CRA Rollout, Summer 2014

CRA Rollout, Summer 2014

Read the CRA Rollout Online at ColoradoRacquetball.com

The Colorado Racquetball Association Quarterly ENews

Summer 2014

SEASON OPENERS: Near and Far World Seniors ... One Day at HRCA ... State Doubles No sooner do we wrap up one season than another begins, and the CRA is already working on firming up dates for the 2014-15 calendar. There's plenty of shiny, new-tech equipment on the market to pique your interest - and spark your game - so consider a quick turnaround when Summer ends.

Just down the road, veteran players can help celebrate the 30th World Senior Racquetball Championships in Albuquerque, leading into Labor Day weekend, with play scheduled August 26-30.

The entry deadline is August 1, and block scheduling offers flexibility to players who want to do some late summer sightseeing ... so enter today!

Back at home, Highlands Ranch will host a one-day shootout on September 13 to help everyone get back on track for Fall. Check for that registration to be activated on the CRA's official calendar page soon, or contact Bill Fearing for details.

In this issue: • 2014-15 PREVIEW • Club & Tourney Update • Upcoming Events • Board News • Know your Rules • From the President • From the Editor • National News Past Event Results: • 29th Pepsi Cup • Cinco de Mayo • Rocky MTN Senior Games

Premiere CRA events for next season will include State Doubles, November 69 ... Racquet for the Cure, February 7-8 ... State Singles, March 20-22 ... and a mid-April Regional (with the possibility of a pro tour partner - stay tuned for updates!).

ALSO ... you'll want to make sure that you enter next season's events in the right skill division! Congratulations to these players who have earned promotion to the next competitive levels, at: Colorado State Singles Championships

Keith Sapp promoted to Open; Zack Casebolt to Elite; Earl Corney to B Rocky Mountain Regional Championships

Alberto Ortiz to Elite; Kevin Deyo to A Pepsi Cup Team Championships

Tim Danos to Open; Mike Shupe to A; Mark Maldonado to B

CLUB & TOURNEY UPDATE | Pepsi Cup Re-cap For the first time since becoming the official host site for the Pepsi Cup Team Championships, the Highlands Ranch Community Association Rec Center team took its place in the event record book, with a near-50 point lead over its nearest rival when all the points were tallied. Two-time defending champs from Colorado Springs – the Peterson AFB team – lost their threepeat bid and slipped into second place, with a 5-player shortfall in their roster this year.

With a packed schedule, short turnaround after a long holiday weekend, plus a Junior National Championship later in the month, early June brought out fewer total teams (from 19 to 13) and about 30 less players overall. At the same time, the Pepsi Cup Team Championships are – already – preparing to celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2015 ... and looking for a new Tournament Director. Who knows what that prospect will hold?

CRA Rollout, Summer 2014

Pictured is Team HRCA, L-R: Amber Pettingill, Don Lundberg, Taryn Boomgaard, Kerry Rohweder, Mary Stanton, Jason Reicheneker, Ellie Weiler, Kevin Holmes, Emily Stanton, Michael Knox, Ellie Stanton, Steve Morris, Andy Vallejo. Not pictured: Team Captain Bill Fearing, Gaye Crossen, Cliff Lackey, Brock Norris, Mike Shupe, Miles Venzara and super-volunteer Janelle Williams. Facebook photos by Avril Haemmerle.

CLUB NEWS | Reports & Previews Dan Davis reports: WOW! The CRA Junior Team did a fantastic job of making our state look good in competition against the best juniors in the nation. Even though it was a first-ever national tournament for most of our players, they weren't intimidated by the pressure and their combined efforts positioned Colorado as third in the nation!

We had 21 entrants from Colorado, ranging in age from 8 to18. Check out the results page to see who won what, and here's the full team list:

Connor Blue - Denver

Lily Caldway - Grand Junction

Jaden Casebolt - Littleton

Evan Gear - Grand Junction

Grant Haskins - Highlands Ranch

Benjamin Hyman - Denver

Briana Jacquet - Golden

Tavian John - Boulder

Nick Louie - Highlands Ranch

Adam Manilla - Centennial

Erika Manilla - Centennial

Chance McCallister - Grand Junction

Ender McCallister - Grand Junction

Kaptian McCallister - Grand Junction

Yurae McCallister - Grand Junction

Zach Pellowski - Grand Junction

Amber Pettingill - Highlands Ranch

Taylor Robinson - Highlands Ranch

Emily Stanton - Littleton

Ellie Weiler - Highlands Ranch

Avery Zieper

More than half of the team won at least one medal, some won two and others won three. Not

Oh yes, they did ... ! The City of Colorado Springs unveiled a major upgrade to its court complex in Memorial Park - complete with two brand new outdoor racquetball courts! Thanks go to local supporters Monty Sims and Eddie Meredith for keeping the multi-use courts "in play" throughout the planning process.

The ribbon cutting was attended by Mayor Steve Bach and City Council President Keith King on June 28, and you can view a full gallery of Monty's photos for a closer look at the beautiful complex.

Interested in outdoor play? Sign up by email to receive local info, and an invitation to the WOR BBQ in August.

CRA Rollout, Summer 2014

surprisingly, the two top point getters were Erika and Adam Manilla (in his last year of eligibility).

He won the gold medal in the gold division of Boy’s 18 singles, B18- doubles, and mixed doubles. Erika won gold in girls 16 doubles, mixed 18, and silver in G16-. Briana Jacquet is also a rising star, winning gold in G14- doubles and silver in singles. All in all, a great showing by Team Colorado Juniors!

CRA SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS ENTRY DOWNLOADS & REGISTRATION • World Seniors - August 26-30 • HCRA One Day Shootout - September 13 • Killer Open - October 17-19 • CRA State Doubles - November 6-9 CRA on Facebook

THE BOARD REPORT: Teaching & Coaching = Giving Back

by Marcia Richards Given the success of the Junior Olympics at Highlands Ranch, it's easy to see that HCRA is a great place to showcase racquetball in a national setting. But it couldn't be done without the help of many people. Dennis Chandler wrangled a volunteer list of 20+ people that dropped in for a few hours to help referee and answer questions about the area. Bill Fearing made sure the attendees were well-fed, by working closely with 15+ generous area sponsors. The USAR national office staffers ran the desk and the CRA was on hand in a support role.

One thing that most impressed me was the high level of sportsmanship displayed by the kids. Watching an 8 year old referee, and a 13 year old handling those calls - not once did I see a player act up. Parents did not get involved in making calls for the young referee; they let the kids do their jobs without interference. It was so refreshing.

When I reffed upper level players, I made good or bad calls and every time all the players accepted them and moved on. I applaud this type of sportsmanship and I know that adults can learn by seeing how clean a game of racquetball can be without confrontation, in its purest form.

What an inspiring event and what a great platform for us to jump-start our own junior program. With 21 players, Colorado's roster was well above what was expected and the level of competition enlightened our young players. Looking ahead, there is so much we need to do to build a better foundation for these types of events. The CRA will be putting together a Junior Board that will be looking for help to: 1. Unite area programs by collecting information about those already

MEETING UPDATE ... The CRA Board recently met to take care of a host of administrative tasks, like setting the 2014-15 tournament calendar, determining how best to allocate some of its funds after a successful season, and deciding how to transition the management of Pepsi Cup in 2015 as the event prepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

Also on the docket were CRA Board Elections, with some existing term adjustments and planning for an end-of-year campaign cycle. If you're interested in a seat on the Board of Directors, contact VIce-President Marcia Richards to have your name placed in the hat!

Want to help keep things running smoothly? Learning

CRA Rollout, Summer 2014

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

organized and running.

Create better communication of statewide events; develop a junior calendar of Saturday play dates.

Look into a separate state Junior tournament.

Offer programming at facilities without a viable junior program Certify more program directors Set up common goals Develop a viable coaching staff Promote Junior Racquetball throughout the state

how to referree or assist at the tournament desk is an easy way to help the sport continue to thrive in Colorado! Just contact any board member to step up and volunteer!

Our state has a number of organized programs but they are not linked into a common hub. Our mission this new season is to get the programs linked in so we come together with common goals, events, and coaching techniques. We want our juniors to get the best coaching possible.

KNOW YOUR RULES ! Pop Quiz

by Dave Stone Congratulations to Highlands Ranch for bringing home the 2014 Pepsi Cup! This tournament is the climax of the Colorado racquetball season, providing players an opportunity to earn points for their local club. The one hiccup for directors is dealing with the challenge of player assignment. Invariably, team coaches and players question players signed up for certain skill divisions, concerned that some may be “sandbagging.”

The CRA has implemented a Promotion / Relegation policy to help players determine which skill events they may enter, and assist tournament directors in developing fair and competitive draws. Read up on the new policy here >>

FROM THE PRESIDENT | by Larry Haemmerle As we near the end of the 2013-14 racquetball season, there’s one final event each season that seems to get overlooked. The Rocky Mountain State Games is held mid-summer, but entries have been dwindling over the years and we'd hate to see the only sanctioned tournament in the Springs disappear from the calendar. Tournament Director Eddie Meredith is always willing to work with your schedule - so if you have taken part ... great ... if not, you've missed a rare opportunity to support racquetball in Colorado Springs!

But the subject of dwindling participation provides a great segue. We recently hosted the Junior Olympic Championships at the Highlands Ranch Recreation Center, drawing 154 total competitors, with 21 from our home state. Of these 21 CRA juniors, less than half of them had an adult in their family that also played racquetball. Many bemoan declining participation in our sport; however, it appears that we're losing an entire generation of potential players. Parents who still enjoy racquetball need to encourage and inspire their children in that same pursuit.

Avril and I exposed our children to the sport early on; two played competitively, but our grandchildren have not been presented with the same opportunity. To ensure the survival of racquetball we need to make every effort to bring our young people into the fold. I know it's difficult, with so many other sports to entice young people in today’s world. But the opportunities to compete in these sports after college (or even after high school) become very limited.

Racquetball is a sport that can keep you healthy and feed those competitive drives for a lifetime. In fact, it always brings a smile to my face when I watch a 90+ player still competing.

FROM THE EDITOR

In reviewing this edition, I'm reminded of the fact that while I never competed as a junior myself - I was introduced to the sport by my Dad ... many (many!) years ago.

He was among those early handball players who found that their courts were being booked by heretics using racquets and wearing only a single glove.

His conversion to racquetball was swift, and lots of trophies followed. I remember watching him recover from overuse injuries that I'm alltoo-familiar with today. He offered to teach me how to play in my teens, but it just wasn't for me - at the time.

Years later he became the pro at a club, and I finally got hooked on the game and the company of the many (many!) great people that I came to know. Today, that's still the best thing I recall about how it all began for me ... with

CRA Rollout, Summer 2014 If your child participated in the Junior Olympics, congratulations on encouraging them in their racquetball journey. Please keep them in the sport and encourage them to bring their friends!

lifetime friendships based in a shared pasttime.

So, keep nagging the youngsters and keep the (court) door open! - Linda Mojer

NATIONAL NEWS | by Larry Haemmerle Since my last update, the National Singles Championships were held in Fullerton, California, where five Colorado players competed: Kevin Deyo, Bill Fearing, Adam Manilla, Joe Massa, and Scott Walker. Congratulations to triple medal winner, Kevin Deyo, double medal winner, Adam Manilla, and medal winner, Joe Massa. Once again, Colorado was well represented and I was proud to watch a number of our player's matches to see the great level of play they brought to the national stage.

The big news was our hosting of the Junior Olympic Championships at the Highlands Ranch Recreation Center at Northridge, which drew an uptick in participation over last year. There were 21 juniors from Colorado, (the third largest number from any state, only exceeded by Texas and California), and Colorado placed third in overall state points achieved!

We are very proud to have three Colorado juniors qualify for our Junior National Team: Adam Manilla was a triple Gold medal champion, Erika Manilla won two Golds and a Silver, and Briana Jacquet captured a Gold and two Silvers. Congratulations are also in order as Emily Stanton and Ellie Weiler were both Bronze medalists in their singles divisions. [ Pictured at left: Erika, Victor and Adam Manilla ] We were also very pleased with the consistent feedback that indicated this was easily the best Junior Olympic Championships in memory. Special thanks to all of the volunteers, particularly Victor and Nancy Manilla, Dennis Chandler, Bill Fearing, the CRA Board, and our many sponsors. Everyone stepped up to make this a first class National Championship event. Our thanks also go to the USA Racquetball staff, and in particular to Jim Hiser, as this was his final event prior to his retirement. Finally, a heartfelt thanks to Matt Anderson and his staff at the Highlands Ranch Recreation Center who, as always, provided a great venue in support of racquetball.

CRA Rollout, Summer 2014 The next event on the national calendar is the UnitedHealthcare US Open, the premiere racquetball event in the world. If you have not attended, please consider doing so, since it's evolved into a celebration of our sport, a great competitive opportunity, and a festival of all things racquetball. Avril and I hope to see you there!

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