Joseph Platak (1909 – November 7, 1954) was an American

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...

player in the 1930s and 1940s. He was one of the inaugural inductees to the

United States Handball Association The United States Handball Association (USHA) is the national governing body for American handball in the United States, a game played mostly in that country. The organization is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation which promotes the game and gov ...

's Hall of Fame in 1954.

Early life

The son of a Lithuanian immigrant, Platak grew up in Chicago, a handball hotbed. He briefly attended Loyola University but left it to support his parents. During the early part of his voluntary naval service, he was not allowed to travel to defend his national title. He played for Chicago's Lake Shore Athletic Club. Not until Naty Alvarado did any other player win as many four-wall titles in national open singles play.

Career

Platak was a four-wall player who dominated the sport in the 1930s, winning nine national singles championships from 1935–1945, beating every opponent in just two games. He was also on two doubles championships. In 1948 he placed third in Sullivan Award voting.

References

1909 births 1954 deaths American male handball players American people of Lithuanian descent 20th-century American people {{US-handball-bio-stub