2017 Youth Fistball Teams Shine In European Championships

August 30th, 2017 - Roxbury, NJ - With a combination of natural talent, hard work and gritty determination, the fledgling United States U18 Fistball teams tackled the 2017 Season. Starting with practices in the Winter and Spring, the Men’s and Women’s teams trained under the direction of Bob Feid, United States Fistball Association (USFA) President.

Both the Men's and Women's teams competed in local competitions against adult clubs from New Jersey and Pennsylvania in preparation to attend the U18 European Championships in Switzerland this past July. Having a few short months to train in a sport that most of the team had never played, the athletes remained determined to compete at their best level. Going up against teams comprised of youth that have played since they were very young, the technique and experience was hard to overcome. Though the US Teams were unable to emerge victorious, they gained a lifetime experience in a short amount of time.

Following the competition, the teams were invited to the Swiss Olympic Training Center in Magglingen for a four-day intensive with teams from across Europe. There they participated in drills and scrimmages to improve their level of play.

According to the U18 women’s coach, Amy Miller: “We are looking forward to not only hosting players and coaches from other countries but also establishing and maintaining good sportsmanship, camaraderie and friendship to help continue to grow the sport of Fistball in the USA. Our players benefitted greatly from the training camp and the hospitality of the Swiss was much appreciated. It is our hope to reciprocate by hosting teams from all over the world.”

As the 2017 Fistball season ended, The U18 Women’s Team finished out their season strong winning the Women’s overall division of the Eastern Fistball Association. Additionally, the U18 Men were honored by proclamation by the Town of New Providence recognizing them for their accomplishments representing the United States.

The old-world sport of fistball, played recreationally in the US for over 80 years, has been played at a highly competitive level in Europe. Through the efforts of the USFA, youth development has been a focus for the past few years in hopes of bringing strong teams to the international stage. In recognition of the efforts the International Fistball Association (IFA) recently awarded the 2018 U18 World Championships to the United States to be held in Roxbury, New Jersey next summer.

The horseshoe lake sports facility in Roxbury Township is ideally suited to host the competition expected to draw dozens of teams from around the world. Additionally Fistball fans from around the country are expected to attend.

Photo Credit USFA:

US U18 2017 National Team: Back: Ryan Baumbusch, Dylan Pizzi, Ryan Lampmann, Shane Mahlstadt, Anish Sood, Matt Byrnes, Thomas Jankowski - Front: Emma Dollase, Kate Tagliareni, Jasmine Hall, Alexx Berdej, Kelli Vogel, Bayleigh Takacs, Lexi Levinson, Kamali Schoen , Christine Connelly

Easter Fistball Association 2017 Women's Champs: Christine Connelly, Emma Dollase, Kelli Vogel, Coach: Peter Buehning, Bayleigh Takacs, Lexi Levinson

New Providence Honorees: Matt Byrnes, Dylan Pizzi, New Providence Mayor Al Morgan , Thomas Jankowski, Shane Mahlstadt

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Looking forward, the USFA will be holding clinics and tryouts for the 2018 U18 National Teams in the coming months.

Additional information about Fistball, the USFA and the U18 teams can be found on Facebook and the USFA website www.usfistball.com or contact Bob Feid at b.feid@usfistball.com

Follow US Fistball and the U18 on Facebook: @Fistball @USFistballU18
#USu18Fistball #USFA #Fistball #PeaceLoveFistball #RoxburyTwpNJ