletes were blessed to be visited by high level Brazilian club Guarani in 2013, and there are expectations that our 2014 events will reach more teams, more countries, more athletes. Thank you for spreading the word and growing our beautiful game!

US Women's Training: Saturday, 12 October!

Drizzle or no, we'll be meeting at Phoenix SC for Team USA practice (3:30pm). Lads are welcome -- join us in support of the women's training (and give them a few spirited games)! Come out, and let's get 3 hours better / 100 sets better / 50 approaches better -- let's get 500 touches better than we were last week!

Massive USFA Announcement!

Dear readers, do take note of this exciting news:
The United States Fistball Association will be publishing the details of its 2014 summer fistball schedule on Sunday, October 13. In 6 days, our events calendar will be sent to every major fistball federation in the world -- be ready when the news drops!
Your faithful if inconsistent author,
Mat

Three Weekends, Three Exciting Events!

The tournaments are upon us! Whether you have been able to attend twelve practices or two, we would love to see you this Saturday at SSC (Flanders, NJ) or next Saturday at Phoenix SC (Feasterville, PA). Contact me for additional event info and carpooling options! You can refer to the blog calendar for specific times, and I recommend that you check with me to confirm everything. I'll be updating here as often as possible!

This Weekend and Progress Moving Forward

The home team is shaping-up nicely with athletes from Jersey and Penna training together regularly! I'll be at volleyball nationals for the next week, scattering the fine streets and public areas of Louisville with short, concise information cards with our contact information. With luck, we'll get just a bit of exposure among the hundreds of teams and thousands of volleyball players and spectators. Training will continue at Phoenix SC, as always! And Todd doesn't know that I'm suggesting this, but you should reach-out to him for South Jersey meetings.

My biggest project at present is assembling a team or two for training and competition in Wisconsin (5-7 July). We'll work with you to find the best fit for flights, driving, food and lodging. Let me know if you can set-aside those days! US head coach, Gastao Englert, will be organizing these practices, and you'll be sure to take your game to the next level!

Updates: Local Television Spot and Training

Today's weather calls to mind that damp Friday in April when Kay and I lumped into Todd's Sonata, destination Allentown, PA. After several scheduling conflicts, SECTV crewmen (the '2-crew,' to local viewers) would be wrapping their camera and equipment in clear plastic bags and meeting us on the fields at Cedar Beach Park for an interview and tekker demonstrations.

Appropriately, I recently received word that SECTV would begin airing the SportsFest preview shows this week, but there has been no specific announcement regarding the fistball segment. Should this footage ever surface, I can tell you that I recall being preoccupied--the weather, the spirits of my friends after a moderate-length drive in moderately-jammed traffic, what to do with my hands, divining the depth to which my interviewer Really wanted me to delve, shouting passersby, and so on... Good for a chuckle or good for recruiting, it is immaterial at this point. We showed-up and we did our best!

Skill demonstrations went well, I believe (but then, I had the advantage of being a spectator to Todd and Kay as they ran-through first touches, setting, attacks, serves and some combination techniques). The shaggy grass was no help, but the cameraman was persistent: we shot and re-shot from different angles until he expressed satisfaction. He took close-ups of the US shields on our uniforms while we rambled off-the-record (I hope!) about our adventures and misadventures since finding the sport.

A good day, mates, made no less so by our stop at a Spinnerstown tavern.

I hope that we are able to meet today! If the weather is not permitting, though, we can look to Thursday and this weekend as ample time to train together.

Cheers!

TV Shoot

We're excited to meet SECTV today to shoot an interview, and Kay and Todd will demonstrate fistball technique. We plan to introduce the game, show proper tekkers and encourage athletes to register for SportsFest 2013 (I added the url to the fistball page on our 'links and media' tab). We'll be messaging heavily about the US women's program, naturally, and I'll provide information for companies or organizations that might be interested in sponsorship opportunities. Thanks for the support, all!

Update!

My surgery has been moved forward two weeks to this Friday, and we have rescheduled with the SECTV crew for 6pm on 19 April at Cedar Beach Park (Allentown, PA). This gives interested individuals a bit more time to coordinate with us for carpooling and so on! Drop me a note!

Back to Allentown!

The Service Electric crew has agreed to meet again this Friday! I invite you to come-out and share your experiences (or inexperience!) with fistball :) They also want to film some drills that demonstrate technique, so we'll seize the opportunity to train in Allentown at the SportsFest grounds. Contact me for details!

Facebook Boom

Our facebook group has reached 100 members! Follow this link to vote in a new poll. Cheers!

TV Segment is Confirmed!

The SECTV television spot has been confirmed: we're shooting in Cedar Beach Park (the SportsFest venue) this Saturday at 1:30. Drop a note if you're interested in participating! We'll field some questions, provide instruction and demonstrate technique for our eager viewing audience. The segment will be running during the weeks preceding SportsFest XVII. Our goal is to generate interest in the tournament, rally a few new recruits and underscore our commitment to the women's program. Call or write if you have any questions! Click here for the original interview shot by SECTV at last year's SportsFest fistball tournament.

As Promised: A Facebook Group!

Join the conversation!

Continuing to Grow

Owing to the great response we've enjoyed on Blogger, we will be creating a Facebook group to encourage more dialogue--not only between you and me, but among all interested individuals. I welcome you to take advantage of this forum or email me directly!

Prestige Worldwide!

Pardon the Step Brothers reference--word is getting around! It's very early in this project, but I would like to thank all of our friends in the global fistball community for reaching-out and providing some guidance and support. Thank you, Gastao, and thank you, Roger! The following graphic is accurate as of this morning:

Also, I'm starting to hear from interested athletes (both experienced and new)! I will be updating the FAQs page shortly to address some of the questions that have been submitted over the past few days--drop me a note if your questions haven't been answered!

We Are Recruiting!

The US women's fistball team is actively seeking athletes who are interested in contributing to the program's growth and development. At present we are few, but we have great dedication, a unified vision and unwavering direction. During the spring, we will be mobilizing and drafting a schedule that will attempt to accommodate each person's level of commitment and outside responsibilities. Looking ahead, our goal is to compete deep into the 2014 World Championship at Dresden, Germany.

Athletes with backgrounds in volleyball and tennis will already possess many of the technical and strategic skill-sets required to play fistball at a high level, and I strongly urge you to contact me for more information. The benefits are numerous: have fun and develop friendships while exploring volleyball’s roots; seize the physical and mental challenge of a fresh activity; relish social and competitive experiences in domestic and international venues; and--of course--take advantage of some amazing travel opportunities! Your individual goals and sources of inspiration may differ from other players on the team, but we will all be unified as strong, proud representatives of the United States.

I am reaching-out to local sports clubs, high schools and universities, and I welcome your suggestions. Please write if you or someone you know might be interested. I look forward to your note!

A Revolution

Welcome to the web-based home of women's fistball in the United States! I will be updating this blog with information, announcements, schedules, links and media pertinent to women's fistball. Please don't hesitate to contact me directly if I have yet to address a specific question or concern.
Best,
     Mat