By most standards, 2021 has been a great year on the court for Kilkenny’s Kyle Jordan, with a couple of appearances in national finals, but the Kilfane player is determined to go one better in this Saturday's Minor Softball Singles decider.
Jordan lost out in a tiebreaker to Sligo’s Cormac Finn in the All-Ireland 4-Wall Minor Singles final and was also pipped by Armagh’s Fíachra Ó Dhúill in the final of the Wallball Nationals. Since then, he has trained hard and his focus is very much on getting his hands on the cup this Saturday at St Coman’s, Roscommon.
“I have been doing a lot more training, training every day of the week nearly, so hopefully I can get the result that I deserve,” Kyle, a student in Grennan College in Thomastown, says.
“I’ve been playing a lot more different lads from around the country, different top tier lads and different styles of handball. I’ve been doing a lot of fitness training, a lot of running and stuff like that.”
Kyle was introduced to the sport by his uncle and in the early days, played against his cousin in several county finals. He recently defeated his cousin Conor in the Leinster final and Cork’s Eoghan Daly in the All-Ireland semi-final.
“I was good at the start but for two or three years I used to always lose to my cousin in the county final,, he used to always hammer me, but I kept playing,” he laughs.
A keen hurler (he plays as a forward with Thomastown) and soccer player he has focused on handball, he has put both on the back burner this year to focus on handball.
“I haven’t been playing this year because I have been concentrating on handball but I would like to go back to both. I like to play handball three times a week and every other day I run and things like that for fitness.”
A player Kyle looks up to is the late, great Michael ‘Ducksy’ Walsh, a fellow Cat who needs no introduction.
“Ducksy was one of the best ever,” he says. “He won so many senior titles, I’d like to win as many senior titles as him which we all know won’t happen – but I’d like to!”
Kyle, whose favourite code is 40x20 (“it’s a very fast game and I think it suits my style of play”) believes handball is a great game and would like to see more playing.
“The sport itself is really good but I think it needs a little bit more promotion so more people can get involved. A lot of the younger age groups who take it up drop out of handball so there aren’t as many players playing it around the country as there could be.
“It’s great to get to travel to other countries, meet new people and experience new places while playing a bit of handball.”
By Paul Fitzpatrick
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Softball Singles Finals - Saturday 3rd Sept 2022
At St Coman's HC, Roscommon, from 12pm
- Girls Minor: Leah Maguire (Clare) v Carragh Kennedy (Ros)
- Boys Minor: Kyle Jordan (KK) v Cormac Finn (Sligo)
- Mens Senior: Robbie McCarthy (Westmeath) v Gary McConnell (Meath)
- Ladies Senior: Martina McMahon v Catriona Casey (Cork)
