A San Francisco native, Joseph (Joe) McDonald was only introduced to handball at age 35. He joined the Club five years later in 1977 and quickly improved his game through tough competition and instruction from Mike De La Pena. He won the 1980 Olympic Club Singles Championships, one of the oldest players ever to be become Club champ. He would later win the Club’s doubles championship seven times.
From 1982 to 2002, he won two national Masters singles championships and eighteen national Masters double championships pairing with fellow Olympians, Geoff Cappel, Jr., and Mike Dunne Sr. He won the first three doubles titles with Cappel and the remaining fifteen with Dunne.
Beyond these accomplishments, Joe has also performed great service to the handball community. He helped found the Northern California Handball Hall of Fame and its Invitational tournament and served on the US Handball Association’s Board of Directors, later as USHA President. He recruited many players to the Club who have risen to national prominence, including his nephew Mike McDonald, who joined as a Junior and has won three national singles titles.
Joe received the Olympian Award for 1991. He was inducted into the Northern California Hall of Fame and the US Handball Hall of Fame.
