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David Chapman (born June 26, 1975) is a former number one ranked player in the sport of American handball. He is one of the best handball players ever to play the sport. Dave dominated the four-wall game for 11 years, from 1993 to 2004, winning eight USHA National singles titles and seven National doubles titles in that period. He also won two World singles championships, and two World doubles championships during this part of his career. Throughout this period (1994-2004) Chapman was the number one ranked professional handball player in the world (except for part of 2001).〔Player rankings are taken from Handball, a bi-monthly magazine published by the United States Handball Association (USHA), 1992-2012.〕 Dave retired in 2004 but returned to the game in 2008 and played till 2012. During this period Dave won two more National doubles titles, recaptured his number one ranking in 2010, and in 2011 won his ninth National four-wall singles title at the age of 35. As of this writing, his nine four-wall National singles titles are second only to Naty Alvarado’s eleven, and his nine National four-wall doubles titles is number one all time—a feat he achieved with three different doubles partners (Naty Alvarado Jr., Vince Munoz and Emmett Peixoto).〔Handball August 2011〕 While Dave’s primary focus has been four-wall handball, he also played in several National three-wall tournaments. Prior to his first retirement, Dave won two National titles in singles and three in doubles. When he returned to handball he won another National singles title and two more National doubles titles, giving him three National singles and five National doubles titles overall in three-wall handball.〔The USHA website has a list of all National Champions in three- and four-wall handball〕 ==Prodigy== Dave Chapman was a handball prodigy; he famously started playing when he was three years old by hitting a ball off the garage wall with his dad, Fred.〔Dana Gelin, "Give the Kid a Hand," Sports Illustrated, June 12, 1995.〕 Dave is the only player in four-wall history to capture all five USHA National Junior titles—a feat he accomplished by age sixteen. In 1985, at age ten, Dave won the eleven-year-old National Junior title, the next year, at age eleven, he won the thirteen-year-old title. In 1987, at twelve, Dave lost in the semi’s of the ‘Fifteens’ to fifteen-year-old future pro John Robles, but won the 'Fifteens' the next year at age thirteen. Dave won the ‘Seventeens’ at age fourteen, but the next year lost in the ‘Nineteens’ to future hall of famer, Tati Silverya. Even though the sixteen-year-old Chapman had turned pro, he entered the juniors and won the nineteen-year-old title in December 1991 by beating future pro Tyler Hamel.〔Handball: February 1986, February 1987, February 1988, February 1989, February 1990, February 1991, February 1992〕 In April 1991, at age fifteen, Dave became the youngest player in professional handball history to qualify for the pro tour (a record he still holds).〔Handball June 1991.〕 In December 1991, at age sixteen, Dave became the youngest player ever to become one of twelve invited players on the pro tour.〔I.e., he no longer had to play in a qualifier.〕 To do so, Chapman beat 4th ranked Danny Bell and 5th ranked Vince Munoz, before losing in the semifinal. He then beat the 1989 National Champion and former number one ranked Poncho Monreal to take third place in the tournament.〔Handball February 1992〕 Vern Roberts〔Former professional handball player, national champion and current editor of Handball〕 remarked: “A 16 year old in a pro semifinal may not be so unusual in tennis, maybe even racquetball, but in handball it is a record by two years.” In June 1993, at age seventeen, Dave won his first professional USHA National four-wall title, approximately three years younger than anyone else in the history of the game; surpassing other "youngest players": Tati Silverya who won his first Nationals in 1992 at age 20, Naty Alvarado who won in 1987 at age 21 and in 1958, prior to the pro tour era, John Sloan who won his first National title at age 22. In contrast, the record of National champions since the 1950s demonstrates Chapman’s extraordinary achievement. The following National champs won their first (and in some cases only) title at a more likely age: Jimmy Jacobs first won at 25, Stuffy Singer at 27, Paul Haber at 29, Terry Muck at 27, Fred Lewis at 25, Poncho Monreal at 25, John Bike at 25, Paul Brady at 25. Considering this history, Chapman’s prodigious achievement is a record unlikely to be surpassed.〔A list of National Handball Champions is available from the USHA’s website > about > National Champions.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「David Chapman (handballer)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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