CRA Rollout, Winter 2016
Download a print PDF at ColoradoRacquetball.com
The Colorado Racquetball Association Quarterly ENews RACQUET FOR THE CURE CELEBRATING #17 Fundraiser ready to surpass $100k in donations Happy New Year ... and get those "play more" resolutions ready for the 17th Annual Racquet for the Cure! The 2016 RFTC benefit organizers are looking forward to pairing the founding goals of developing more great women players in Colorado with offering a fun Shootout for men and a high-energy Mixed Doubles fundraiser for everyone. It's only weeks away now, and you can expect some new twists to this one-of-a-kind tournament, with a focus on fun!
Back in 2000, RFTC organizers debuted a specialty women’s-only tournament that remained exclusive for many of its early years. Dwindling numbers of women players inspired more creative ways to bring women together in a competitive setting that also offered coaching, training, clinics, exhibitions and camaraderie. That innovative group dynamic (and demographic) provided a perfect fit with the cause of defeating breast cancer while having fun at the same time.
The inaugural event was held at the southside Inverness club in Denver, where it raised a whopping $200 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The next year, donations tripled to $600, then grew into the thousands each year thereafter. In 2004 the tournament moved to the Denver Athletic Club, where it hosted a series of top-ranked women's pro tour athletes, who paired with sponsors for fundraising exhibitions and doubles challenges, then joined in honoring inspirational breast cancer survivors. In 2009, the Highlands Ranch Recreation Center became the event’s new home, and the best fundraising year to date was logged.
After reaching a grand cumulative total of $97,900 in funds donated to the Denver Affiliate of Komen for the Cure last year, it’s exciting to approach another major benchmark. So download a poster for your club, get a commitment from your favorite Mixed Doubles partner for Friday
WINTER 2016 ON YOUR PHONE
IN THIS ISSUE • WINTER Preview • Racquet for the Cure • New Board Members • Junior Program Update • Upcoming Events • Instruction • Know your Rules • Board Update • From the Editor • National News • FALL Results • CRA State Doubles • Colorado Madness • Killer Open Tournament Player's Guide All photos are provided with permission to publish by contributors or acquired from public sourcing; unattributed content is copyright Editor.
CRA Rollout, Winter 2016
night, then take a look at this year’s lineup to find your Saturday Shootout spot. Enter today >> and find sponsorship information >>
The Colorado Racquetball Association strives to get a sanctioned event on the calendar every month in the season, so look for the Apex Open in February ... State Singles in March ... a tbd Regional in April ... Cinco de Mayo and National Singles in May ... so go inside and play!
42nd CRA STATE DOUBLES | Littleton YMCA & Lifetime Fitness Host Despite the complexity of using split venues and a slight schedule change that kept a few regulars away this year, 107 entrants were placed into 16 divisions and 24 total playoffs, for a full weekend of exciting doubles competition. This Littleton YMCA and Lifetime Fitness Center shared hosting duties on eight courts between the nearby facilities, and a full complement of CRA Next up in the CRA Championship Board members and volunteers stepped up to help series is State Singles, March 18-20, manage the two sites. Board director Ralph Graham which will also mark year #43 in coordinated the schedule, and both tournament desks 2016. were ably staffed by Kathleen Erickson, Maylen Gaspar, Deven Naik, Steve Nelson, CJ Sanders and Peggine Tellez. And even though she wasn't able to commit to play over the weekend, April Settell set up all the hospitality ahead of time, to make sure that players were well-fed. We appreciate all of the help it takes to run a successful event under complex circumstances, and players should make sure to thank them as well! The largest divisions were the Men's Open and the Men's B, which drew a total of 10 teams each, that were split into three pool play groups to get started. From there, Open champs Woody Clouse and Ryan Rodgers advanced with a semi-final win over Timothy Danos/Kyle Heaton and a tiebreaker victory over the father-son team of David and Tyler Stone in the final. Former pro tour veteran Clouse ended a decade-long dry spell with the win, and R2 developer Ryan Rodgers seemed fully accustomed to altitude as he claimed his first Colorado state doubles title. In Men's B, another father-son team worked their way out of pool play and into the medal round.
CRA Rollout, Winter 2016
Martin and Nathan Jacob advanced past Dennis Overman and Greg Van De Mark in the quarters, then survived a narrow tiebreaker win over Sean Hartling/Darin Hjelmstad before defeating Eric Berman and Edward Milstein for the title. In Women's Open, Jessica Munoz re-teamed with newlywed Michelle Sikorski Dockter to defend their title by playing through a five-team round robin to defeat Chantel Anderson and Marcia Richards in straight games. As she did last year, Jessica went on to do the same in defending the Mixed Open crown with Alan Lawson, over challengers Deb Beldring/Lee Beckwith who forced a tiebreaker. Taking the helm as the primary TD on short notice, Joe Williams did a great job in opening, closing, taking award photos and organizing the Championship, as well as working with the Board to manage the hundreds of details that go into the planning and execution of any sanctioned event. In all, well done!
Men's Open Doubles finalists L-R: Woody Clouse, Ryan Rodgers, Tyler Stone, David Stone.
MEMBER PROFILES | Players step up for Board Seats When the CRA Board of Directors found itself short-handed earlier this fall, it scrambled to identify some candidates willing and able to accept appointments to open terms, and these familiar faces answered the call. If you don't know them already, these excerpted comments about CRA service will help introduce them to you. Kathleen Erickson ... I would like to serve on the board because I love the sport and see an ongoing need to promote it, especially to younger athletes. I learned to play racquetball as a child and competed for many years, then didn't play for awhile until I started up again in 2009 and have since progressed to the Elite level.Â
CRA Rollout, Winter 2016
My professional/business experience includes event management as the Marketing Director for a Hotel & Casino where sporting events were often held, and I also developed marketing collateral and managed campaigns. I have great communication skills and have presented at trade shows and on radio broadcasts. I very much want to help expand our sport in Colorado to make it one of the most fun and active sporting events in our state. This is a feat that one person can't do alone. We must do it together and I want to help. Kim Pedrie ... My passion for Colorado racquetball stretches back over four decades - first as a competitive player in numerous tournaments with thousands of hours playing, then later as Junior racquetball director for the Pikes Peak YMCA. I have served in that role for over eleven years and spent countless hours developing hundreds of new young players. I'm also AMPro certified as an instructor and privileged to serve as a player, coach and advocate for the sport I love. In addition to racquetball, I have coached Little League for five years, competitive travel baseball for two years and have volunteered as coach for the freshman and JV baseball teams at Lewis Palmer High School in Monument. My greatest interest now is with developing new high school programs for racquetball. I'm honored to be appointed to the Board and relish the opportunity to serve the CRA and further our sport in Colorado. Alyssa Street ... I'm happy to serve on the board because the racquetball community is important to me. I have enjoyed getting to know many wonderful people at various tournaments, like Racquet for the Cure, and I would like to get more involved. I've been playing since 2008 and more seriously competitive in the past several years. I started in women’s D and have moved up to the A/B level in singles and also enjoy playing women’s and mixed doubles. In terms of professional expertise, I am the Development and Communications Director for a local non-profit. I can do website management, promotional material, outreach and fundraising. I understand the importance of volunteering and think this will be a wonderful experience. I'm willing to fill any of the Board's programmatic needs and I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve.
JUNIOR NEWS | HRCA High School Program Grows
Writeup and photos submitted by Bill Fearing Four years ago, HRCA racquetball pro Bill Fearing was asked to get involved in creating a program for high schools in the Highlands Ranch District. For the past three years, he's been teaching Mountain Vista HS students, and over 106 of them have worked their way through instructional programs held in each of the fall and spring semesters. Bill is shown below, modeling the backhand
CRA Rollout, Winter 2016
follow-through with the latest batch of Mountain Vista High School students. Students are bussed to Highlands Ranch during school hours to learn the fundamentals of beginner racquetball, basic safety, rules, the overall game and finer points of the sport. And Bill relies on a serious team of volunteers to help in supervising and coaching the students. This year Bill is happy to announce that he'll be adding Rock Canyon High to the program, starting with classes in February, March, and April. At the end of April, a playoff at HRCA will determine the best male and female players at each school. The following weekend those top-5 boys and top-5 girls from each school will compete to name the best racquetball team. Three other public and charter high schools have contacted Bill for more information about how to get involved, and the Goodson Recreation Center, Denver Athletic Club, and Apex facilities have agreed in principle to support the effort. Rock Canyon will be sending over 160 students through the program, with projected classes as large as 40 students per session, so Bill expects that he'll need a ton of help in those three months. If you'd like to volunteer for a couple of hours, contact Bill by email or phone at 949-510-2989.
Manillas in Training ... After returning from a trip to the Dominican Republic for the International Racquetball Federation World Junior Championships, the Manilla family shifted gears for a Broncos fan club photo, L-R: Adam, Victor, Erika and Nancy. At Worlds, Erika earned a gold medal for the US Junior Team, with partner Jordan Cooperrider in Girls 16 Doubles. Photo courtesy John Foust.
CRA Rollout, Winter 2016
CRA SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS ENTRIES & REGISTRATION • Racquet for the Cure - Jan. 29-31 • Apex Open - February 26-28 • CRA State Singles - March 18-20 • USAR Regional - April 15-17 • Cinco de Mayo - May 6-8 • National Singles - May 25-29 CRA on FACEBOOK
CERTIFIED INSTRUCTION | by Marcia Richards It's more than a Game ... Learning Individually vs. Team I recently re-read an article from a USAR Instructor Program newsletter about working with kids, a parent’s journey with his daughter, and her development as an athlete. It was right up my alley since I’m a PE teacher and coach who is committed to helping Colorado grow the sport at the grassroots level. Our junior program needs a huge shot in the arm. At our last board meeting, we decided to devote our entire January meeting to redefining the CRA to make sure we are being true to our mission and goals. When I look back at the programs I have run over the years, my best memories are mostly about making a difference in the life of a young player. I create an atmosphere where it’s safe for them to take chances and to have fun in a very active setting. The USAR-IP article shared those views, so I've excerpted a few comments below. “Every kid walks away from their chosen sport someday ... then what? Effective youth coaching is psychiatry and it is parenting. Each player is unique, and they have specific needs that team sports can bring them. Many coaches fail to fill those needs because they falsely assume they are training the next state champs. They fail to see each child beyond that day when the sports equipment goes in the yard sale or the closet. Shouldn’t the journey of sports teach these things, and more, to prepare kids for life beyond sports?
Standard of excellence
Work ethic
To believe in themselves
To trust others
The value of encouragement
If you think you’d like to share your expertise by working with a young player, or are interested in getting your own child playing, please contact the CRA. We help train instructors and coaches to teach the entry-level player with sound technique and solid guidance. We’ll urge you to let them have fun, and when they start wanting more you can direct them into more organized play. We’ll remind you that their games are being played 8 feet. high, so before they can learn to play a bottom board game they have to learn to navigate around the court, deciphering all the angles. New players - of any age - need to be ready before you can introduce the almighty kill shot. Come join us in offering youngsters a solid foundation in a great sport - for a lifetime of fun, friends and socializing!
CRA Rollout, Winter 2016
To know they aren’t the center of the universe
To know that success does not come overnight (or in one practice)
To lose with dignity
To accept temporary failures without blaming others, and to realize these failures aren’t permanent
To be pushed to their physical limit, time and time again
To love and to be loved
To sacrifice for others
To respect authority and rules
Teamwork/unselfishness
To never give up ... These things still matter when the cheering stops.”
Many of our adult racquetball players have children involved in competitive sports programs. They know the value these sports programs have on a child’s growth. Team sports allow youngsters to be a part of something bigger than themselves. The individual sports have different qualities. Racquetball can be used as a cross training tool to their other sports seasons and Winter is a good time to introduce the game. Racquetball is relatively inexpensive compared to other team sports. How many times does your child touch the ball in team drills or games ... compared to a racquetball game or drill? Not much equipment is needed for these team sports! In the individual sport the player gets to show their abilities with every shot and they have control of the win and loss. In team sports it's a collaborative effort. More energy is exerted in racquetball because there is little time to stand around.
While adults might think they're not good enough to try something like racquetball, junior programs are taught in a way that allows students to grow at a safe progressive rate to find early success. Multiple bounces are allowed to insure good movement to the ball, so the player has ample time to set up and hit properly. Those added bounces are reduced when the skills progress to a higher level. What is your child doing this winter?
KNOW YOUR RULES ! The Archive
Board member Dave Stone is a long-time, certified referee and expert in officiating at the highest level, as well as a elite level player in his own right. Over the years, Dave has written a comprehensive series of rules columns for the CRA Rollout, which address a wide variety of common scenarios and interpretations. Those articles are archived on the CRA website, along with an FAQ, so take a moment to navigate to them under Learn > The Rules and brush up!
BOARD REPORT | What's with the Survey? by Dave Stone
FROM THE EDITOR
CRA Rollout, Winter 2016
Reach the CRA Board at "firstname @ColoradoRacquetball.com" At sign-in for CRA State Doubles in November, players were asked to complete a short survey that asked for the name of the club where they routinely play, along with some program information. We obtained excellent feedback (87%!), and we thank everyone who took the time to respond. What were we trying to accomplish? Here’s what we hope to learn and achieve in the coming year(s).
We’ve all seen the number of courts diminishing in recent years, as many clubs have lost courts to climbing walls, spinning or yoga studios. From the club owners’ perspective, it’s pretty simple: racquetball courts demand high square footage per user, occupying more space for fewer members. When clubs do not have active programs and cannot show consistent usage, re-purposing those courts for other programs seems like an easy, quick way to maximize a footprint. So how do we resolve this issue and save our courts? I’m glad you asked!
The key to saving courts (and building more!) is quite simple - we need lots of players on them, all the time. That means growing the sport across the board, juniors to seniors.
Right now, the CRA is working with the USAR to inventory courts at clubs, colleges, and other locations statewide. Our immediate goal is to obtain basic information about local clubs, including the number of courts and programs currently in place. To help build our database, please send an email containing your club info to George Tellez. If you already responded to the survey at Doubles, you’ll see a short sidebar list of the clubs that were represented and - if no courts are shown - we need you to send a quick email with that number, for starters.
Using that initial court inventory, the CRA plans to work with facilities to ensure that a racquetball coordinator has the resources needed to start programs, or support those already in place. The last survey question asked if you would be willing to run or assist with ongoing programs. It’s important that coordinators have willing players to help develop robust programs, especially juniors. It was great to see so many of you indicate a willingness to move the sport forward at the grassroots level!
You've heard it before: information is power ... and nothing makes a better argument than facts and figures. In 2001, USA Racquetball compiled then-current industry research to offer some interesting formulas about court value. Ten years later, Athletic Business published Social Environments Help Health Clubs with Member Retention, which re-iterated that: Social interaction among health club members should be of critical importance ... since an individual's decision to either remain a member or quit can hinge as much on the building of interpersonal relationships as on the building of strength and endurance.
The same article went on to offer that: Certain clubs, such as those offering racquet sports, are inherently equipped for member interaction. "Anytime you have a component that involves
Next, we need to ensure that clubs have active programs, since some playing partners ... clubs are more reticent than others to adopt and promote new activities. there's always a social Owners and managers often do not want to promote the sport unless they component, because you personally enjoy the game, or see a financial gain to their facility. As have to schedule a players, how often do we express to management how important the match and play with courts are to maintaining our patronage? other people." These assertions were based on
With good marketing and support from CRA, local coordinators can help the results of a 1995 each club realize the benefits of healthy programs. Club members can study entitled Social make the strongest arguments that increased court usage is mutually relationships and beneficial - and you can help in this process. The CRA welcomes your physical activity in input into how to market and grow the sport, so please forward your health club members, ideas to any board member, at any time. which predicts member retention.
Finally, we need to develop one-time participants into life-long
CRA Rollout, Winter 2016
enthusiasts. I can’t count the number of people I’ve met over the years that said, “Yeah, I used to play racquetball in college.” Racquetball can, and should be, a sport that’s enjoyed over a lifetime. Once newer players get acquainted with the sport, continuing programs like leagues, shuttles and ladders help get them back onto the courts routinely. The CRA also wants to encourage players to expand beyond local club play into organized tournaments.
If you’ve read this far, you’re likely an avid player who shares the CRAs renewed passion to grow to sport starting at the local club level. We cannot do it without the support of local players, so please let us know how you’d be willing to help. I’ve met many players that are passionate about growing racquetball - now is the time!
If you have any questions or comments about this article, or the vision of the CRA, please email Dave@coloradoracquetball.com.
Perhaps even more relevant is the perspective of industry expert Sandy Coffman, who became nationally recognized for building hugely successful women's racquetball programs in the 1980s, which proved that the sociability factor was the key to club success. This year, Club Industry shared How Health Club Operators should Calculate Retention Rates, reminding owners that: ... acquiring a new customer is five time more expensive than keeping an old one. So it all adds up for high value to racquetball, in a billion-dollar industry. Make your mark! - Linda Mojer
COLORADO CLUB & COURT INVENTORY ... thus far ... what can you add? Apex Racquetball & Fitness = 8
Bill Heddles Recreation Center
Carpenter Recreation Center, Thornton = 4
Castle Rock Recreation Center = 2
Cherry Creek Athletic = 2
Colorado Athletic Clubs
CAC Downtown = 1
CAC Monaco = 4
Colorado School of Mines
Community Center
Conditioning Spa
CSU / Pueblo = 4
Denver Athletic Club = 6
Flatirons
Fort Collins Club
Glenarm Recreation Center = 1
Goodson Recreation Center = 8
Greeley Recreation Center = 2
Green Mountain Recreation = 4
Highlands Ranch = 10 Lifetime, Centennial = 4 Lifetime, Parker = 2 Longmont Athletic Club Palomino Park Apts = 2 Peterson AFB Point, Lakewood = 4 Raintree Athletic Club Rangely Recreation Center = 4 Trails Recreation Center = 2 USAF Academy Westminster Recreation Center YMCA, CO Springs = 7 YMCA, COS Briargate = 2 YMCA, COS Jetwing = 2 YMCA, Littleton = 4 YMCA, Schlessman = 2 YMCA, Southwest = 2
CRA Rollout, Winter 2016
NATIONAL NEWS New digs ... The USA Racquetball national headquarters moved into a new suite of offices over the holidays, where staffers are now enjoying more leg room and some great views of Pikes Peak while prepping for the start of a packed annual season. Update your mailing address info to: 2812 West Colorado Avenue, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80904-2444. National Board Petition deadline = February 20 ... The USA Racquetball Board of Directors Election has entered the petition phase, and current members may run for the Board of Directors by completing an official Board Petition bearing the signatures of 125 current USA Racquetball members over the age of 18 who request that the individual be added to the slate of Board candidates. Previously published online procedures are being updated to ensure conformity with current bylaws of the association, so you'll need to contact the National office for more information. See the update, then submit your completed petition, per instructions. Good luck! It's never too late - or too early - to support the US Teams! USA Racquetball board members and staff conducted a furious round of dialing-for-dollars to make sure that pledges from a group of seven generous individuals were met by the end of the year. Each donor had pledged $2,500 to create a $17,500 Challenge Pool for the U.S. National and Junior National Teams in 2015, so each dollar raised was matched to that total. Look for new giving opportunities next year, and do your part to help bring home the Gold! It's a short road trip to warm weather ... With only two state lines to cross, taking your game on the road to National Doubles couldn't be easier. Head south toward the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, February 10-14, for the sport's premiere doubles tournament, offering doubles divisions for skill, and age+skill, Centurion and Classic Racquet for men and women, plus Mixed divisions.
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