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Thursday, December 31, 2009
Racquetball Tournament Results from Germany
Yvonne Kortes (GER) and Mike Bowers (USA) are the winners of the 2009 Angel Tree Tournament in Heidelberg, Germany. Kortes defeated Angela Burth (USA) in a close final 15-13, 15-14 and had a nice comeback in the second game when she was already down 7-13 but was able to win the second game and the match. Bowers defeated his longtime friend and opponent James Johnson (USA) 15-8, 15-9.
The 2009 Angel Tree Tournament has been an ERT Satelite Event. It is the first time ever that an AERA event has been sanctioned by the European Racquetball Federation (ERF). More information on the AERA and soon to come pictures from the 2009 Angel Tree Tournament will be available at www.racquetball-aera.com.
Finals and Finishers:
Men's Open
Mike Bowers (USA) def. James Johnson (USA) 15-8, 15-9
Mens A
Mike Dufrene (USA) def. Peter Rakowski (POL) 15-10, 15-7
Mens B
Kevin Comer (USA) def. Joey Gibbons (USA) 15-12, 15-8
Mens C
James Montgomery (IRE) def. Walter Sauer (GER) 15-5, 15-7
Mens D
Raymond Wilson (USA) def. Justin Humphrey (USA) 15-8, 15-10
Mens 19+
Peter Rakowski (POL) def. Bobbie Breese (USA) 15-7, 15-2
Seniors 35+
James Johnson (USA) def. Chris D'avino (USA) 15-14, 15-8
Veterans 50+
Mike Bowers (USA) def. James Johnson (USA) 13-15, 15-8, 11-9
Ladies Open
Yvonne Kortes (GER) def. Angela Burth (USA) 15-13, 15-14
Ladies B
Shelly Deousseau (USA) def. Rosi Wahl GER 15-1, 15-6
The 2009 Angel Tree Tournament has been an ERT Satelite Event. It is the first time ever that an AERA event has been sanctioned by the European Racquetball Federation (ERF). More information on the AERA and soon to come pictures from the 2009 Angel Tree Tournament will be available at www.racquetball-aera.com.
Finals and Finishers:
Men's Open
Mike Bowers (USA) def. James Johnson (USA) 15-8, 15-9
Mens A
Mike Dufrene (USA) def. Peter Rakowski (POL) 15-10, 15-7
Mens B
Kevin Comer (USA) def. Joey Gibbons (USA) 15-12, 15-8
Mens C
James Montgomery (IRE) def. Walter Sauer (GER) 15-5, 15-7
Mens D
Raymond Wilson (USA) def. Justin Humphrey (USA) 15-8, 15-10
Mens 19+
Peter Rakowski (POL) def. Bobbie Breese (USA) 15-7, 15-2
Seniors 35+
James Johnson (USA) def. Chris D'avino (USA) 15-14, 15-8
Veterans 50+
Mike Bowers (USA) def. James Johnson (USA) 13-15, 15-8, 11-9
Ladies Open
Yvonne Kortes (GER) def. Angela Burth (USA) 15-13, 15-14
Ladies B
Shelly Deousseau (USA) def. Rosi Wahl GER 15-1, 15-6
Texas Rider Student is #1 14-and-Under Raquetball Player in US
Wichita Falls - Lawton - Texoma KAUZ Web by KAUZ sports
Jon Lanford looks like an average high school sophomore, but there's nothing average about him; Jon's the number-one-ranked fourteen-and-under racquetball player in the country. At the beginning, racquetball was just a hobby.
Multimedia Watch The Video
"I play racquetball and I just started winning and so, it's just the high rate of success," said Lanford.
"He started hitting with the guys at the Bartley YMCA and he just slowly picked up the game, his momentum picked up," said his father Randy.
His momentum carried on because he took the sport more seriously. Jon spent countless hours improving his game.
"Whatever he sets his mind to and focuses on, he really can hit if out of the park," said the senior Lanford.
"I'm at the YMCA about four times a week for a couple hours," said Jon. "It takes a lot of practice and dedication like anything."
John's success hasn't come alone. Along the way, Jon worked with many coaches to reach his full potential. His coach at the YMCA, Elias Aguirre, said his job is to "help Jon perform better in his sport. He's becoming more competitive. Keep him stronger, keep him from getting injured, and overall make him faster."
There's no doubt Jon's a excellent racquetball player. Besides racquetball, he excels off the court in much more.
"Journalism and the yearbook stuff he loves so much is tremendous," said his father. "He's scored in the top 99 percent nationally in his mathematics side."
"I'm pretty set in what I do," Jon said. "I go to school, I come and do homework, come to the YMCA. It's just a way of life."
Even though he's the best in the nation, he has higher goals. Someday Jon wants to play for the US National Racquetball Team.
Jon Lanford looks like an average high school sophomore, but there's nothing average about him; Jon's the number-one-ranked fourteen-and-under racquetball player in the country. At the beginning, racquetball was just a hobby.
Multimedia Watch The Video
"I play racquetball and I just started winning and so, it's just the high rate of success," said Lanford.
"He started hitting with the guys at the Bartley YMCA and he just slowly picked up the game, his momentum picked up," said his father Randy.
His momentum carried on because he took the sport more seriously. Jon spent countless hours improving his game.
"Whatever he sets his mind to and focuses on, he really can hit if out of the park," said the senior Lanford.
"I'm at the YMCA about four times a week for a couple hours," said Jon. "It takes a lot of practice and dedication like anything."
John's success hasn't come alone. Along the way, Jon worked with many coaches to reach his full potential. His coach at the YMCA, Elias Aguirre, said his job is to "help Jon perform better in his sport. He's becoming more competitive. Keep him stronger, keep him from getting injured, and overall make him faster."
There's no doubt Jon's a excellent racquetball player. Besides racquetball, he excels off the court in much more.
"Journalism and the yearbook stuff he loves so much is tremendous," said his father. "He's scored in the top 99 percent nationally in his mathematics side."
"I'm pretty set in what I do," Jon said. "I go to school, I come and do homework, come to the YMCA. It's just a way of life."
Even though he's the best in the nation, he has higher goals. Someday Jon wants to play for the US National Racquetball Team.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
USA sweeps World Juniors in Santo Domingo
The World Junior Championships took place in Santo Domingo, December 14-20, where 16 countries were represented by over 240 athletes, and close to 150 parents, coaches and support staff.
The depth of the teams and the quality of play continues to present a challenge to Team USA which logged across-the-board team wins to bring home the World Cup.
Rafa Fernandez, President of The Dominican Republic Racquetball Federation, offered outstanding leadership, planning and a local organizing committee that worked endless hours. IRF Tournament Director Gary Mazaroff also did an exceptional job, along with Usher Barnoff and Osvaldo Maggi, who arrived on site early each day and left late each night. Ron Grimes and Rachael Hall from E-Force were also on hand to make product available for the athletes
The depth of the teams and the quality of play continues to present a challenge to Team USA which logged across-the-board team wins to bring home the World Cup.
Rafa Fernandez, President of The Dominican Republic Racquetball Federation, offered outstanding leadership, planning and a local organizing committee that worked endless hours. IRF Tournament Director Gary Mazaroff also did an exceptional job, along with Usher Barnoff and Osvaldo Maggi, who arrived on site early each day and left late each night. Ron Grimes and Rachael Hall from E-Force were also on hand to make product available for the athletes
Making quite a racquet: Racquetball program at Crossroads in Colorado enjoying success
By ALLEN GEMAEHLICH/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
Rachel Smith first started playing racquetball when her older brother needed a doubles partner.
She was interested, so she gave it a try.
“I thought it was cool,” Smith said. “It was nerve-racking at first. The ball moves so fast. Once I got into it, it was fun.”
Now, the 19-year-old is a two-time USA Racquetball Colorado state champion, is on the Colorado State University-Pueblo club team and is ranked second in state in the women’s ages 19-24 division. She also made the junior Olympic team last year.
The Fruita Monument High School graduate is back home for Christmas, but is getting in some practice before she returns to school in a couple weeks.
She credits her experience in the Crossroads Fitness Center junior program for her success.
“I can play people my own age or I can play people above me and learn,” she said.
The program has more than 40 juniors, including boys 14-under state champion Zach Pellowski.
Pellowski has played racquetball since he was 4. He is currently ranked third in Colorado in the boys 14-under division.
“It runs in the family,” he said. “It’s different than regular sports in school.”
His grandma has been a certified teaching pro since long before he was born.
Carol Pellowski moved to Grand Junction five years ago and took over the program at Crossroads.
She says there are 275 adults and 40 junior members that play.
“What we found is parents are looking for a sport that they don’t have to pay a lot of money,” Pellowski said. “The kids like it and the next thing you know, the parents are out here with them.”
Case in point is 6-year-old Austin Brown.
He started playing four months ago with his parents at Canyon View Park’s handball courts.
The family found flyers offering lessons at Crossroads and have been playing since.
“We have one of the best junior programs in the state,” Pellowski said. “We have some that started at age 4 and up to the teens. They are grouped according to ability. There is a lot of instruction and play combined.
“The little kids games are handicapped, so some of them get two bounces or more depending on their skill level.”
The fitness center hosts a junior tournament and an adult tournament each year.
The first-ever junior-only state tournament is scheduled for Feb. 19-20.
Rachel Smith first started playing racquetball when her older brother needed a doubles partner.
She was interested, so she gave it a try.
“I thought it was cool,” Smith said. “It was nerve-racking at first. The ball moves so fast. Once I got into it, it was fun.”
Now, the 19-year-old is a two-time USA Racquetball Colorado state champion, is on the Colorado State University-Pueblo club team and is ranked second in state in the women’s ages 19-24 division. She also made the junior Olympic team last year.
The Fruita Monument High School graduate is back home for Christmas, but is getting in some practice before she returns to school in a couple weeks.
She credits her experience in the Crossroads Fitness Center junior program for her success.
“I can play people my own age or I can play people above me and learn,” she said.
The program has more than 40 juniors, including boys 14-under state champion Zach Pellowski.
Pellowski has played racquetball since he was 4. He is currently ranked third in Colorado in the boys 14-under division.
“It runs in the family,” he said. “It’s different than regular sports in school.”
His grandma has been a certified teaching pro since long before he was born.
Carol Pellowski moved to Grand Junction five years ago and took over the program at Crossroads.
She says there are 275 adults and 40 junior members that play.
“What we found is parents are looking for a sport that they don’t have to pay a lot of money,” Pellowski said. “The kids like it and the next thing you know, the parents are out here with them.”
Case in point is 6-year-old Austin Brown.
He started playing four months ago with his parents at Canyon View Park’s handball courts.
The family found flyers offering lessons at Crossroads and have been playing since.
“We have one of the best junior programs in the state,” Pellowski said. “We have some that started at age 4 and up to the teens. They are grouped according to ability. There is a lot of instruction and play combined.
“The little kids games are handicapped, so some of them get two bounces or more depending on their skill level.”
The fitness center hosts a junior tournament and an adult tournament each year.
The first-ever junior-only state tournament is scheduled for Feb. 19-20.
Try Racquetball
Tired of the same gym routine? Do you hate lifting weights? Do you get bored just by thinking of going to the gym but still wants to get in shape? Are you looking for an additional cardio activity that is not a machine? If you answered yes for all these questions, well you are not alone and there are millions of people just like you. The good news is that your solution might be simpler than you think, mostly if you live in south Florida. For about only $ 35 a month you can get a membership at a gym called LA Fitness. The gym is actually pretty good for the price and gives you a lot of different options, however the best part of it is the fact that the gym has racquetball courts. You might be thinking well a game that you hit a ball against the wall, does not seem very appealing to me. You actually have a point, however, just like anything else in life, you should never judge a book by its cover. In sports it is exactly the same way. Racquetball was actually invented with the purpose of making it fun and playable for all levels of athletic ability. Therefore it does not look very appealing from the outside however from inside the court, the players learn to enjoy and appreciate the greatness of the game. The equipment is cheap and you can get started for around $ 30 to $ 40 dollars. My first racquet was actually $ 12 dollars and the can of balls cost me $ 2 dollars. So go to your local walmart store grab a racquet and go to the gym. Put your IPOD on, find an empty court and start hitting some balls just for fun. Even if you never played a racquet sport before and have a hard time hitting the ball, you still have to chase the ball around and bend over to get it. Just make sure you bend over the right way without bending your back. Try to squatting when you go down to grab the ball. That is already a lot less boring than sitting on the treadmill for 30 minutes. And we are talking about your very first time trying. Eventually you will get used to the swing and will start hitting more balls with less misses. Now imagine the same exercise after already a few tries and with an opponent to retrieve your shots? So you will have to chase the ball a lot faster and will have to start developing some sort of strategy so your opponent has a harder time returning your shots and so forth. Well by now you are able to see where I am trying to go with this post. Just give it a shot and I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed. You will have fun, make new friends, burn calories and will start feeling better about exercising. Even if you decide to quit 6 months later, you will realize that your time spent on the gym did not go to waste because I guarantee you that 6 months of racquetball will make you lose weight no matter if you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced level player. So next time you are at the gym and see those guys hitting the crap out of the ball and running like crazy, don’t be afraid to ask for help with your game or to get you started. Most of the racquetball players really like the game and do not mind helping others that are willing to try or improve.
Just one more thing. If you are going to play with a friend make sure not to take the shot if he happens to be in front of you or very close or vice versa. Don’t worry about losing the rally since you are just going to replay the point. If you see a regular player close to you ask him to explain the rules about hinders. Make sure you are wearing racquetball glasses for your protection before you play.
In addition and to close the argument, play at your pace. Have fun out there and enjoy yourself. If you live in the south Florida, already has a La Fitness or any other gym racquetball membership, and you liked what you saw on this article, talk to the racquetball director of your club and take some lessons. The lessons will expedite your learning curve and would get you to enjoy the game even more.
“Live Longer Playing Racquetball”
Just one more thing. If you are going to play with a friend make sure not to take the shot if he happens to be in front of you or very close or vice versa. Don’t worry about losing the rally since you are just going to replay the point. If you see a regular player close to you ask him to explain the rules about hinders. Make sure you are wearing racquetball glasses for your protection before you play.
In addition and to close the argument, play at your pace. Have fun out there and enjoy yourself. If you live in the south Florida, already has a La Fitness or any other gym racquetball membership, and you liked what you saw on this article, talk to the racquetball director of your club and take some lessons. The lessons will expedite your learning curve and would get you to enjoy the game even more.
“Live Longer Playing Racquetball”
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
USA is the World Champion
USA is the world champion at the XXI World’s Racquetball Junior Championships that took place at the Olympic Training Center “Juan Pablo Duarte” at the Dominican Republic. The USA accumulated a total punctuation of 298, 152 from the male draws and 146 from the women’s draw. The second place was taken by Mexico with a total of 229 points (115 from the boys and 146 from the girls). The third place was taken by Bolivia with 221 points followed by Canada in 4 th place with 111 points.
The host country, Dominican Republic took the 7 th place on the men’s and 10 th place on the women’s. In the tournament 245 athletes from 16 different countries competed. The following countries participated on the tournament: Irlanda, Canadá, Estados Unidos, México, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, Bolivia, Argentina, Puerto Rico and República Dominicana.
. For all the results please see the link below.The host country, Dominican Republic took the 7 th place on the men’s and 10 th place on the women’s. In the tournament 245 athletes from 16 different countries competed. The following countries participated on the tournament: Irlanda, Canadá, Estados Unidos, México, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, Bolivia, Argentina, Puerto Rico and República Dominicana.
http://www.r2sports.com/tourney/viewResults.asp?TID=6370
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Irish Junior Team Compete in Junior Worlds
The Irish Junior Team arrived in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic to compete in the 21st IRF World Junior Championships. The team consists of 9 girls and 8 boys. The Championships take place in the Centro Olimpico Juan Pablo Duarte, 8 court facility in Santo Domingo from 15th - 20th December. The Irish Team is coached by Christy Slattery with Pat Keane as Assistant Coach.
Sixteen nations will compete comprising of 238 players in all. Teams
Girls Team - Majella Haverty(Castlebar), Donna Ryder(Newport), Ciara McManamon(Newport), Aisling Hickey(Rossmore), Elaine Murphy(Templederry), Kate Ryan(Rossmore), Edel Coonan(Kilkenny), Feena McManamon(Newport), Aisling Carey(Templederry)
Boys Team - Sean Keane(Fermoy), Joe Dillon(Kingscourt), Eoin Kearns(Touraneena), Conor Skehan(Touraneena), Darragh Carey (Templederry), Stephen Quinn(Rossmore),Padraig Carew(Rossmore), James Ryan(Rossmore)
You can follow the draws, rosters and results on this site.
http://www.r2sports.com/tourney/noDraws.asp?TID=6370
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Racquetball - Stuck In Service Box 1
Great example about not relocating fast enough after serving which caused the server to move backwards to hit an easy set up shot that he end up missing. A quick Drop step would have been the right way to relocate.
How to Use Court Position
Please note the basics of court positioning. Good court position will improve your reaction time and will allow more set ups in your favor. Like Kim mentioned, please try to turn your head and watch your opponents shot. By doing that you will increase your reaction time. You will have more time to get to the ball and more time to set your feet which will allow you to hit a much better shot.
How to Improve Your Game
Great summary about some of the basics n Racquetball. This brief video will help improve your game. Please note that the nice lady on the video (Kim Roy) also runs one of the best junior programs in the nation. If you know someone that would be interested, please get in touch with her so you can register the youngster for the next Florida junior camp.
Beginner's Guide to Racquetball
If you are a beginner and would like to learn the rules and how to play the game this video will be extremely helpful. Go ahead and try it, you will have a lot of fun.
Racquetball Instruction
Please note how top pro player in the world Jo shows the japanese player how to eliminate a "pause" on her movement from center court. The same concept can also be used for relocation to center court after drive serving or any high pace serve where time to relocate by the server becomes crucial.
Advance Racquetball Instruction video - Training Coaching by Jim Winterton
Please note on this video how coach Winterton explain the importance of a good hip position prior to hitting the ball. In this case he also explains what is a jam serve and the foot steps to return it. The same foot steps and hip positions can be used to return any other kind of serve where we do not have too much time to set up. If you try the "jab" that he shows you will see how much easier wil be to get set for the return.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
All eyes on Racquetball at Rhode Island College
Many RIC students know about a lot of the big sports. They know we have basketball teams, a tennis team, soccer teams and a wrestling team. These teams have shown dominance in their respective sports over recent years. However, there is another sports team on the Rhode Island College campus that is showing dominance in their respective sport. That team is the RIC Racquetball Club.
Racquetball is a sport that is similar to tennis. However, instead of playing outside, the game is played on a court where a rubber ball is hit off of a wall between two opponents. It is a very fast-paced game, and players involved need to be in very good physical shape.
The team meets two times a week, from 8 to 10 p.m. at Heathtrax in Warwick, due to the fact that RIC doesn’t have a facility with racquetball courts in it.
They have five meets a year in which they can play up to 15 to 20 teams, and so far have competed in two. The teams have played in tournaments in Allentown, Penn., Albany, N.Y., Woodbridge N.J., and at Penn State University.
In the first meet, RIC Racquetball finished an impressive third place overall. As for the second meet of the season, the results have not been available to view as of press time. However, club Secretary Jessica Shiel said, “I think we did better and placed higher than the previous tournament.”
The next meet is scheduled for the end of January. RIC students interested in this club sport can contact the club President Sherri Heard by e-mailing sheard_2261@ric.edu.
article by:
Jon Kmieciak, Anchor Staff Writer
Racquetball is a sport that is similar to tennis. However, instead of playing outside, the game is played on a court where a rubber ball is hit off of a wall between two opponents. It is a very fast-paced game, and players involved need to be in very good physical shape.
The team meets two times a week, from 8 to 10 p.m. at Heathtrax in Warwick, due to the fact that RIC doesn’t have a facility with racquetball courts in it.
They have five meets a year in which they can play up to 15 to 20 teams, and so far have competed in two. The teams have played in tournaments in Allentown, Penn., Albany, N.Y., Woodbridge N.J., and at Penn State University.
In the first meet, RIC Racquetball finished an impressive third place overall. As for the second meet of the season, the results have not been available to view as of press time. However, club Secretary Jessica Shiel said, “I think we did better and placed higher than the previous tournament.”
The next meet is scheduled for the end of January. RIC students interested in this club sport can contact the club President Sherri Heard by e-mailing sheard_2261@ric.edu.
article by:
Jon Kmieciak, Anchor Staff Writer
Monday, December 7, 2009
Mexico is out of the 21 st IRF Junior World Championships 2009 in Dominican Republic
Really sad news for the youngsters from Mexico and for all racquetball fans around the world. The Mexican Racquetball Federation was told in the last minute by the Mexican Organization responsible for sport funding (CONADE) that they had insufficient funds to support sending the Mexican team to the world's championships. The last minute news shocked the entire Mexican delegation and athletes. Parents are also extremely upset since the youngster worked extremely hard to qualify and train for the event. The name of the person responsible for this sad news is Mr. Jose Manuel Youshimatz Sotomayor. He is the general Director for the CONADE. His cell phone and e mail address was posted all over Mexico Racquetball Clubs so racquetball fans and players could protest against the last minute heads up. Parents, players and the entire delegation are extremely upset since they could have addressed the issue earlier if the news were brought to them several months ago. They could have brought sponsors and funds from other sources so the kids would not miss the tournament. The interesting thing is that there is no other sport in Mexico with so many junior world championships. Mexico won 6 world junior titles in Racquetball which is really amazing.
The tournament will not be the same now that Mexico is not part of it. It is very unfortunate that one person can affect the future of our sport in a negative way. We hope that the youngsters do not get discouraged by the event and continue to train hard for future international competitions. We hope that the Mexican Federation and the CONEPA come to an agreement on the near future so unfortunate situations like the one mentioned above do not happen again.
Racquetball news from Holland "Congratulations Pascal for the 7 th national title"
Zoetermeer's Pascal Matla is the winner of the 2009 Dutch National Championships that were held last weekend in The Hague. He defeated is doubles partner Edwin Schipper in 2 straight games to win his 7th National Singles title. With this years' victory, Pascal breaks an old record from the early 80s, when Ton Luykx was able to win the Dutch Nationals seven times as well. Congratulations Pascal!
More information on Dutch Racquetball can be found at http://www.racquetball.nl/.
More information on Dutch Racquetball can be found at http://www.racquetball.nl/.
France Racquetball anounces 2010 City Form International Open
The Fédération Francaise de Racquetball has just recently anounced the date for the 2nd City Form International Open to be held in the City Form Club in Nanterre. The event takes place on January 23-24. Unlike other tournaments, a special focus will be on the beginners and D level players in this event. Tournament organizers guarantee a minimum of 5 matches for each participant. All European C, D and beginner players are specially invited to compete in this event.
More information will be forthcoming at www.france-racquetball.org and/or www.paris-racquetball.org.
More information will be forthcoming at www.france-racquetball.org and/or www.paris-racquetball.org.
Social events for Racquetball in Italy
In order to attract more players to the sport and keep others with the sport, Racquetball Italia has initiated a series of social events at the Brembate Sports Club. The idea is to organize at least one event each month and finish the series after a certain period of time with a final ranking. Things are looking good in italy anyway. "It is already difficult to get a free court at night", says Italian President Marco Arnoldi. More information on Italian Racquetball can be found at www.racquetballitalia.it.
French National Championships 2010 announced
After a long time of no national competitions the French Racquetball Federation has recently announced the "return" of the French National Championships for next year. The event will most likely be held in the City Form Club in Nanterre. The return of the French Nationals is one of the many great efforts that are currently being made in France, especially in Paris/Nanterre. More information will be available shortly.
For more information on France Racquetball go to http://www.france-racquetball.org or http://www.paris-racquetball.org.
For more information on France Racquetball go to http://www.france-racquetball.org or http://www.paris-racquetball.org.
Racquetball news from Grand Forks-North Dakota
Kurtis Cullen of Brandon, Manitoba, won the men’s singles open title of the Happy Joe’s Open Racquetball tournament Sunday in Grand Forks.
Cullen defeated Andrew Babinchak of Grand Forks 15-9, 15-5 in the finals.
In the men’s singles A division, Darrell Davis of Regina, Sask., defeated Jason Johnston of Grand Forks 15-7, 15-7 to win the championship. In men’s singles B, Mitch Thorsen of Dalton, Minn., beat Patrick Cain of the Grand Forks Air Force Base 15-5, 15-12 to win the title.
In men’s singles C competition, Keaton Lausch of Fergus Falls, Minn., beat Matthew Orr of Grand Forks 15-9, 15-0 in the championship match.
Jeremy Olson of Grand Forks beat Paul Rokke of Fargo 13-15, 15-7, 11-6 to win the men’s 35-plus singles title.
In the men’s doubles open division, Cullen and Jen Saunders defeated Ryan Huderle and Curtis Huot 15-5, 12-15, 11-8 to win the title.
Mick Koski and Nicholas Moe beat Bob Bohm and Justin Bohm 15-6, 15-10 in the men’s doubles B-C division title match.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Racquetball News from Minnesota "Fundraiser dinner set for racquetball star"
An all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner is set for 4-8 p.m. today at Suburban Racquetball, Swim and Fitness Club off Highway 23 West near St. Cloud.
It’s to help fund the trip for Jordan Barth, 10. He is headed with the United States Junior team to the world junior racquetball championships Dec. 14-20 in the Dominican Republic. Barth qualified by winning the junior national title in his 10-11 age group last summer in Michigan.
Tickets cost $8 for adults and $6 for children ages 4-10. Children under 4 are free. For more information, contact Meadow Barth at 492-0174 or the Suburban Racquetball, Swim and Fitness Club at 251-3965.
It’s to help fund the trip for Jordan Barth, 10. He is headed with the United States Junior team to the world junior racquetball championships Dec. 14-20 in the Dominican Republic. Barth qualified by winning the junior national title in his 10-11 age group last summer in Michigan.
Tickets cost $8 for adults and $6 for children ages 4-10. Children under 4 are free. For more information, contact Meadow Barth at 492-0174 or the Suburban Racquetball, Swim and Fitness Club at 251-3965.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Racquetball news from Rochester-New York "RIT/NTID Student Makes a Team of One"
While most freshmen hang out with their friends after they're done studying, Kyle Gahagan spent many of his weekends this fall alone in his car, driving to collegiate racquetball conference tournaments as he represented RIT.
There wasn't much camaraderie from his teammates - because there weren't any.
Gahagan, the only member of the RIT team, registered for the tournaments, paid for his hotel and meals and drove back and forth to competitions in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Albany. He'll do more of the same before the racquetball season ends in May.
"It's cool to be able to represent an entire university by yourself. But there is a lot of pressure too," says Gahagan, 18, of Parkton, Md.
Gahagan began playing racquetball when he joined a gym four years ago for exercise. He fell in love with the sport and began playing competitively in tournaments.
Born profoundly deaf, Gahagan wears hearing aids. Although sometimes he has trouble hearing what the referees are saying, he believes he has an advantage over his hearing opponents because he's accustomed to using his eyes more.
Since coming to RIT, he's on the courts every day in the Gordon Field House. "I try not to practice alone because it can get boring, but the majority of the time I practice alone because not a lot of people here play," he says. "We have six racquetball courts but I'm usually the only one practicing on them."
He was sidelined for a couple of weeks when he seriously bruised his hip while diving on the floor to return a ball. But Gahagan says racquetball normally isn't a hard game to play. The ball can only hit the floor once before needing to be returned.
Serious players can use geometry to give their opponent a difficult shot to return. And "kill shots" hit the wall so low, they are impossible to return.
"I've played 65-year-olds that have kicked my butt," he says. "It's a workout and you don't even know it's a workout. You're just having fun."
Jan Strine, an NTID faculty member who supports intercollegiate athletics and wellness for deaf and hard-of-hearing students at RIT, was impressed with Gahagan after learning he was representing RIT on his own.
"To be self-motivated, to have the initiative to seek out a conference and get involved on his own, I think that's pretty ambitious," Strine says.
Gahagan would like to have several other students join the RIT team to compete against other colleges. "I'm doing it because I love the sport," he says.
Strine says the likelihood of racquetball ever becoming a varsity sport at RIT is remote because other colleges in RIT's Empire Eight conference don't have varsity racquetball teams. Still, it could be possible to have racquetball recognized as a club sport, with RIT providing some assistance for traveling if other members join.
And Strine added Gahagan's name to her list of other deaf athletes on campus, so he can be more involved with student athletes and attend their functions.
"He's a great kid and very ambitious," Strine says. "He is a racquetball fanatic. He is in love with the sport. It seems to be part of his identity, loving racquetball."
Gahagan has won most of his matches while representing RIT in conferences this fall, and even made it the quarterfinals in one tournament. None of the teams he has played against only have a single member.
This summer, he attended a racquetball training camp at the Olympics Training Center in Colorado Springs. Most of his expenses have been paid by his family, and through sponsors such as Rollout Racquetball, which provides his jerseys, and Ektelon, a manufacturer of racquetball equipment.
"Without them, I don't know if I would play so much. I break a lot of racquets diving."
It may seem that racquetball is always foremost on his mind - and it usually is - but Gahagan insists school and his homework is a greater priority. "All I do is study and play racquetball," he says.
Gahagan, who decided to attend RIT because it is home to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, is a biomedical science major. The youngest of three brothers, Gahagan's mother died of cancer when he was 12. "That was a big driving force for me to want to be a doctor," he says.
His goal to be a physician may be high, but being the only member of a sports team is also ambitious.
"A lot of people have this set thinking that you can't do something because being deaf limits what you can do," he says. "Even if you are deaf or hard of hearing or have any disability at all, it's not impossible to do something."
from NTID NewsThere wasn't much camaraderie from his teammates - because there weren't any.
Gahagan, the only member of the RIT team, registered for the tournaments, paid for his hotel and meals and drove back and forth to competitions in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Albany. He'll do more of the same before the racquetball season ends in May.
"It's cool to be able to represent an entire university by yourself. But there is a lot of pressure too," says Gahagan, 18, of Parkton, Md.
Gahagan began playing racquetball when he joined a gym four years ago for exercise. He fell in love with the sport and began playing competitively in tournaments.
Born profoundly deaf, Gahagan wears hearing aids. Although sometimes he has trouble hearing what the referees are saying, he believes he has an advantage over his hearing opponents because he's accustomed to using his eyes more.
Since coming to RIT, he's on the courts every day in the Gordon Field House. "I try not to practice alone because it can get boring, but the majority of the time I practice alone because not a lot of people here play," he says. "We have six racquetball courts but I'm usually the only one practicing on them."
He was sidelined for a couple of weeks when he seriously bruised his hip while diving on the floor to return a ball. But Gahagan says racquetball normally isn't a hard game to play. The ball can only hit the floor once before needing to be returned.
Serious players can use geometry to give their opponent a difficult shot to return. And "kill shots" hit the wall so low, they are impossible to return.
"I've played 65-year-olds that have kicked my butt," he says. "It's a workout and you don't even know it's a workout. You're just having fun."
Jan Strine, an NTID faculty member who supports intercollegiate athletics and wellness for deaf and hard-of-hearing students at RIT, was impressed with Gahagan after learning he was representing RIT on his own.
"To be self-motivated, to have the initiative to seek out a conference and get involved on his own, I think that's pretty ambitious," Strine says.
Gahagan would like to have several other students join the RIT team to compete against other colleges. "I'm doing it because I love the sport," he says.
Strine says the likelihood of racquetball ever becoming a varsity sport at RIT is remote because other colleges in RIT's Empire Eight conference don't have varsity racquetball teams. Still, it could be possible to have racquetball recognized as a club sport, with RIT providing some assistance for traveling if other members join.
And Strine added Gahagan's name to her list of other deaf athletes on campus, so he can be more involved with student athletes and attend their functions.
"He's a great kid and very ambitious," Strine says. "He is a racquetball fanatic. He is in love with the sport. It seems to be part of his identity, loving racquetball."
Gahagan has won most of his matches while representing RIT in conferences this fall, and even made it the quarterfinals in one tournament. None of the teams he has played against only have a single member.
This summer, he attended a racquetball training camp at the Olympics Training Center in Colorado Springs. Most of his expenses have been paid by his family, and through sponsors such as Rollout Racquetball, which provides his jerseys, and Ektelon, a manufacturer of racquetball equipment.
"Without them, I don't know if I would play so much. I break a lot of racquets diving."
It may seem that racquetball is always foremost on his mind - and it usually is - but Gahagan insists school and his homework is a greater priority. "All I do is study and play racquetball," he says.
Gahagan, who decided to attend RIT because it is home to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, is a biomedical science major. The youngest of three brothers, Gahagan's mother died of cancer when he was 12. "That was a big driving force for me to want to be a doctor," he says.
His goal to be a physician may be high, but being the only member of a sports team is also ambitious.
"A lot of people have this set thinking that you can't do something because being deaf limits what you can do," he says. "Even if you are deaf or hard of hearing or have any disability at all, it's not impossible to do something."
Rochester Institute of Technology
National Technical Institute for the Deaf
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