Those who still play the sport of handball have a motto: any ball on any wall.
The oldest game played with a ball is looking for a rebirth of sorts. Players from the Utah Handball Association say that if you're looking for a total workout, you might want to try it.
"It's one of the most extreme sports you'll ever play," said 32-year-old Dominique Sanone.
"This game takes incredible balance, good stamina and great reflexes to play," Rick Moldover said.
Moldover, a New York native, and several handball players from Murray's Sports Mall sampled the single-wall courts at Liberty Park last weekend. Most players liked the feel of playing outside, even while enduring the searing heat of the asphalt courts and the occasional lost ball.
"It's a quick game," said Bill Geurts of the Sports Mall. The resident handball expert said that, in addition to benefiting from the conditioning of handball, it's also perfect training for lots of other sports.
"It translates to other sports like basketball, tennis, baseball and golf," he said.
Players must use their lateral speed to run down serves and have enough dexterity to return shots that are only a couple of inches off the ground.
"It's really an exciting game," Moldover said.
All players wear protective gloves, and ambidextrous players have a big advantage.
There's no question that the hard-core players love their game. But the finesse and reaction sport seems to have run its course since becoming popular in the 1970s.
"It's suffering a little bit," Geurts said. "Most of the best players in the state are in their 40s and 50s."
Moldover agrees: "The demographics are going against us."
A member of the United States Handball Association, Moldover believes with a little exposure to younger generations, the sport could be revitalized.
"I just don't think they bring it to school here," Moldover said. "It's part of the school system in New York . . . Thousands of kids play in school."
The USHA is trying to change that by marketing to the X-Box generation. The association is giving out equipment to young players through its "Alive and
Well" program.
Liberty Park's handball courts are located just south of the tennis center and next to the swimming pool. The one-wall courts are routinely open, although some of the lines on the courts have faded away. Some players still prefer the nuances of the mortar and cinder blocks to the flat surfaces of indoor courts.
"It totally throws your game off," said Matt Salsberg, a Park City High School graduate. The uneven grooves of the old court give him the opportunity to use different angles and spins on the ball.
The players from the Utah Handball Association say they plan to meet with park officials to look into repainting the courts and replacing parts of the wall that are in disarray.
E-mail: tpeterson@desnews.com