BACKGROUND STORY OF THE TROPHY
ArmChamp Trophy is a rivalry trophy between Champlin Park and Armstrong. The trophy was created from a donated karate trophy from a former Champlin Park Captain Ryan Fredrick. The trophy w3as donated to Champlin Recreation Program Coordinator Dan Schink, who was told to turn the trophy into a tennis trophy. A few years after Dan Schink became the Head Coach of Armstrong he finally figured out how to fulfill the request. Coach Schink was a graduate of Champlin Park in 2003, which just happened to be Champlin Park Head Coach Brian Larson's first season as head coach. Twenty years later the former athlete turned coach challenged his head coach to rivalry.
When discussing the trophy figure the two coaches agreed to keep the karate figure as the center piece. The large trophy once upon a time was a 4th place karate trophy.
THE ORIGINAL TROPHY
The first official ArmChamp rivalry game in 2023, Champlin Park won the trophy at Armstrong 4-3. The Rebels swept the singles lineup, while the Falcons swept the doubles side of the match. Since Armstrong had won the match-up the year prior to the rivalry the trophy was stored in the Falcon ball court waiting for the result of the match. The victorious Rebels had to search for the tennis 'sidelines' for the trophy like a college football rivalry victors often do to retrieve a trophy after a win over a prior trophy holder.
The following year Champlin Park held on to the ArmChamp with a dominating 6-1 win. Days after Champlin won the match the trophy suffered damaged from a football. The stories vary on which Rebel was responsible for the football toss, but the end result was the karate figure became a causality. While bringing the trophy out for the 2025 match-up the trophy fell over in a gust of wind that cracked the center marble base of the trophy. The Champlin Park coaching staff made a band-aid out of a zip-tie.
The 2025 Battle resulted in an epic showdown at 1st Singles. With the match tied at 3-3 the 1st Singles players dueled into the sunset. The Falcons Ben Breitbach prevailed with a 7-5, 5-7, 7-5 victory over an epic performance from Champlin Park's Howie Foy just as the final rays of sunshine vanished. The Falcons celebrated with the trophy as night arrived. The picture taken of Captain Ben Breitbach holding the trophy up in celebration became the perfect symbol of the Falcons season. That picture was used for the background of all the Falcons individual honors that season.
TROPHY UPDATED
During the summer of 2025 the trophy was brought into the Apex Trophy shop for repairs. The trophy received multiple upgrades. A new base with an official name plate was added to stabilize the trophy to help prevent future falls. The center marble base replaced. Another karate figure was used from a different donated trophy from Ryan Fredrick. A brand new piece was added to the trophy. The new feature came from a trophy from Armstrong Volunteer Coach and former Champlin Park C-Squad Coach Judy Schink. An old trophy of hers had broken perfectly. The perfect piece to be added to the ArmChamp trophy was created. That new addition was drilled into the hands of the karate figure. By so doing completing the ArmChamp trophy with a tennis racquet!
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?
Time will tell the future tales of ArmChamp Trophy. The Falcons get to defend the trophy in 2026. Will they be bring the trophy back home?
RESULTS
COACH SCHINK (ARMSTRONG) vs. COACH LARSON (CHAMPLIN PARK)
ARMCHAMP ERA:
2025: W 4-3 (@ CP)
2024: L 1-6 (@CP)
2023: L 3-4 (@Armstrong)
PRE-ARMCHAMP ERA:
2022: W 4-3 (@ CP)
2021: L 1-6 (@CP)
2020: Cancelled
2019: L 0-7 (@CP)
SECTIONS (NON-ARMCHAMP EVENT:
2024: #5 Armstrong L 0-7 @ #4 Champlin Park
2023: #11 Armstrong L 3-4 @ #6 Champlin Park