Arturo "Lefty" Suarez Biography
Hall of Fame 2024 "Player"
Central/San Jose YMCA

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Lefty is a versatile handball player skilled in singles and doubles on both indoor and outdoor courts.  He has won four indoor USHA National Championships: 2015(40+ division singles) in Fountain Valley; 2016(45+ division singles) in Portland; and 2023(35+ division doubles) with Albert Negrete and (40/45+ division) with George Garcia Jr. in Fountain Valley. Outdoor accomplishments include winning the Las Vegas World Championship singles in 2010(35+ division), 2011(40+ division), and 2016(45+ division).  The Las Vegas outdoor tournament is one of the hardest to win due to temperatures of up to 120 degrees during competition. Lefty has also been a strong supporter of the CALCUP, winning 3 of 4 matches in 2022 and 2024 against strong southern California indoor handball players. 

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Arturo Lefty Suarez was born in Guadalajara, Mexico on September 22, 1971. Lefty started hitting racquetballs and handballs in Park Blue Water at around eight years old when no one in the park would play with him because of his age. But, he played other sports including soccer, basketball, football, and swimming. That made him more competitive and skilled due to the fact that all sports combined made him more aware of how to use his body.  But, handball was his favorite. He would chase the out balls from open players games while they were playing and betting and they would give him a little money. Later on, he would bet on himself and earn a little more money. Since he didn’t like to lose money, he became more competitive .  No one likes to lose money. 

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In his 20s, Lefty started playing 3-wall outdoor in San Jose’s Roosevelt Park.  Big Ball games in the early 90s were with and against Ron Strausbaugh, Rick Maciel, Carlos Aguila, Roberto Chaves, Albert Negrete, Eddie Bettencourt among others.  After playing Big Ball for a while, he added small ball to his skills, competing on Gilroy and Watsonville courts.  He started in the “Bs”, winning 3-4 tournaments and then moving to Open/A drop down. Lefty then won outdoor tournaments with Sam Kass, Luis Diaz, Nacio Delgado, Raul Jasso and began transitioning to indoors at the San Jose YMCA.  He started playing small ball tournaments with “Bs” at the 2008 Superbowl in Pleasanton, beating Alfonso Rosas.  And, then moving to “Slam” Open/A drop down, winning 2008 A singles and doubles at  the SOS Club  in Modesto, then A singles and doubles at the Sacramento Open,  A doubles at the St Patrick’s Day with Luis Dias, A doubles in San Mateo with Sam Kass, A doubles at Top Gun 2008, and A doubles Hall of Fame with Ray Graham. And, that year going from winning B’s in the Superbowl to winning Open Singles in 2008. This was Lefty’s best and longest winning streak, and he was loving indoor handball

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Lefty was to win numerous indoor open singles handball tournaments. These included his  first Open Singles Championship win that was against Chris Tico at the Turkey Shoot in 2008. That was followed by wins over Luis Diaz at the SOS in Modesto in 2009; Rick Torres at Supreme Courts Sunnyvale Labor Day Tournament in 2012; Mike McDonald at Superbowl Pleasanton in 2016; Isidro Garcia, Superbowl Pleasanton in 2017; Isidro Garcia Superbowl  Pleasanton in 2018; Jessie Harris, Superbowl Pleasanton in 2019; and Bryant Mendiola, Superbowl Pleasanton in 2020.  Note an impressive five times in a row winning the Superbowl Singles in Pleasanton, 2016-2020

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Lefty has played with a number of Open Doubles Partners winning tournaments throughout Northern California. Doubles partners have included; Sam Kass, Shane Goyt, Jessie Harris, Luis Diaz, Mike McDonald, Anthony Sullivan, Isidro Garcia, Alphonso Quintoriano, Lennart de la Torre, Byant Mendiola, Bear Mearing, Miguel Negrete, Greg Tomasyan and Tom Fitzwater . 

One of his favorite  memories is competing against Chris Watkins (a handball legend in South Los Angeles. After competing and losing to Chris in the Simple Green and National Singles Tournament, Lefty beat Chris in 40+ Singles at the Simple Green in 2011.  He finally got the well-deserved recognition from both southern and northern California handball players who were at Los Caballeros watching the match.  Players came up to him saying “nice game”, “good win”, “love watching you”, “you have a unique style”, and even better, players coming up and asking to be their doubles partner or for some handball tips. Priceless for Lefty.

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Another great memory was playing doubles with Eddie Bettencourt and becoming a 3-wall outdoor doubles champion in Campbell.  This was an accomplishment for Lefty because he had trouble finding a partner to play with who was at the level needed to win a doubles tournament in Campbell. Lefty was just getting recognized in the indoor Open’s and nobody believed he had the outdoor skills to be able to win Open Doubles.  But playing with and practicing against fast Eddie, Lefty was able to compete and know what balls to get and which balls to let go.  Fast Eddie RIP.

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Submitted by Tom Fitzwater & Arturo "Lefty" Suarez

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