CRA Rollout, Winter 2015
Read the CRA Rollout Online at ColoradoRacquetball.com
The Colorado Racquetball Association Quarterly ENews
WINTER 2015
HAPPY NEW YEAR = PREMIERE EVENTS High Level Tournaments Coming Up Fast! Although slightly modified right after the ball dropped for New Year (when Goodson's Blizzard Bash was postponed unexpectedly), the new CRA season calendar remains jam-packed with high level events - monthly right into Fall!
SuperBowl party commitments!
In this issue: • 2015 PREMIERE EVENTS February 6-7, look for a • Club & Tourney Updates bit of change-up at • Member Profile Racquet for the Cure ... • Upcoming Events with modified • Board News scheduling, a different • Tellez Joins Board type of award program • Know your Rules (less free-for-all, more • From the President raffle fundraising) and a • From the Editor new party host and • National News format. Don't worry ... you'll still be able to log Past Event Results: plenty of Saturday court • CRA State Doubles time before keeping your • Colorado Madness
March 20-22, CRA State Singles will be hosted at Apex, followed closely by the third Mile High Pro-Am, April 16-19, featuring a full-scale Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour stop and a USAR Regional. May 1-3 brings the long-standing Cinco de Mayo in Pueblo, and John Foust is already working hard to close-out the 30th-and-FINAL Pepsi Cup Club Championships June 4-7. This historic Colorado-original will name its last club team winner in 2015 ... so start working on your roster now! State Games will be played in their usual summer timeslots, with the Rocky Mountain Senior Games June 9-13 in Greeley, followed by the full-scale multi-sport Rocky Mountain State Games July 17-19 in Colorado Springs. To take your game up another level, Colorado players won't have to cross many state lines to play in the majority of adult national championships this year... from USAR Doubles in Phoenix (Feb.11-15) ... Singles right here in Denver (May 20-24) ... NMRA in Kansas (March 4-7) and again here at HCRA (July 22-25) ... and IRF World Seniors in Albuquerque (Aug.27-30).
TOURNEY UPDATE | Men's OPEN Champs Sean Summers & Eric Waser Fifteen divisions were filled at State Doubles, by 123 entrants, who spent a full weekend at Highlands Ranch to try and earn a CRA title.
CRA Rollout, Winter 2015
In the Open divisions, new wins were secured across the board, by first-time champs Sean Summers / Eric Waser [shown l-r at right] and Jessica Munoz / Michelle Sikorski, along with a second gold to Jessica with Alan Lawson in Mixed Open. The Centurion Open named Eric Metherd / Michael Eitzel as the division champ (with a second gold in M35/40+), and age division winners included Brent Johnson / Jorge Cuellar in 25/30+, Lam Ha / Mike Kennedy in 45/55+, Gordon Levy / Michael Wouk in 60-65+. The Centurion Mixed Open title went to Kerry Rohweder / Mary Stanton. Among the skill division competitors, Jodi Cooke / Laurie Korn took gold in WA, followed by Virginia Brunetti / April Settell in WB. Men's Elite went to Troy Cook / Alberto Olivas, MA to Mike Arguello / Agner Martinez, MB to James Drury / Trevor Schimschock and MC to Martin Jacob / Nathan Jacob. In Mixed, Sandy Ranch / Robert Hauck defended their A title, while Paula Postma / Bob Marah won the B's and Christine McGuire / Thomas Jiron took home the C medal. View full results of the skill divisions online - with congratulations to all!
MEMBER PROFILE | Mark Sikorski Mark and Robin Sikorski (pictured), daughters Michelle and Erin, son Robert, and future son-in-law Matt Dockter- are familiar faces at CRA tournaments. But Mark had to take a bit of time off last year, and shared why. On my birthday last April I received some news that potentially put my life on hold. I was diagnosed with terminal cancer. No one ever knows how this will affect them and I had never really thought about it. I did all the things that you should do, got the finances in order, briefed the family, made sure the trusts and wills were up to date and told everyone hello, and goodbye. Another of the things I did was decide to donate to volunteer organizations that had affected my life in a positive way. Since 2004, Colorado Racquetball had been one of them. Although I served on the board, became a certified referee and AMPRO coach, it just seemed like I could do more. I enjoyed the sport and figured at least I could help by giving the board some latitude on how to spend some money to help those who wanted to enjoy it as much as me. That was the reason I wanted to make the donation after my death, but - as circumstances turned out - I lived. I went through surgery and after all the parts were taken out and analyzed, it was determined that I did not have cancer. That kind of cheated the donation process so I decided to go ahead and give regardless. That is why I decided to go ahead while I was alive to help make a little more difference going forward. I am now healing from a total knee replacement, and hopefully will see everyone on the courts in six months. Professionally, Mark Sikorski is a Financial Planner in Colorado Springs, and the CRA was very moved when he made a special trip up to the December board meeting in Denver to update us and present his surprise gift. We share the family's joy at this happy outcome, and wish Mark the best of luck with his knee rehab ... !
CLUB NEWS | Reports & Previews CRA Board Member Ralph Graham reports that the Denver
CRA Rollout, Winter 2015
Athletic Club has plenty in store for the new year, including: Winter racquetball leagues in January, along with the new and popular “all night” Open league. In February Junior Racquetball begins with instruction, play and leagues for all age groups and levels. Contact Debbie Beldring for fees and details of DAC programs. January 30 - February 1: Racquetball clinic with Cheryl Gudinas. Ranked #7 on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour, Cheryl Gudinas will help you acquire better skills and a renewed enthusiasm for the game. Cheryl is an 8x National Champion, 3x World Champion, 2x Pan Am Gold Medalist, a Certified Personal Trainer, the Assistant Coach of the National Junior Racquetball Team, and an In-Home Personal Trainer. Cheryl brings experience and passion that will help you become a better, more inspired athlete, plus you'll have a good time as you gain new skills and make new friends. Open to all levels of players, the weekend clinic can offer: Play-the-Pro, Game Analysis, Mental Toughness Training/Sport Psychology, Game Strategies, Conditioning for Racquetball and Practice Drills. Starting February 5: Racquetball classes with Woody Clouse. Each Thursday evening for four weeks, Woody Clouse (no introduction needed for this former IRT and CPRT champion and local personality!) will build your game progressively week by week. Classes are 6-7 pm followed by challenge play. April 16-19: The LPRT comes to Denver. The 2015 Mile High ProAm will feature a Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour stop, combined with a regional qualifier. As always, there will be amateur divisions for men and women in both singles and doubles, as well as onsite clinics. There are also several levels of sponsorship opportunities with varying degrees of exposure for local businesses. For more information, contact Debbie Beldring, or visit www.MileHighProAm.com.
CRA SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS ENTRY DOWNLOADS & REGISTRATION • Racquet for the Cure - February 6-7 • USAR National Doubles - February 11-15 • CRA State Singles - March 20-22 • Mile High Pro Am - April 16-19 • Cinco de Mayo - May 1-3 CRA on Facebook
THE BOARD REPORT: Support for Teaching Certification by Marcia Richards To support and encourage training for program directors and clinicians, the CRA has agreed to reimburse participants who successfully complete
WELCOME ! To round out its board lineup for 2015, the CRA appointed George Tellez to its last open seat. Nominations for CRA Board Elections are accepted year-round, for seats
CRA Rollout, Winter 2015
a teaching certification program. Interested? The first step is to select either of the two courses summarized below. Once you have paid for and passed the certification program, you’ll be asked to put that knowledge to use by teaching a clinic, organizing a league, or offering some type of instructional program in Colorado. The CRA will review your application and results, then reimburse you between 50-75% of the cost, depending on the level and program type. USAR-IP (USA Racquetball Instructor Program)
USA Racquetball’s certification program develops and certifies potential instructors for health clubs, fitness centers, schools and universities. The $220 course fee covers expert presentation of essential information for conducting successful group teaching clinics, with a three-year certification upon completion. Once qualified, a $75 membership fee in the professional organization offers access to all instructional materials, conference calls with mentors, plus insurance coverage.
that come available annually. George and Peggine Tellez relocated from California in November, when Peggine joined the USAR national office staff as Facility Relationships & Event Sanctioning Manager. The couple has a long history in the sport, and their move brings a wealth of resources to Colorado - welcome!
Program materials define multiple levels of certification, from Instructor to Clinician, Master Professional, Professional Clinician and Professional Instructor. Benefits at all levels include Class A Level Insurance approved by the USOC, continuing online education including video instruction and ongoing Mentoring with Master Professionals. USAR membership is required and the program is endorsed by the IRT and LPRT pro tours. AmPro (American Professional Racquetball Organization)
The course and certification fee is $225 with pre-registration; any current professional may upgrade for $100. Over three days, you’ll learn in both classroom and on-court settings, covering how to set up your lessons, programming for groups (round robins, doubles, cutthroat, singles), rules testing and organizational differences, program concerns, opportunities for growth; plus developing and justifying job descriptions and budgets.
Want to help keep things running smoothly? Learning 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!
On court you’ll cover how to instruct the varying shots and serves of the game, technical aspects of court coverage, followed by a condensed Practical Exam (a short lesson about 15 minutes) and a Hitting Exam in three sections, performed in small groups with a team leader. Learn more about both programs by following links to online details, then make your selection, register, complete the course, gain your certification, schedule your first program and let us know … Good Luck!
MEETING UPDATE | from Board Secretary Avril Haemmerle ... With the majority of its directors on hand to close out the year, the CRA board met on December 20 celebrate its accomplishments and plan ahead for 2015. At a post-meeting lunch, red-ribboned awards were given to (L-R, holding medals): Angelena Stone (w/Dave), Kay Davis (w/Dan) and Michelle Chandler (partially obscured, as is Dennis) - who were thanked for their support of the "CRA team" from their respective home fronts! Debriefing state doubles, we received good feedback on the use of tablets for updating and presenting draw
CRA Rollout, Winter 2015 results, and high marks for new volunteers. Looking ahead, proposed HCRA maintenance is planned to precede the major events on deck - plus new programs - (see President’s column for details), and the CRA adopted the Penn Green as its official tournament ball for the coming season. Four board appointments were finalized (3 renewals and 1 new), naming Dan Davis, Marcia Richards, Dave Stone and George Tellez to terms that run through 2017; four more seats will be up for election in 2015.
GEORGE TELLEZ joins CRA Board of Directors ... Having recently arrived in Colorado, I bring a wealth of experience through being involved in the sport for 35+ years as a player, 14 years as a California Board Director and 15 years as a Team ProKennex sponsored player. My experience in various capacities - as Associate, Member at Large, Secretary, on the Election Committee and Vice President of the Southern California association - will serve Colorado Racquetball well. Serving on a State Board has given me a great perspective on the “inner workings” of the sport, not only from a tournament standpoint but also in the areas that our sport could benefit in its growth and exposure. Community leagues, local one-day events to spur interest for club players and grass roots promotion can all bring greater involvement. I feel that my visibility at events has afforded players with easy access to bounce ideas and promote the sport that we all love. It's important to make the time to fulfill the responsibilities of serving on any board, and that's a commitment of which I am eager to engage. It is an honor to continue to help racquetball grow in my newly adopted state. On a professional level, I have a degree in Architecture, graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. I have been employed by several award-winning architectural firms over the years and have worked as a Project Manager for two major homebuilding firms. This professional experience gives me the ability to evaluate the association’s marketability.
KNOW YOUR RULES ! The Safety Zone | by Dave Stone Today’s discussion will focus on the safety zone – the 5 foot area between the short line and the receiving line. There seems to be uncertainty about the interpretation of rules as they apply to both the server and receiver. For example, during the 2014 U.S. Open women’s doubles finals aired this year, the referee called the serving team for a foot fault for stepping back into the safety zone before the ball crossed the short line. Moreover, the announcers took the time to clarify the referee’s call without correctly explaining the rule. Mistakes happen in the course of refereeing and this example shows that even experienced players are subject to misinterpretation. Read the full article here >>
FROM THE PRESIDENT | by Larry Haemmerle We're very excited about all that is happening this year in Colorado ... from hosting National Singles and the NMRA International Championships ... to the Rocky Mountain Regionals featuring an LPRT stop at the DAC. The newly formed Rocky Mountain Collegiate Racquetball Conference will also be working toward their inaugural event in 2015. The National Singles Championships will offer divisions for any player, including the US National Team qualifier. Standard skill and age divisions are broken down to Open, A, B, and C, in five year increments. And if doubles
FROM THE EDITOR
We all experience nostalgia with each new year - and this edition of the Rollout struck me as being particularly mindful of the people that make up CRA. From John Mooney and John Foust early on in the 70s and 80s ... to Marcia Richards for a full decade (2003-13) ... CRA's volunteer leadership has been dedicated to consistent growth. We find that our long-time
CRA Rollout, Winter 2015 is more your thing, there will also be non-championship doubles divisions. The National Masters Racquetball Association International Championships are tailor made for 45+ age players. The event generally runs Tuesday through Saturday and all divisions are round robin or pool play. Both singles and doubles are offered, all matches are self refereed, and you will play every day of the event. Make sure you're in shape!
enthusiasts are gracious and generous - and that newcomers to the area are quick to seek out the racquetball community to make important connections and establish new friendships.
The Rocky Mountain Regionals will offer all of our normal divisions, but the inclusion of a Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour stop will also bring the greatest female players in the world to the Denver Athletic Club. You don’t want to miss the exciting action offered by these tremendous athletes.
Our family of volunteers does credit to the charitable giving of time and talent - on every level by supporting programs and events that they hold dear.
The newly-formed Rocky Mountain Collegiate Racquetball Conference is being coordinated by Shannin Rudman, who is getting some great support from Shawn Lopez, a student at the School of Mines, and a newcomer to the community. Several CRA Board Members have also stepped up, and we hope all of you will consider offering your assistance in helping to organize their initial events. It's a great way to give back to our sport by establishing growth at the collegiate level, so contact Shannin today!
It seems impossible to be involved and NOT exhibit the type of engaging drive and spirit that inspires and transforms. That passion for the sport clearly moves us all, and I couldn't be more grateful. How about you?
In addition to CRA State Championships and our regular lineup of sanctioned tournaments, 2015 is shaping up to be a great year for Colorado Racquetball. Don’t miss out; and be involved as much as you possibly can!
Hope your New Year started out great, and that we'll see you on the court in 2015 - Linda Mojer
NATIONAL NEWS | by Larry Haemmerle USA Racquetball has introduced an exciting FREE eMembership program to introduce recreational players to our sports’ National Governing Body. Although a traditional membership is still required to compete in sanctioned events, this new option provides some great benefits, which include: Joining the community and helping support this great sport Unlimited access to RACQUETBALL Magazine online Access to the official rules of the sport Regular news from USA Racquetball Updates from your State Organization Updates on TEAM USA Racquetball National Teams Local and National Tournament information Partner & Travel discounts If you know players who prefer non-tournament play, please encourage them to sign up for this great program. Our member numbers have increased nationwide and we're hoping that this new eMembership will dramatically increase the exposure and "reach" of our sport. Back in November, the 19th UnitedHealthCare US Open Championships went into the books as another example of a fabulous event, with over 700 participants competing in 90 divisions of singles and doubles. Colorado was well represented by Felipe Camacho, Tony Carson, Ray Cornell, Kevin Deyo, CJ Sanders, April Settell, and Joe Williams. Much of TeamCO was also busy behind the scenes, with April Settell working her first year on the hospitality crew, Joe Williams staying on his toes, and Avril Haemmerle working security (yes, security, plus other duties) all week long. As usual, I was involved in meetings from start to finish, but as my calendar became less jammed, I actually got to spend some time watching matches. Avril and I were privileged to use the USA Racquetball Directors Box and Ray Cornell, Kevin Deyo and CJ Sanders were able to join us and watch the action from some of the best seats in the house. This was the first year for Pro Doubles, and the new divisions made for even more excitement. Hopefully, you were able to watch the action when it was first telecast over Thanksgiving weekend and - if you check your cable listings carefully - you can still find repeat broadcasts on the Tennis Channel (set the DVR!). We can’t wait for the 20th Anniversary of the event in October. Hope to see you there
CRA Rollout, Winter 2015 - and on the courts regularly until then!
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