Tournament Trail Junior CO Player Profile Results CRA Board
SPRING 2004 EDITION www.ColoradoRacquetball.com
Racquet For Change is Inevitable; Growth is Optional The Cure 2004 PRESIDENT’S CORNER –
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–Marcia Richards
e are celebrating our 30th anniversary of the state singles tournament. Some things change a lot. As you can see by the draw sheet from 30 years ago, our membership in the state tournament has grown. Yes, things are not like they were in the 80s when racquetball was in its prime. There are many players playing now that do not even know what it was like in the 80s. Racquets have changed, rules have changed, styles have changed, and the way we administer the game has changed. Many of the goals have not changed, however. Emphasis in grass root programs and empowering more women to play have been past board objectives and still are some of the present board objectives today. The CRA will continue to change and try to meet the goals of its members. We have also experienced a drop-off in memberships since the 80s. To what can we attribute the drop-off? Gosh!
Many of you have friends who no longer play. Many of you have experienced changes within your own clubs. This brings me to a void to which Colorado has had to adjust—the closure of two clubs. Not a change of ownership, not the closing of one or two courts; but the total demise of two clubs. Family Fitness shut down early last year and Lakewood Athletic Club shut down on December 13, 2003. This puts between 200 and 250 players out looking for new homes. This takes a community of friends and separates them into a new and sometimes smaller community. The morale was bleak for a while and many players may still be feeling the gloom. But with one door shutting, another will open. This does not necessarily have to do with the building of new clubs, but with opportunities. I have to keep positive and find my own way. I am a die-hard racquetball player who has played this game for 27 years and I will continue to have racquetball in my life.
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–Jean Gallagher
his year’s Racquet For The Cure marked a milestone for us. Still one of Colorado’s largest women’s draws, we managed to pull in 59 women this year, our largest tournament yet. Our new location was The Denver Athletic Club, which gave us full use of all their courts and the banquet facility. The DAC has a great atmosphere for everyone to watch matches, as well as to socialize with other players. It was a fun and successful event.
As usual, we started off with the mixed doubles on Friday night. We had 26 teams for this four-hour event. We broke at 8:00 for a benefit fundraiser, which included Chris Evon with Wilson Sports (a three-year supporter of this event) and Linda Moore with Ektelon. continued on Page 5...
So what is out there that keeps me positive? While looking for a home after LAC closed, I noticed there are many smaller clubs that need our help with programming. We have a huge number of racquet-sponsored players in this state. As a representative to your racquet company, you have an obligation to give back to the sport. There are a number of ways to give back. You are an ambassador of the sport and can give clinics, host demos, or participate in exhibition games. Most of these clubs do not have a paid racquetball director and there are limited funds. The CRA will earmark some of the junior funds to set up clinics for kids. If you would like to donate your time by setting up a clinic in your area, please contact a board member. If you would like to be part of the solution to help develop growth in racquetball, then contact a board member this week. The use of the Internet is a fast-growing piece to any organization these days. The CRA will continue to try to stay abreast of the field and has expanded the www.coloradoracquetball.com continued on Page 2...
Jean Gallagher and Byron Thompson at the Racquet For The Cure
Change is Inevitable; Growth is Optional continued from Page 1... web page. Willie Tilton has taken our old web site and developed a new and improved site. With the growth of technology we can do so many more things. We hope our new site will better service our membership. Go to the web today and see what is happening in Colorado. From a national point of view, USA Racquetball is making changes in hopes of establishing growth as well. They are in the process of launching their new ONLINE SYSTEM. Parts of it are currently operating. You can now go online and update your membership. The CRA will try to have an online connection at as many tournaments as possible so you can become a member or update your membership on site. No more lost paperwork, delayed input of data, and no more slipping by. Your membership will give you discounts at all Choice Hotels. The USAR will also crack down on late paperwork. From now on, any tournament director who submits incomplete paperwork will lose his/her sanctioning. The tournament director has two weeks to complete the results or the tournament is VOID. Once the ranking system and tournament packet go into effect, you should see a huge difference in tournament feedback. Right now we are still waiting the launch of the ranking system and therefore, have to revert to our old point system. We are at the mercy of the USAR and will patiently go on as usual. The biggest change that I see as a board president is ACCOUNTABILITY. The responsibility now falls into the hands of the USAR, the CRA, and tournament directors alike. If you have not visited the USAR web site lately, go and see what’s growing on at www.USRA.org. Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “The greatest thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.” If you are interested in taking part and want to become a board member, let us know. It takes all of our volunteers to keep this organization going. Send your nominations and/or submit your own name for consideration to Marcia@coloradoracquetball.com. CRA board member responsibilities include: 1. Attend meetings once a month 2. Volunteer your time once a week to complete board issues or duties 3. Volunteer for a committee that best fits your expertise or job description 4. Solicit outside membership to help network 5. Represent the needs of the membership and not individual needs 6. Uphold the policies of the CRA at sanctioned events
Collegiate Racquetball in the Rockies
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–Richard Krinsky, Ph.D., and Coach and Sponsor of CSU-P Racquetball
opefully, our name change from the University of Southern Colorado to the Colorado State University – Pueblo has not been confusing to people who follow racquetball in Colorado. We are still the same racquetball club program that has featured such notable players as Luis Nacho Bustillos, Willie Tilton, Javier Moreno and Kris Odegard. We are still the same program that has captured seven National Intercollegiate Racquetball Championships—the latest one in Fountain Valley, California, just this month!!! Technically, our University qualifies as a B Division Racquetball College, since we do not have an NCAA Division I football team. However, when it comes to racquetball, our University is able to successfully compete against the larger colleges in the A Division.
This year our team is very deep and talented. Ben Croft, the current US National Under-18 champion from Lake Forest, Illinois, has been a great addition to our program and has added lots of talent at the top of our men’s bracket. Three students from Portland—Nick Giunta, Chris Barton and Joey Lee—are all talented Open players and add depth to the team. Dan Beaudry, a senior Open player from Pueblo, and Matt
Melster, a freshman from Wisconsin, round out this year’s squad. We practice on four glass-backwall, openbalcony courts in the Sam Jones Sports Complex. The courts are housed in the Health, Physical Education and Recreation building on our campus. We have access to these courts even when the building is closed for normal use. We also have access to an athletic trainer and our team accomplishments are regularly described in the Pueblo Chieftain and in the CSU-P Today. While racquetball exists as a club sport on university campuses, at CSU-P the sport is treated in some ways like a varsity sport. In the past, we have been able to field both men’s and women’s teams. We have had difficulty in getting our women’s program on track this year. Next year, recruiting women will be a big priority for our program. If you know of any college-age women interested in playing racquetball, send them our way. In summary, the club racquetball program is one of the oldest and most established athletic programs on the USC/CSU-P campus. We are tucked away in Pueblo, Colorado, and while our school is small, we play racquetball in a big way. Anybody who is interested in our program can contact me, Dr. Richard Krinsky, at 719-549-2595 or email address Richard.Krinsky@colostate-pueblo.edu.
Junior Tips
–Adam Katz
❏ Don’t run in the racquetball club, except in the court, then run as hard as you can.
❏ Don’t jump on the instructor’s back at any time.
❏ Never ask “when do I get my trophy?”
❏ Teach your parents how to play single-bounce rules.
❏ Only ask “when do I play again?” once.
❏ Plan your family’s vacation around Junior Nationals.
❏ Join USARacquetball. After joining the USAR, vote for Adam Katz for board member!
Blizzard Bash January 15-18, 2004 Goodson Rec. Ctr., Centennial CO Tournament Director: Bruce Burkland
CRA 2003/2004 Tournament Results For all results of all divisions, including the professional divisions, please visit our website at www.coloradoracquetball.com.
Aurora City Open
Colorado Athletic Club, Aurora CO Tournament Director: John Foust
February 19-22, 2004 Open / M Open / W AA / M A/M A/W B/M B/W C/M C/W D/M 25+ / M 35+ / M 35+ / W 50+ / M 16- / M 16- / W 14- / M 14- / W 12- / M 10- / M 8- / M 8- / W 6- / W Open / M Dbls Open / W Dbls Open / X Dbls A / M Dbls A / W Dbls A / X Dbls B / M Dbls B / W Dbls B / X Dbls
1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st:
Willie Tilton / Colorado Marcia Richards / Colorado Nick Guinta / Colorado Mike Winters / Colorado Lori Wickstrom / Colorado Gene Contreras / Colorado Diane Degitis / Colorado Mike Barrows / Colorado Kristen Berg / Colorado Michael DeVille / Colorado Simon Payne / Colorado Don Williams / Colorado Denny Erardi / California Charlie George / Colorado Andy Mason / Colorado Brittany Gonzalez / Colorado Tim Tilton / Colorado Connie Vargas Jr. / Colorado Sam Vrgas Jr. / Colorado Adam Manilla / Colorado Adam Manilla / Colorado Elizabeth Vargas / Colorado Erika Manilla / Colorado Croft / Barton Richards / Mehegan Letsche / Richards Burgess / Letsche Wickstrom / Cohen Schnittker / Cohen Mullen / Dees Marks / Degitis Funk / Schlegel
Racquet for the Cure February 6-7, 2004 Open / W AA / W A/W B/W C/W D/W
1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st:
Linda Moore / Nebraska April Settelle Lisa Rousseau Helen Peterman Jackie Yost Kristen Betg
2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd:
Ben Croft / Colorado Barb Mehegan / Colorado Travis Parrill / Colorado Vince Striedieck / Colorado Lisa Rousseau / Colorado Alec Wynne / Colorado Connie Vargas / Colorado Steve Edwards / Colorado Denise Martinez / Colorado Andy Atencio / Colorado Travis Parrill / Colorado Kyle Heaton / Colorado Lucy Jirik / Colorado Gary Hutton / Colorado Tim Tilton / Colorado
2nd: Michael Curtis / Colorado 2nd: Joey Barrows / Colorado 2nd: Shaun Curtis / Colorado
2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd:
Beaudry / Burgess Rousseau / Gallagher Burgess / Mehegan Powers / Roberts
2nd: Mullen / Cannella 2nd: Garcia / Cano 2nd: Drissel / Degitis
The Denver Athletic Club, Denver CO Tournament Director: Jean Gallagher 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd:
Tina Hagen / Colorado Denny Erardi Lori Wickstrom Nila Cole Kristin Hatem Theresa Tilton More Results Next Page
Open / M 1st: Woody Clouse / CO 2nd: David Guentert / CO A/M 1st: Brook Spindler / CO 2nd: Rick Harkness / CO A/W 1st: Janelle Williams / CO 2nd: Lisa Rousseau / CO B/M 1st: Sam Vargas / CO 2nd: Damon Pesce / CO B/W 1st: Gaye Faulkner / CO 2nd: Lori Inskeep / CO CC / M 1st: LCharlie Beram / CO 2nd: Rich Maestas/ CO C/M 1st: John Brady / CO 2nd: Dave Dean / CO 50+ / M 1st: Dick Barden / CO 2nd: Bruce Ekins / CO A / M Dbls1st: Nycum/Beckwith - CO 2nd: Thomerson/Spindler -CO B / M Dbls1st: Frank/Bullock - CO 2nd: Bilem/Severson -CO A / W Dbls 1st: Simmons/Martinez - CO 2nd: Inskeep/Neira -CO
Racquetball Addicts Anonymous December 12-14, 2004 Denver Athletic Club, Denver CO Tournament Director: Jo Shattuck Open / M 1st: Tony Boscia / CO 2nd: Mick Eitzel / CO Open / W 1st: Jo Shattuck / CO 2nd: Marcia Richards / CO AA / M 1st: Don Williams / CO 2nd: Jo Shattuck / CO A/M 1st: Victor Gomez / CO 2nd: Randy Fair / CO A/W 1st: Lori Wickstrom / CO 2nd: Shirley Parsons / CO B/M 1st: Sam Vargas Sr. / CO 2nd: John Garcia / CO B/W 1st: Robin Maestas / CO 2nd: Terri Lee / CO C/M 1st: Alan Smith / CO 2nd: - Barrow / CO D/M 1st: Doug Linkhart / CO 2nd: Larry Macro / CO Open / 1st: Parrill / Parrill M Dbls 2nd: Boscia / Eitzel A/M 1st: Harkness / Vrabel Dbls 2nd: Burgess / Letsche A/B 1st: Parsons / Wickstrom W Dbls 2nd: Gallagher / Rousseau B/M 1st: Mullen / Dees Dbls 2nd: Frank / Bullock 40+ / M 1st: Wiliams / CO 2nd: Kellums / CO 50+ / M 1st: George / CO 2nd: Kidneigh / CO 14- / M 1st: Levine-Ruxin / CO 14- / W 1st: Vargas / CO 8- / W 1st: Vargas / CO 2nd: Manilla / CO
CRA 2003/2004 Tournament Results continued...
TIPs
CACA Ladies-Only
❏ Always stretch before playing or
December 6, 2003 Open / W A/W B/W C/W Open / A Dbls B / W Dbls
1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st:
Colorado Athletic Club, Aurora CO Tournament Director: Cindy Tilbury / Dan Davis
Tina Hagen / Colorado Lisa Rousseau / Colorado Lori Inskeep / Colorado Linda Bischoff / Colorado Tilbury / Rousseau Inskeep / Marks
November Madness 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st:
C. Sanchez / Colorado B. Anderson / Colorado B. Evans / Colorado T. Hall / Colorado R. Maestas / Colorado Letsche / Burgess Blackstock / Swenson Powers / Cook Hall / Maestas
Coca-Cola Open Oct. 29-Nov. 2, 2003 Open / M Open / W A/M B/M B/W C/M 45+ / M 55+ / M Open / M Dbls Open / W Dbls Open / X Dbls A / M Dbls A / X Dbls B / M Dbls B / X Dbls
1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st: 1st:
Marcia Richards / Colorado Shirley Parsons / Colorado Sarah Warhaftig / Colorado Connie Vargas / Colorado Gillhouse / Schlegel Bischoff / Warhaftig
North Jeffco Rec Center, Arvada CO Tournament Director: Brent Anderson
November, 2003 Open / M A/M B/M C/M D/M Open / M Dbls A / M Dbls B / M Dbls C / M Dbls
2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd:
2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd:
S. Mitchell / Colorado V. Gomez / Colorado M. Powers / Colorado R. Maestas / Colorado D. Radke Jr. / Colorado Payne / Sanchez Gomez / Franklin Bullock / Frank Stevens / Stevens
Lynmar Athletic Club, Colorado Springs CO Tournament Director: Eddie Meredith
Woody Clouse / Colorado Marcia Richards / Colorado John Striedieck / Colorado Jeremy Lanosga / Colorado Petra Allen / Colorado Scott McClane / Colorado Kimbr Schumann / Colorado - Settecerri / Colorado Feldstein / Tilton Cannella / Richards Meredith / Gillhouse George / Franklin Mullen / Mullen Mullen / Richards Oliver / Lanosga
2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd: 2nd:
Tony Feldstein / Colorado Cindy Tilbury / Colorado Jeff Weston / Colorado Larry Mullen / Colorado Chanell Ortiz / Colorado Rick Cline / Colorado - Smith / Colorado - Branum / Colorado Rhodes / Guentert Tilbury / Mehegan Burgess / Mehegan Benedict / Kyzar Dees / Lin Payne / Dees Sims / Russo
On-Court Etiquette Guideline—Think to yourself “what would Ben Croft do?” then do the exact opposite. Ladies!!!! Send your email address to cindy@coloradoracquetball.com to get on the Ladies Events email list. Cindy Tilbury will notify you of any planned and spur-of-the-moment events for women (doubles and singles). Visit the www.coloradoracquetball.com website often. Results and Juniors information are updated very often, including kid player pictures and upcoming events for all ages. In addition, the next CRA board meeting time/place are shown (if you plan to attend, please call the president to confirm the info).
drilling. Legs and back are the most susceptible to problems.
❏ When playing for fun, pick one thing to concentrate and work on each game (forehand serve or backhand ceiling ball, for example). Judge yourself on your success/ improvement while making those shots or executing that gameplan.
❏ Whether playing for fun or for a major championship, remember that juniors may be watching. Be a role model—don’t be the one who teaches them new curse words or unsportsmanlike behavior.
❏ Don’t let your opponent know if you’re angry—at yourself or your opponent or the ref. This is a definite advantage for your opponent. Either take a timeout or say the score and play the next rally.
❏ If you have a great serve to your opponent’s forehand, serve it a lot. Players rarely get served to their forehand, so they may be out of practice. It is demoralizing to skip or whiff forehand serves, or to hit a big setup from one.
❏ An oldie but goodie—pinch when your opponent is behind you; pass when your opponent is in front of you.
Racquet For The Cure 2004
Junior Worlds
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continued from Page 1...
The two paired up while ladies and men paid $50 to get on the court with them in a doubles match. They played a game to 9 and, for every point the opposing team scored, that team would get $5 back.. As much as we wanted to raise money for the cause, we couldn’t help but cheer on their opponents!! Derek Robinson also graced us with his presence to Special guests Linda Moore, Ghris Evon and challenge players to a singles match. CRA President Marcia Richards at the Racquet For The Cure The donation was the same, with the rules the same. We did have one trick up our sleeve, which included a racquet from about 20 years ago…….a Wilson racquet, of course…..and we told Derek he had to play with it. Did this stop him?? No…even though the ball seemed larger than the racquet, he still managed to pull off some wins. We were even surprised he still used it to play Woody Clouse!! Overall, the event was a big success, raising $425 in one hour. The following day, the women paired off against each other in a gruelingly long effort to reach first place in their division. Each division had ten to twelve players with double drop-downs. For example, we had Bs, Wanna Bs, and the B Stings, each division a drop-down from the one prior. All levels of play had tough competition, but that didn’t stop the ladies from still attending Derek’s clinic, or attending the Banquet later that night. Chris and Linda challenged each other in an Exhibition match as players looked on to learn more about the game. It’s nice to know that no matter your birth date, the competition is still out there. The banquet dinner was also the largest in attendance at 110. The silent auction brought in $810, with additional donations to help reach our goal. We had two wonderful speakers, one from the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the other from Rose Medical Hospital. Both organizations are Denver affiliates that raise money to help those in need and also to help those needing treatment. After their speeches, I don’t think there was a dry eye in the place. We closed with awards and were home by 10:00 to soak in the Epsom salt baths awaiting us. With the help of a tournament that Linda Moore held in Nebraska, in memory of a player from her club, we were able to surpass our total from last year and raised $6,500. As I plan for this tournament each year, there are two things I notice the most. The first is the willingness of local and national merchants to help support our prizes, silent auctions and t-shirts for the players. Without their support, we could not accomplish our goals. The second is all the different racquet companies that come together, put all thoughts about sales aside, and donate what they can to help alleviate the costs of usual tournaments. The racquet companies Wilson, Ektelon, Harrow, ProKennex, E-Force and Head. This is about breast cancer first, racquetball second. Thank you to everyone who helped make this tournament a continued success. Denver-based pro Derek Robinson at the Racquet For The Cure
–Adam Katz
he recent Pro Kennex Junior World Racquetball Championships saw the Colorado contingent continue to shine in the racquetball arena. We may have been small, but we were definitely noticeable. Only two juniors actually made the trip to Orlando—one to represent the US, the other to try to win the 6-and-Under Multi-Bounce World Championship— but they both played extremely well and represented themselves and racquetball in the best possible light. In the 6-and-Under Multi-Bounce, National Bronze Medalist Matt McAdam looked to close out his 6and-Under career with a World Championship. This division was extremely tough with players from Mexico on hand to challenge the best of the US. In a round-robin format 1110 scores were actually quite commonplace in this division. Matt has shown great poise on the court, and this continued throughout this tourney as he added a fourth place medal to his bronze medal from the Junior Olympics. He is now making the transition to single-bounce in anticipation of this summer's Junior Olympics and his move to the 8s. Anthony Herrera was also there to participate in the 16s Doubles as a part of the US Junior National Team, having earned his spot on the team with a National Championship with partner Jared Torres of Kansas. They looked to add a World Championship to their resume, as well. The format changed at these Junior Worlds to mirror the adult world championships and Anthony and Jared came through the round-robin pool play unscathed. They had some close matches, but were still undefeated to take their place in the single-elimination draw. As they fought their way to the final, it became clear that they would be facing the Mexican team for the Gold. This match was a pleasure to watch. Anthony and Jared both played continued on Page 6...
PLAYER PROFILE–
Byron Thompson
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–Cindy Tilbury
he racquetball habit/obsession is only a part of our lives and that is also true of our new volunteer CRA website webmaster, Byron Thompson, of Lakewood. You may have met Byron, who is a solid A-level tournament player, but here are a few things about him that you may not know. Byron was born in Missouri, then moved to Colorado when he was six, attending Aurora’s Gateway High, where he participated in football, wrestling and track. A wrestling scholarship took him to Western State College in Gunnison. In 1987, Byron joined the Marine Corps where, in addition to the more traditional military skills of snipering and exploding things, he learned many of the skills for his current career—infrastructure consulting for EDS. While in the Marines, stationed in Okinawa, Byron started playing competitive racquetball and has been hooked ever since. He left active duty in 1998 as a Captain. While he also has several black belts in Judo, Byron’s most lucrative passion is bowling. Byron has a 200+ average and plays in almost as many ABC and ABT bowling tournaments as he does USRA racquetball tournaments; however, he wins the bowling tournaments and does very well financially for an amateur. He has bowled several 300 games during tournaments. He assures me he owns his own bowling shoes, as well as about 16 bowling balls at any one time.
Byron is the person to email if you have comments about the CRA website. If you have something to contribute, send it to Byron and he will make sure it gets added. The website is www.coloradoracquetball.com, and Byron’s CRA email address is byron@coloradoracquetball.com.
The State of Colorado Junior Racquetball
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–Adam Katz
ast season saw a marked resurgence in the Colorado Junior Racquetball program. The nation took notice as our young players from throughout the state made names for themselves—in the state, in the nation, and at the international level. Leading that charge was 16-and-Under Doubles National Champion and Junior National Team Member Anthony Herrera. Anthony and his partner, Kansas' Jared Torres, earned Silver at the recent Pro-Kennex Junior World Racquetball Championships and also battled to the semifinals of the recent Wilson High School National Championships. This year, Anthony makes the jump into the 18s with the goal of continuing to represent the US, and Colorado, to the best of his ability. He is our unquestioned team leader and a great ambassador of our sport. But the boys don't have a lock on all of the talent. We are blessed with two top 14s girl players. Both Hannah Oliver of Colorado Springs and Connie Vargas of Aurora look to impress at the upcoming Junior Olympic Championships in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this coming June. Connie made quite the impression in her Nationals debut last season with several coaches from different teams commenting about her ability. She has made a very impressive jump during this current adult season, moving from Women's Cs to Women's As in the course of three tournaments. Pushing her all season has been Hannah Oliver. These two have shared a great rivalry these last two seasons and we can expect to see some great racquetball from both of them at the upcoming State Singles at the Denver Athletic Club. Of course, the backbone of the program seems to be with our youngest players. The true future of our sport looks very bright with players such as National Champion Elizabeth Vargas, National Bronze Medalist Matt McAdam, National Medalist Adam Manilla, Erika Manilla, Connor Boscia, Ryan Nelson, Anthony Vargas and Isaac Vargas all playing some great ball in both multi-bounce and now single-bounce. We can all look for some great things from all of these players in the current season and future seasons.
The upcoming State Singles Junior Tournament should be one of the most exciting in years, and I would encourage everyone to stop by and watch the future of our sport perform. I promise you will be very impressed! State singles will also be the last opportunity to purchase tickets for the Autographed Patrick Roy Jersey going to benefit Junior Racquetball here in Colorado. It is essential that we raise money so that these great juniors can go on to National and International events and continue their love of the game of racquetball.
Junior Worlds continued from Page 5... extremely well throughout, with some great shots and unbelievable diving retrievals. In the end, the Mexican team was able to wear them down in the tiebreaker, but Anthony and Jared played hard and were very deserving of their silver medals. These weren't the only members of Team Colorado to contribute at the Junior Worlds, though. Also on hand was Jennifer Meyer. Jen made a successful return to the racquetball world at last summer's Junior Olympics as a coach with Team Colorado. Asking her to come along as a coach for the team was easily the smartest thing that I did last year in Junior Racquetball. She impressed all around her with her ability to analyze and adjust game plans for the various Colorado players with whom she worked. Taking notice of this were Jim Winterton, US National Team Coach, Kelley Beane, US Junior National Team Coach, and Cheryl Gudinas, LPRA #1 Player and Junior National Team Assistant Coach. After the tournament, Jen was asked to become the first Junior National 12-andUnder Coach, and she did a great job organizing these players from throughout the country as they just missed winning the inaugural Espirit Cup. This is a new competition at the Junior Worlds using the Olympic Tournament format for the 12-and-Under players with two players for each country earning points for their country. She'll be back next year and hopefully she'll be coaching some Colorado juniors on this National Team.
Thanks for Everything!
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–Linda Mojer
hen I accepted a full-time position with the USRA and moved cross-country to Colorado in 1990 – leaving behind a very special group of long-time friends in the Florida racquetball community – I was struck by how equally friendly and open the players were. That, in itself, confirmed my suspicion that racquetball players were a special breed nationwide and it renewed my dedication to supporting the sport with everything I had. From a 24/7 time commitment, to more brain cells than I had on hand to spare, I gave it my all. But that wasn’t enough to offset the many budget problems I’ve described in RACQUETBALL over the years, all of which reached critical mass in January, when I was laid off after 15 years of loyal service. And while some of you may have already heard that news, I just wanted to touch base and re-assure everyone that I’m alive and well, post-USRA. It’s certainly been an adjustment, but I’ve come away from it with a renewed sense of affiliation with the players – like yourselves – who enjoy the sport so much. You are the reason that I became involved in the first place – and worked so hard for so long – so that racquetball might get the type of attention that it deserved, presented in the most ethical and professional manner. You deserve that. From every bit of public information, email, entry form and press release – to the magazine and the websites – I wanted nothing less than the best for the sport, and those who played it. To that end, I put forth my absolute best effort, and I will always be proud of what I’ve accomplished. For the future, I truly hope that my path will continue to cross with those of my racquetball friends and acquaintances -- soon, and often. But until then, please know that I’ve decided to stay in Colorado for the time being and consult with companies that need to find ways to meet specialty needs or otherwise achieve goals that may be difficult with limited staff, working on shoestring budgets. In that way, maybe this “outsourcing” trend can work in my favor! I’m confident that my skills as an editor, graphic designer, project manager and fundraiser are in demand and that my marketing and public relations credentials are impeccable. So, with a handful of solid clients, I should be able to keep my creative edge, and still squeeze in a little (more) racquetball on the side. That’s the plan, anyway!
So I’d like to say “thank you” to the racquetball community that’s given me so much, and urge you to stay in touch by contacting me by email at Linda@lindamojer.com or via www.LindaMojer.com -- anytime. Best wishes!
COLORADO PLAYER POLL
–Cindy Tilbury
WHEN TO MOVE UP TO THE NEXT TOURNAMENT LEVEL? We polled many Colorado racquetball tournament players and asked them this question: Thinking back to the last time you moved up to play a new tournament division, how did you know that it was time to move up? Open Player—“When the ability to be pushed was not being met. When wanting a challenge to be pushed to learn more strategy, as well as learn different types of shots. Moved up because of playing ability with doubles partner, as well.” Jean Gallagher, A Player—“I knew it was time when I was competing fairly strongly against players in my division. I won a few tourneys, even lost some…I also wanted to improve my game by playing at a higher level.” Open Player—“Dominance over existing players in the division, not necessarily every player, but the vast majority.” Open Player—“Originally because I won As then just stayed there.”
Open Player—“I moved up when they split the A division into Open (top half of it) and A. So you could say they gently twisted my arm. Years and years and years ago, Open was the new added division. Kindof like what we have done with the new Elite division.” Tamera Schlegel, B/A Player—“We were beating everyone in mixed doubles. Maybe it’s time to move up again.” Cindy Tilbury, Open Player—“I was playing well enough in As to win a tournament and wanted to improve my game by playing better players. I also didn’t want to worry about anyone sandbagging in my division.” Adam Katz, Open/A Player—“When I first started playing, the general rule was after you won your second tournament in a division, you had to move up, so I did.”
Doubles can be twice the fun of singles, as long as no one gets hurt. Many racquetball pros suggest that you learn singles thoroughly before attempting to master doubles-especially mixed doubles. A good guideline is for you to be a solid C club player before getting on the court with three other players armed with racquets. Did you know you can donate to Junior racquetball anytime? Check the website for a list of helpful items, or call the president if you would like to write a check. Of course, time is probably the most-appreciated donation by the CRA team. Call the president to get involved today!
CRA Board of Directors
Tournament Trail...
Officers Marcia Richards, President Bruce Burgess, VP April Settell, Secretary Jean Gallagher, Treasurer
marcia@coloradoracquetball.com / 303.739.9797 bruce@coloradoracquetball.com april@coloradoracquetball.com jean@coloradoracquetball.com
Board Members Dan Davis Steve Nelson Lisa Rousseau Byron Thompson Cindy Tilbury
dan@coloradoracquetball.com steven@coloradoracquetball.com lisa@coloradoracquetball.com byron@coloradoracquetball.com cindy@coloradoracquetball.com
USRA - 1685 West Uintah / Colorado Springs, CO
80904-2921
719-635-5396/FAX 719-635-0685
❏ Tournament Directors!!!! Contact the CRA President by June 1, 2004 to
April 30-May 2, 2004 Cinco De Mayo May 13-25, 2004 Family & Friends May 26-30, 2004 USAR National Singles
Pueblo Athletic Club Pikes Peak YMCA Houston downtown YMCA
June 10-13, 2004 Pepsi Cup
CAC Aurora
June 23-27, 2004 USAR Junior Nationals
Eau Claire Athletic Club
June 25-27, 2004 IRF World Senior Doubles 35+
Lynmar AC
July, 2004 Rocky Mountain State Games
Lynmar AC
July 21-24, 2004 National Masters 45+
West Allis Athletic Club
Reserve Your 2004/2005 Tournament Weekend. The calendar is being finalized NOW!
SUPPORTING COLORADO COLORADO RACQUETBALL RACQUETBALL SUPPORTING
Articles, Advertising & Letters: ROLLOUT ATTN: Cindy Tilbury, Editor 3131 East Alameda, #205 Denver, CO 80209 303.888.4461
USRA/CRA • 1685 West Uintah Colorado Springs, CO 80904-2921
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