US Team in Cali, Colombia!
Congratulations and thank you to our U.S. Team for taking the Team Gold at the Pan American Racquetball Championships in April! To Cheryl, Rhonda, Jackie, Aimee, Andy, Chris, Ben and Mitch, along with their interim team coach, Mike Guidry – we are so proud of you and your accomplishments. Kudos also to Ryan Rodgers who won the Men’s Elite, and to Tracy Hawthorne who competed in the Men’s A’s. You all represented us so well!
Check out USA Racquetball’s web site if you haven’t lately
Leo Vasquez and the USAR staff are doing a great job keeping the site fresh and relevant. And, please explore the state sites as well…there’s a wealth of information on racquetball for every level and type of player. The national website is www.usaracquetball.com and the state links are accessible from there, under Lists & Links/State Organizations.
Insurance, Liability, Sanctioning
Especially since the membership dues increase, this can be difficult on the state level, facing a player who doesn’t see the value and explaining that he must pay an additional $50 above and beyond his division entry fees. Jim and the staff are working on a desktop stand-up piece for display at tournaments to help explain the benefits of membership and the role of USA Racquetball. In this economic climate and in our litigious society, I lose sleep at night worrying about those who think they’re okay with the club’s insurance or who don’t think about it at all. Tournaments are supposed to be a fun experience for players and volunteers…let’s not see people sued for the tournament director’s/organization’s neglect to sanction (thus adequately insure) racquetball events.
Requests to play matches early
Frequently at events, tournament directors and the players themselves get requests for a match to be rescheduled to a different time or day. My thoughts are: 1) Do it if you can, because it’s the kind thing to do and you may need the same favor one of these days; 2) If you can’t or don’t want to for any reason, you should not be treated as a pariah as a result; 3) If it’s you doing the asking, and the other person refuses to reschedule for whatever reason, realize that it’s not someone else’s responsibility to make your situation right; 4) All that said, if at all possible, isn’t it better to play than to not play?
Round Robin scoring
I’ve asked National Rules Commissioner Otto Dietrich to prepare some information for all of us tournament directors about Round Robin scoring, three-way ties, etc. I think there are several approaches being used out there. And…what’s the solution when someone doesn’t play all the matches in the Round Robin? Should they be taken out completely, or should their “matches played” count in the rankings and the division results? There are arguments to both sides. Interesting subject…weigh in on that at RballNews@aol.com.
Inclusiveness
We want to convert people to our sport; it’s kind of like a religion…everyone wants everyone else to try theirs. We love what we do so much, we want people to enjoy the benefits: health, fun, culture, camaraderie, fitness, friendship, sometimes even romance. We want to make a difference in people’s lives through racquetball, like it has for us. And, we want credit for being so clever as to have suggested it in the first place! It’s human nature.
So, what does it look like there in the club, in front of the court, at that “moment of truth,”
when people are standing right there, looking like they “maybe wanna give it a try?” I was talking with Andy Pawlowski of Florida, who has had success with assisting LA Fitness staff with their members who want to try racquetball, and I asked him to write something on the subject. Here are a couple of excerpts from Racquetball Players Helping to Grow the Game:
Become approachable: Racquetball players are certainly passionate about our sport, and the best way to help grow our sport is to share that passion with others. Our players have many diverse skills and personalities and there are many ways each of us can help develop the game. Today’s clubs are mixed-use facilities, and an easy way to get started is to be friendly to the club staff and other members even if they do not play racquetball. Once you are seen as a positive influence, you will find that the club staff and members will come to you for advice and/or questions. While not everyone is an instructor, you can certainly answer questions regarding the basic rules on how to play in addition to questions regarding the proper attire as well as racquet, shoe and eyewear selection.
Beginner lessons and clinics: If you are an instructor, be careful not to overwhelm beginners with too much detail when introducing a new person or group to the sport. The focus is on teaching, not boring them with your wealth of knowledge of the game! When I give a beginner lesson or clinic, I tell them that they will be having fun within 20 minutes. Here is how I do it: I spend a few minutes outside the court explaining the importance of warming up and stretching. Then I briefly explain the attire and equipment with a focus on safety which includes eyewear, shoes and the use of the racquet tether. Next I take them on the court and explain the court markings, the basic scoring and rules, how to serve and where to stand when serving and receiving. Next I make sure that each individual or group can at least drop and hit a ball. There is no need to bore them with stroke mechanics at this time as my goal is to have them having fun within 20 minutes. Now I am ready to have them on a court two at a time. I stay on the court with them and teach them by actually having them play.
Helping intermediate club players: If you are an Open or A player and do not like (or feel comfortable) teaching, the next best thing you can do is to invite that C player to occasionally play with you or your group. I remember when I was a C+ player and all the open players would play doubles on Sunday afternoons. Rather than shun me, one of the better players would take me as his doubles partner so as not to leave me out. I never forgot that.
For his full write-up and further information on his approach, contact Andy at andypaw@attglobal.net.
In the last issue of Racquetball magazine, I asked, “For you, the player who is already firmly living within the culture of racquetball, how will you personally make a difference?” A couple of folks wrote to me with ideas at the email address RballNews@aol.com. Brad Gatewood (Kentucky) and Steve Feldman (Florida) wrote with ideas and offers to help out where needed. Paul Krueger of Wisconsin and Mike Lippitt of California have fostered continuing dialogue with us relative to the dues increase and how we can promote event participation within the parameters of the limited event membership option. Thanks to all who reach out…please keep your ideas and input coming our way.