When Paul Williams founded the Inner City Handball Association (ICHA) in 1991, the initial goal was to be a centralized source for local handball information. Williams also envisioned providing opportunities for boys and girls to play handball and expand their horizons as he had decades before.
“Growing up, I loved the sport,” said Williams, a Brooklyn native. “I was sponsored by a gentleman into club handball. Instead of just playing in the streets, I ended up being a part of the handball team of Union Temple, which is a Jewish club in Brooklyn. Then, getting involved with the West Side Y and a few other clubs where I was able to travel and play handball across the country.”
Seeing a void in youth handball in the early 1990s, Williams decided to take on building a sustainable community in New York. At the time, he was the only Black board member of the United States Handball Association (USHA). He started ICHA, formed a board, filed for nonprofit status and slowly built up the organization.
“We focus on kids, but we do have older divisions,” said Williams, who still plays regularly. “The primary tournaments are junior tournaments.”
Approximately 500 to 600 kids participate in tournaments each season. Although participants are majority boys, there are about 30 girls each tournament. Williams serves as a referee with the Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL), which has about 3,000 kids across 100 teams.
“To make sure that the kids who are playing in high school have an opportunity to play not just in the high school league, but play in the private leagues, so they have opportunities to be part of a club after high school and be involved with colleges across the country that have handball teams,” said Williams. The ICHA website has information about those colleges.
Today, ICHA’s mission is to build partnerships with diverse community groups, including through community clinics that introduce handball to new audiences. The next clinic takes place September 20 in Brooklyn at the ICHA Bed-Stuy/Crown Heights Outreach Classic in St. John’s Park, with Assemblywoman Stefani L. Zinerman participating.
On November 13, ICHA will hold its dinner and awards gala celebrating some of the best individuals in the New York City handball community. At the gala, the organization gives out scholarships to kids who have been both good athletes and shown community service. Three New York City women will be inducted into the USHA Hall of Fame: Karen McConney, Adrian Floyd and Tracy Davis, who competed in ICHA tournaments in their youth. The long-term goal for the organization is to have an indoor facility at one of the armories in Brooklyn, so there can be year-round training and competitions.
“We set good standards of sportsmanship, respect and courtesy,” said Williams. “These ladies appreciated an environment where they could excel. They won national and world titles and now play socially.”
In September 2026, ICHA will be one of the presenters for the World Wallball Championships along with the World Handball Council and the USHA. “We’re expecting 1,200 players from around 15 countries,” Williams said.