In the meantime, Letteri has busied himself building up Harvard's handball program and ensuring its survival after his graduation.

Thanks to lobbying by Letteri and sophomore Michael Housman, Harvard officially recognized handball as a club sport this past January.

The team now consists of ten or twelve people, who gather once a week for practices. The team meets at the Cambridge YMCA, because Harvard has no racquetball courts, which are the only surfaces compatible with handball.

A true ambassador of the game, Letteri has passed on to his fellow students a love of handball.

"We've had a lot of interest from people, especially ex-athletes who may not have been good enough to compete in the sports that they used to play," Letteri said.

In many ways, Letteri has passed on to his classmates the very same gift that the older gentlemen at the athletic center bestowed upon him when he was eleven.

Most likely, Letteri's efforts at Harvard have ensured the success of the handball program even after he leaves Cambridge.