SPIRE Welcomes Team USA Handball For Inaugural College Handball Tournament

GENEVA, Ohio, March 23, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- SPIRE Institute & Academy (IA) is opening its courts for the first college conference handball tournament, featuring teams representing eight colleges from the East Coast and the Midwest.

The tournament is two competitions in one. For the men's teams, the Trailblazer Conference Championship is the culmination of the men's conference that features Ohio State and North Carolina, among others. For the women's teams, the Ohio Women's Collegiate Invitational will serve as the final collegiate event before the 2022 USA Team Handball College & Youth National Championships in Chapel Hill, NC.

The Trailblazer Conference was created to provide collegiate handball teams with more competitive opportunities throughout the season. The goal of the Trailblazer initiative is to create even more collegiate handball leagues throughout the country in the future by helping pockets of colleges throughout the United States organize their regional leagues.

Martin Branick, Event & Membership Development Coordinator of USA Team Handball, explains that the event at SPIRE is important for the growth of the sport. "These tournaments will serve as another opportunity for our colleges to get out and compete against some of the best teams in the nation." He goes on to explain, "A key component of USA Team Handball events is introducing handball in new communities and spreading awareness of the sport."

Martin is excited for the opportunity to partner with SPIRE for this inaugural handball tournament. "SPIRE was chosen because of its central location for the teams participating, the welcoming and friendly service and flexibility from the SPIRE staff, especially SPIRE's Director of Community Relations, Keith Webb, as well as the high level of amenities and overall quality of the facility. With this event, we are trying to set the standard for collegiate handball events in the U.S., and SPIRE was a logical option. We are incredibly excited to host the inaugural Trailblazer Conference Championship at SPIRE."

The following teams will be participating:

Trailblazer Conference Championship

The Ohio State University (2 teams)
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
University of Pittsburgh
University of Cincinnati

Ohio Women's Collegiate Invitational

United States Military Academy West Point (2 teams)
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
The Ohio State University

By hosting this event, SPIRE continues to fulfill its mission to be the premier destination where Olympic athletes and programs go to train and compete.

The USA Team Handball Trailblazer Collegiate Conference Tournament will be held on March 26th, 2022 from 10 AM to 8 PM, and March 27, 2022 from 8 AM to 2 PM.

For more information, including schedule updates and match results, please visit: https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Team-Handball/Events/2022/March/26/Trailblazer-Collegiate-Conference-Tournament

About SPIRE

SPIRE Institute & Academy is a comprehensive academic, athletic, personal skills and career development experience located within a world class event and wellness complex. Constructed on nearly 500 acres with more than 750,000 sq. ft. under roof, SPIRE (http://www.spireinstitute.org) encompasses four divisions: SPIRE Academy, an accredited college preparatory international boarding school and multi-sport/specialty training and development academy for 9-12 graders and a post grad program; SPIRE Institute, the research and development arm studying performance improvement across multiple disciplines; SPIRE Events, a facility and team that hosts local, national and international tournaments and events with the NCAA, the Big East, Big Ten and Atlantic 10 conferences, Olympic trials and world championship qualifiers; and SPIRE Fit, a community membership-based fitness, swim and health center open to the public. Sports currently featured on campus include swimming, track and field, basketball, esports, drone racing, wrestling and lacrosse.

About USA Team Handball

USA Team Handball (USATH), headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the National Governing Body for the Olympic discipline of Team Handball. USATH, a member of the International Handball Federation (IHF) and the North American and Caribbean Handball Confederation (NACHC), is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and was certified by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) on April 30, 2008. The mission of USA Team Handball shall be to develop, promote, educate and grow the sport of Team Handball at all levels in the United States, and to enable United States athletes to achieve sustained competitive excellence to win medals in international and Olympic competition.

Media Contact

Joel Layman, ArachnidWorks, 240.285.9844, [email protected]

SOURCE SPIRE Institute & Academy