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Saturday, July 31, 2010

ERF imprint on official ball for new season


Check out the new Ektelon Classic ball that features an ERF imprint. This will be the ball for the upcoming European Racquetball Tour (ERT) Season 2010-2011 and will be used in all sanctioned events.

ERF News 2010 Special Edition available


A special edition of ERF NEWS, the official publication of the European Racquetball Federation (ERF) is now available online by going to the Download Center section on the European Racquetball Website www.european-racquetball.org.

The special edition features all finals and finishers as well as some news summaries and pictures from the 2009/2010 European Racquetball Tour (ERT). Enjoy and stayed tuned for some great Racquetball in the upcoming ERT Season 2010/2011....

July 2010 Newsletter


Did you know the July edition of the USA Racquetball Newsletter has been published?

This issue contains a recap from the recent USAR Junior Olympic Racquetball Championships in Minneapolis, MN. The new US Junior Team Members will be competing in the IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships, November 15-20, 2010 in Los Angeles, CA.
There is also information about the upcoming IRF World Racquetball Championships, August 11-22, 2010 in Seoul, Korea. The US Team Delegation needs your support. Read how you can donate online or call the national office to support our athletes. There are some special gifts for donors who make either a $100 or a $500 contribution. Go Team USA!

Upgrade your current AmPRO membership and become a Certified Racquetball Instructor by successfully completing a USA Racquetball Instructors Program clinic. There is a list of camp dates and locations; this is also for players who want to become certified instructors for the first time.

Make a BIG difference in your own small way by applying for the USAR Custom Visa Platinum Rewards Card. The program includes benefits such as no annual fee, and a $50 donation by the bank to USAR when you first use the card. Read inside for more details on how to sign-up.

The 2010-2011 tour schedules for the Men’s International Racquetball Tour (IRT) and Women’s Professional Racquetball Tour (WPRO) is also inside. There are also reminders about the upcoming US OPEN Racquetball Championships, October 20-24, 2010 and the USAR Elite High Performance Camp, August 9-14, 2010.

The July newsletter can also be viewed and downloaded on the front page of the website or directly by clicking on the newsletter link.

http://www.usra.org/Portals/18/docs/newsletters/july2010usarnewsletter.pdf

The New 2010-2011 Pro Kennex KM 700 Racquet HAS ARRIVED‏


The new 2010-2011 Pro Kennex Kinetic KM 700, 170g racquet is now available online at,
WWW.RACQUETBALLGALAXY.COM.
This is the racquet that will be used by Kane Waselenchuk, the #1 player in the world, and it could be yours,
now for just $199.00.
Also available are the PK Pure 1 Gloves for $15.95

www.RacquetballGalaxy.com
www.ThrowdownSanDiego.com

4 new courts at University of Central Florida


The Recreation and Wellness Center will be closed Wednesday, Aug. 4, through Tuesday, Aug. 17, for maintenance and renovations. The center will reopen at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 18.

The closures will accommodate an ongoing expansion of the center’s indoor facilities. The 65,000-square-foot expansion will include additional fitness space, a lap pool, four racquetball courts, an outdoor adventure center and two multipurpose activity courts.

Construction began in June 2009, and the renovations should be completed in the spring.

WOR - Tropical Park Summer Heat Doubles Shootout Miami Fl


Sunday August 15th, 2010

Men's Open & A/B Doubles

Shootout Format

Everyone must be completely paid and checked in by 8:30 am

Only those signed up by Monday, August 9th will receive a tournament event shirt

PLEASE SIGN UP IN ADVANCE

No money collected when you sign up!

Sign up on R2 now and pay at check-in.

Email Event Director Maykel Rodriguez with any questions:

mikerdguez@hotmail.com

2010 US Open Championships‏


It’s a Racquetball Celebration …. AND YOU”RE INVITED!!!
Witness racquetball’s premier “Grand Slam: - the US OPEN Racquetball Championships. See all of the top players in the world from the IRT, WPRO and CPRT compete for the largest prize money purse in the sport.

Party the nights away with your favorite pros and racquetball fans from throughout the world with many nightly activities planned. View the stunning “made-for-TV” portable stadium racquetball court as you watch the best players in the world battle for a Grand Slam title.

Get your entry in today at http://www.usopenracquetball.com/ and your tickets for pro match viewing as they are promised to sell out fast.

This year is guaranteed to the most exciting and biggest US OPEN ever! Be sure to book your hotel room ASAP as the Official Host Hotels (see Entry Form) are nearly full.

For more information you can download a complete Entry Form/Ticket Application at http://www.usopenracquetball.com/ or call 1-800-234-5396 ext 129

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Top Player in the World Needs Your Support


Hello All
Alejandro Herrera needs your support. Alejandro is going to the World's Championships in Korea next month representing his native country, Colombia. Due to the high cost of air fair and the current economic situation the Colombian Racquetball Federation does not have enough funds for his hotel stay. If you are willing to help or know someone that would be able to help this tremendous athlete, please send Alejandro an e mail at: alejandroherrera81@hotmail.com

Barbosa!!! Fast and Furious Fitness

Congratulations Cheryl Gudinas


Cheryl Gudinas (born May 11, 1967) is an American racquetball player. She has been one of the dominant players from the 1990s into the 2000s.
Gudinas has won two US Open Racquetball Championships in 2002 and 2004.[1] She has been a top 4 player on the women's pro tour since the 1993-94 season, including four seasons as the #1 player from 2000-2004. Gudinas was the #3 ranked player on the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization tour at the end of the 2008-09 season.
Gudinas won three consecutive International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in 2000, 2002 and 2004. She defeated Canadians Christie Van Hees and Jennifer Saunders in 2000 and 2002, respectively, and Chilean Angela Grisar in 2004.

Gudinas won the Pan American Championships (formerly the Tournament of the Americas) in 1994 (against American Laura Fenton), 1997 (Michelle Gould, USA), 2001 (Josée Grand'Maître, Canada) and 2009 (Carole Loma, Bolivia).
Gudinas has also won two gold medals at the Pan American Games. In 1999 she defeated Canadian Christie Van Hees in the final, and beat fellow American Laura Fenton in the 2003 final.
Gudinas won 5 consecutive US Nationals Championships in singles from 1999 to 2003, and also won in 2005 and 2008. Her seven titles are second on the all time list behind only Michelle Gould with eight.

Gudinas teamed up with Gould in 1995 and 1996 to win two of her three US National Doubles titles. Her other title was in 2001 with Kim Russell

Cheryl will be playing Women's Sinlges at the 2010 World Championships in Korea. Cheryl placed 1st at the 2010 National Singles Championships to earn a this spot on the team.

Gudinas was inducted into the ISRA Hall of Fame. please send Cheryl a note to congratulate her on this recognition at: unifiedfit@aol.com.

WOR Membership integrated into R2 Sports‏


WOR membership is now integrated into R2 Sports! You can check your membership right here:

http://www.r2sports.com/membership/login.asp

When you get to the web site, choose World Outdoor Racquetball in the drop down menu on right, and just sign on using your R2 sports profile info. Once there, you will be able to see your WOR membership expiration date! If there is no date, then that means your are due for renewal.

We entered all of these manually, so if we made a mistake please let us know. Simply email your State WOR Director or Vic@worldoutdoorracquetball.com with the proper expiration date, and we will make the correction. No problem!

Make sure your profile has the correct address and other contact information. Racquetball Magazine will be sent to all current WOR members based on the information in the R2 profile. This is a huge step forward to making sure we fulfill this commitment going forward. Also make sure your email address is correct if you want to stay on the WOR mailing list, as we are transitioning to that database as well. Even if you used to get emails from us, you will not going forward unless your correct email address is in your R2 Sports profile.

You will be able to track your WOR membership to know when it is due. You can purchase a WOR membership online if you choose to do so. Yes, you can still do it the old way and pay for WOR membership in person at events - if that is what you choose to do. But now you also have the option to purchase online.

Just like with USAR events, R2 sports will now require you to be a current WOR member in order to sign up for a WOR event via R2 Sports. If you prefer to take care of WOR membership in person at an event - contact the event director and they can work it out - no problem!

Please go check your profile and make sure all the information is correct!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

World's Championship is Around the Corner


Local organizers have activated the website for the 15th World Championships in Seoul, Korea, August 11-22.

Eligible countries have also received event details, including team formats, scheduling, venue and host hotel information, plus a directory of contact names and instructions. The bi-annual championship returns to Korea in 2010, after being played in Anyang in 2004, and is expected to draw top players from around the globe, representing over 40 countries.


http://www.korearacquetball.com/wrc2010/sub/main.php

http://www.korearacquetball.com/wrc2010/sub/main.php

Thanks to E-Force & Ron Grimes!


Most in the racquetball community know Ron Grimes as an owner of E-Force, and an entrepreneur who is dedicated, and knowledgeable. But Ron has a completely different side that most people don’t know about. He has a great heart, and during the last ten years that I have known him, he has done numerous things that nobody knows about and he always wanted to remain anonymous.

He gave donations to help pay for a female Korean junior player who is deaf to play at the 2007 World Junior Racquetball Championships. He also donated several pieces of equipment to a Korean church that provides space for underprivileged students for an after school program (the picture shows the children that Ron helped). He also sent Tim Doyle and Chris Crowther to Korea to give classes to remote areas of Korea to promote racquetball which helped increase the number of racquetball players. They also trained several Korean racquetball instructors to become better teachers. I have no doubt that Ron’s efforts to help Korea these last 10 years is one of the reasons Korea can host 2010 World Racquetball Championships

Florida Open is Coming Up


2010 Florida Open September 3-5. The Florida Open is a level 3 tournament, same points as the State Championships. All divisions will be offered for singles and doubles. The hospitality will be just as good as last year. We will have a great Saturday dinner and plenty of food throughout the weekend. We are having a Saturday night party and some other fun events throughout the weekend. We have a lot of items for the raffle. Every dollar raised from the raffle and any profit from the tournament will go to All Children's Hospital in Tampa.

The ping pong tournament was such a huge success at the last tournament that we are doing it again at the Fl Open. Ping pong challenge is $10, winner takes the cash and the trophy. Anyone can play, just make sure you sign up before the deadline.

After many requests, we will have the Radar Gun contest again. Radar gun competition is $5, all of this money will go directly to All Children's Hospital in Tampa. Winner of each category (men's backhand/forehand, women's backhand/forehand) will receive an award.

There will be cash in the Open singles, doubles, and mixed open doubles. Cash awards are listed under the prizes tab on the tournament info page.

Sept 6th is Labor day. I know a lot of you want to spend Labor day weekend with your family and friends. We are planning on ending early on Sunday the 5th so that everyone can get home and enjoy Labor day. Or, bring the family with you and spend labor day weekend in Sarasota. The Best Western always takes good care of us. The rate is only $59 per night. Holiday Inn express is $89.

There is also a racquetball tournament rate for the entire family of only $100. This covers Husband/wife/kids. (except cash divisions)

If you are flying in, check out Airtran. They have some really good deals flying into Sarasota right now. Most flights are around $100 or less. Atlanta to Sarasota is only $74. Dallas/Ft Worth is only $99 each way.

There is a $20 discount if you register by August 15th....so if you sign up early, your 2nd or 3rd division is free. Regular deadline is August 27th.

Contact if you have any questions
Chad Bailey
941-545-5802

Racquetball Tournament in Las Vegas


RACQUETBALL PLAYERS OF ALL COURTS!!

GET READY TO PLAY OUTDOOR RACQUETBALL ON THE LAS VEGAS STRIP!!! World Outdoor Racquetball (WOR) and the World Players of Handball (WPH) are hosting the "2010 WORLD 3 WALL BALL CHAMPIONSHIPS", the largest outdoor racquetball/handball event ever on September 23rd-26th, 2010. At least ten portable outdoor courts will be built in a parking lot right in front of the event's Host Hotel, the spectacular Stratosphere Hotel & Casino. Prize money will be in excess as over $45,000 in cash prize money will be paid out in the professional and open divisions. Along with WOR and the WPH, the Classic Professional Racquetball Tour (CPRT), Military Racquetball Federation (MRF), National Police Racquetball Association (NPRA) and World Firefighter Racquetball Association (WFRA) will be represented with divisions at the World 3 Wall Ball Championships. The event will provide charitable contributions to the National Fibromyalgia Research Association.

Fresh off a thoroughly exciting 2010 Racquetball Warehouse WOR Championships, many of Racquetball's "True Professionals" are already confirmed for this event. On board already are Rocky Carson (IRT), Jose Rojas (IRT), Greg Solis (WOR), Craig "Clubber" Lane (WOR), Kevin Booth (WOR), Mike Peters (WOR), Robert "Iceman" Sostre (WOR), Cliff Swain (CPRT), Woody Clouse (CPRT), Bret Harnett (CPRT), Rhonda Rajsich (WPRO), Paola Longoria (WPRO) and Aimee Ruiz (WPRO). You can expect this list to grow considerably over the next few months!!

**TOURNAMENT INFORMATION**

TOURNAMENT SPONSORS: An event such as this would not be possible without the support of of local, regional and national sponsors. As racquetball players, please do your best to support these companies whenever you have the opportunity.
Mikes Hard Lemonade, Beck's Beer, Ahern Rentals, Tool Up\Fastners Inc., Prince Tennis, Sodaman Vending, Ektelon and Pro Kennex.... A huge thank you to all of these companies!!!

HOST HOTEL: The Stratosphere Hotel & Casino is the host of the of the 2010 World 3 Wall Championships and most convenient hotel in relation to the courts. Make sure to support the hotel that is making this all happen. The rates are fantastic, so don't wait to reserve your room!!
www.stratospherehotel.com or call 1-800-998-6937
Use Discount Code: C-3wall

COURT DIMENSIONS: The dimensions will be the same as the courts on PCH in Newport Beach, CA. If you're an outdoor player from So Cal then you know what I'm talking about. For non So Cal players, this means the courts will have the following dimensions.
23 ft. wide
40 ft long
20 ft long side walls
20 ft tall front wall tapering down to 10 ft along the side walls

BALL: The official ball of the 2010 World 3 Wall Championships will be the Ektelon Fireball (Red).

SANCTIONING: All players must be members of WOR. The annual cost for this membership is $15.

Please make sure to check all of the information on the sign up site, especially the awesome number of divisions being offered at this event. Las Vegas is a 24 hour city and if this event draws a large number of racquetball and handball players then play can expect to extend into the early morning hours. How cool would it be to have a midnight match on the Las Vegas Strip?? I can't think of anything much cooler than that in racquetball. I'll be there for sure!! As the Event Liason, please contact me if you have any questions or comments. You can reach me at ellistyle@comcast.net or (209) 969-4497.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Racquetball Helps Cancer Survivor


Grant Morrill plays and teaches racquetball at Central Penn Fitness Center in Union Deposit.

There is life after cancer

Looking at Grant Morrill, an international award-winning racquetball player, you wouldn’t know that just a few years ago he was given six months to live.

Morrill, 73, has been playing racquetball for 15 years. He competed at the Senior World Doubles Racquetball Tournament in Paris in 2000, winning two gold medals in the 55-plus mixed doubles, and the 60 men’s doubles.
Last week, he won a silver medal in the 70-plus division at the National Masters Racquetball Tournament in Allentown.

Last month Morrill won a bronze medal in the 65-plus division, and silver in the 70-plus division during the Senior World Doubles Racquetball Tournament, held in Kingscourt, Ireland from June 6-13.

But back in 2006, Morrill wasn’t feeling well.

“I kept feeling sicker everyday,” he said.

Eventually, he had to quit working.

“I thought that I was dying,” he said.

He was a mystery to his doctors, too. They couldn’t figure out what was wrong, he said.

Doctors at Penn State Hershey Medical Center referred Morrill to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., where he was diagnosed with lymphoma, a type of cancer that damages lymph nodes and other internal organs.

For months, Morrill commuted between Hershey and Rochester for chemotherapy, radiation treatments, while participating in an experimental stem cell implant surgery.

At one point, Morrill was down to 95 pounds, he said.

On Christmas Eve of 2007, he received a lethal dose of chemotherapy and stem cell implants.

“I had to wait 100 days before they could run tests to see if it worked,” Morrill said.

Waiting for 100 days was hard, and not being able to eat was just as bad, Morrill said.

“When the doctor told me that I was cancer free, I started crying,” Morrill said.

Morrill is still cancer free and started getting back to playing racquetball last July.

“When I thought I was going to die, I had a will to live, and to play racquetball,” Morrill said.

Morrill said that the most important thing to him is keeping active and staying healthy.

“The reason I am able to keep going at my age is because I stay in good shape,” said Morrill, who plays and teaches racquetball at Central Penn Fitness Center, in Union Deposit, in addition to playing golf.

“I don’t know anyone who has as much willpower like him. He has a great sense of humor and he has always been a ‘stand-up’ guy,” said Joan Moore, a friend of Morrill’s for more than 37 years.

Junior Jamboree


Junior Jamboree

~~~popular overnight sleepover party, clinic and tournament for junior players 5-18yrs old~~~

July 31 - August 1 (Saturday noon - Sunday noon)

Beginners welcome!!!

Questions: Email/Call Kim Roy kimberly_roy@hotmail.com or 603-491-1494

TAMPA BAY OUTDOOR $$ CLASSIC


TAMPA BAY OUTDOOR $$ CLASSIC

This event will again be held at Forbes Park in Pinellas Park (see MAP on R2 website) this year. Forbes has 12 Courts, and they may be the best maintained courts in Florida. This year the tournament is paying:



$1000.00 !! to the Men's Open 1st Place Team.

$500.00 !! to the Men's Open 2nd Place Team.



Last year we had a very good turnout, and we expect an even bigger turnout this year. Sign up on R2 Sports.



$30/first division. $20/second division

Divisions:



Men's Open Doubles

Women's Doubles

Men's A/B Doubles

Junior's

Mixed Doubles



Sign up:

R2 Sports.com under Current Tournaments/Racquetball Tournaments/2010 WOR Tampa Bay Outdoor Cash Classic



For more information email me, Frank Butler @ fdbpersonal@hotmail.com.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Racquetball: Fort Myers couple earns four medals at Masters event


A Fort Myers couple didn't return empty-handed from the National Masters Racquetball International Championship that was held July 14-17 in Allentown, Pa.

Jeannie and Gerry French earned two medals each.

Jeannie won two gold medals, one in the Women's 75-and-over singles division and the other in Women's 60-and-over doubles.

At age 77, Jeannie was the oldest female in the competition.

Gerry's medals came with a fourth place finish in the Men's 80-and-over singles and a third place showing in Men's 75-and-over doubles.

Jeannie and Gerry will return to action next month at the Florida State Doubles Championships in Sarasota.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Trail leads cyclists from Oregon to Iowa Games


Rick Beier, left, and his partner, Nick Kleping, center play racquetball versus Troy Gustofson, right, and Brad Piatt, not pictured, Saturday during the Iowa Games in Ames.
Some participants of the Iowa Games drove scores of miles across the state of Iowa to compete in the racquetball tournament Saturday.
But Rick Beier and his son, Andrew, traveled all the way from Oregon — on their bikes.
The Beiers, of Newton, left June 7 from Oregon and plan to reach Virginia in about five weeks. Rick and Andrew have always wanted to bike across the country and since Rick recently retired and Andrew, 24, recently gradated from college, they decided taking the trip this summer would be ideal.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime trip,” Rick said.
Rick and Andrew began talking about their ride two years ago and spent six months planning it. They scheduled a five-day stop in Iowa to see their family and friends, and figured they might as well sign up for the Iowa Games. Rick said he’s glad to be back in Iowa after being on the road.
The Beiers are longtime racquetball players. Rick started playing when he was young, and Andrew picked it up a few years ago, but neither had the opportunity to play in a while because of their bike ride.

“I’m just at it for fun,” Andrew said. “If we win, it’s an added bonus.”

Both Rick and Andrew signed up to play two games Saturday. Andrew said he thinks his dad may be more competitive than he is, but they agreed the Iowa Games is just for fun.
While racquetball can be physically demanding, Andrew said it’s a little less strenuous than biking.
Rick and Andrew said they’ve met a lot of great people while biking and have had some interesting experiences, including running into a grizzly bear in Montana.
The Beiers have enjoyed their father-son trek. Andrew said biking 55 miles per day has been relaxing.

“Other than that, you don’t have anything to worry about, that’s all you’re doing,” he said.
Once Rick and Andrew reach Virginia, they have plans to tour Washington D.C. But for now, the two are taking the experience in stride and enjoying the ride.

BIG SKY STATE GAMES: Racquetball fills competition void for Wenckus


A couple of years ago, Kolten Wenckus was looking to get involved in a sport. One of his friends mentioned racquetball and Wenckus decided to give it a try.

He quickly got hooked on the sport. And became very good at it, too.

Just last month the 22-year-old Billings native won two gold medals in the USA Racquetball Championships in Houston. Wenckus claimed the Men’s 24-C championship and claimed the Men’s D Division crown.

He’ll try to add another title when he competes this weekend in the Big Sky State Games. Wenckus will compete in the Men’s A singles and team up with Andy Ekblad in the Open Men’s doubles. Wenckus begins play at 11:30 a.m. at the Billings Athletic Club.

Racquetball fills a need for the 2006 Billings West graduate, who gave up motocross after sustaining numerous injuries.

“What happened was I had been motocross racing for the last five years,’’ Wenckus said. “I had to give it up because of injuries. I broke my back twice. I needed to find a single-person sport. One of my buddies told me about racquetball.’’

It didn’t take long for Wenckus to fall in love with the sport.

“I wasn’t very good, but I got a coach (Matt Majxner) and I played it six days a week for a couple of hours a day. I went to a state tournament and I met a bunch of great people. I wanted to get good so I could be with these people.’’

Wenkus, who is a student at Montana State University in Bozeman and wants to become a dentist, is juggling racquetball with a busy schedule this summer.

“I try to force myself to practice a couple of hours a day, either in the morning or the afternoon,’’ he said.

That can be a challenge.

“I’m working four different jobs,’’ Wenckus said. “It’s crazy. I work two jobs during the school year. I’m in pre-dental which is the same as pre-med. My mom was a dental assistant and I was always spending time around a dental office. The No. 1 thing is I want to help people. I have good hand-eye coordination and I thought that being a dentist would be up my alley.’’

Wenckus, of course, isn’t into helping people much on the racquetball court.

In the 24-C tournament, he posted a 4-0 record, including a 15-3, 15-2 rout of Mitchell McCoy of Nacogdoches, Texas, in the championship match.

Wenckus won five straight matches in the Men’s D tournament. In the final, he beat Curtis Ponder of Warwick, Rhode Island, 15-6, 15-7.

Considering the fact Wenckus has only played the game for 18 months, he might have to invest in a good-sized trophy case.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Great Racquetball Camp Coming Up !!!!!


Click on the link below for flyer

http://www.inshapeclubs.com/pdf/RB%20Camp%20Flyer.pdf

IN-SHAPE RACQUETBALL CAMP
In-Shape Sport: West Lane
Stockton, CA
August 4th-8th, 2010
In-Shape Sport: West Lane
1074 East Bianchi Road
Stockton, CA. 95210
(209) 472-2100
Space is limited to the first 27 players!!
Please contact John Ellis at ellistyle@comcast.net or (209) 969-4497

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Racquetball on Wii

10 Complete Sporting Events, Better Than Ever! DECA SPORTS, the hit sports compilation series that has over 2.5 million units sold through worldwide, is returning to Wii with 10 COMPLETELY NEW sporting events in DECA SPORTS 3! Simple controls let your entire family play together. Swing, flip, and spike your way to the winner’s circle across all of the included events: Indoor Volleyball, Racquetball, Air Racing, Kayaking, Lacrosse, Fencing, Halfpipe (Snowboarding), Giant Slalom (Skiing), Springboard Diving, and even Logging! This time around, you can play online in 4 events (Volleyball, Lacrosse, Racquetball, & Fencing) and even use Wii MotionPlus

LA NOCHE DE BARBOSA!!!‏


Several players from the Coconut Creek group in Florida (one of the best spots in the world to play Racquetball) got together to play rollout racquetball and give their support to the Barbosa!!! trend. If you want to play some real racquetball and at the same time help promote the sport you have to have the Barbosa !!! spirit. If you want to improve your footwork and get to every shot, you need Barbosa !!! shoes (yes they do come in other colors). Join our group and promote the Barbosa!!! spirit in your area so we can take Racquetball to the next level.

Special thanks to our group and to Knudsen's aunt in New Jersey for making the coolest shirts ever.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Sad News For International Racquetball


Paris Racquetball news!
The Forest-Hill announces the end of racquetball courts in Nanterre.
Despite 18 month of hard work and strong results, the racquetball courts are going to be converted to Squash courts..

One of the Forest-Hill clubs, located near the City Form, is going to be closed, with 7 squash courts often full.

To keep the squash players from those 7 squash courts, the racquetball courts will disappear. Which means more or less the end of Racquetball in France.

We do not know yet if the 4 courts will be converted this year (by the end of august) or in 2011, but something is sure, racquetball has no more future with Forest-Hill.

But not all is done and we are working on others opportunities through a group of 20 people motivated to manage a few projects in and around Paris.

In a few words, we are going to promote racquetball to the city halls.

Of course, any help is welcome, even from outside France! Do not hesitate to contact us for any suggestion, proposal, sponsorship.

Philippe Lecomte
contact@paris-racquetball.org

Friday, July 2, 2010

2010 Georgia State Games‏

The Georgia State Games: It's not just sports.... It's Georgia's State Olympic-style Sports Festival!

This 2010 Georgia State Games racquetball event is sanctioned by USA Racquetball & the Georgia Racquetball Players Association.

Dates: Friday July 9th thru Sunday July 11th. Match times 5PM -9PM on Friday, 8AM - 9PM on Saturday, and 9AM - 4PM on Sunday

Place: Atheltic Club Northeast, 1515 Sheridan Rd NE, Atlanta, GA

Entries: Enties limited to online entry only. Partcipants limited to 2 events only. Entry deadline Wednesday July 7th at 7PM EST.

Entry Fees: Singles events - $44 first event, $20 second event; Doubles events (per person) - $37 first event, $20 second event **Out of state residents add $5.00 to the entry fee.

Divisions: Men's & Women's Singles and Doubles - Open, Elite, A, B, C, D, 25+, 35+B. 35+, 45+B, 45+, 55+B. 55+, 65+. Junior Boy's & Girls - 12 & under, 16 & under.

Membership: This is a USA Racquetball (USAR) & Georgia Racquetball Players Association (GRPA) sanctioned. All particpants MUST be current USA Racquetball members PRIOR to the tournament. Memberships are availble online at www.usaracquetball.com. USAR memberships are good for one year and includes a subscription to Racquetball Magazine.

Rules: USAR Official Rules of Racquetball shall apply.

Referees: All match winners must referee. Referees will be paid $5.

Official Ball: Wilson Titanium Green

Awards: Georgia Games commermorative T-shirt to all particpants. Medals to all Georgia residents for 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place.

For more information, please visit the Georgia State Games website at www.georgiagames.org. Please visit & join GRPA on Facebook by searching for Georgia Racquetball. If you have questions about this event, please contact Will Costanza at grpatournaments@earthlink.net, or by phone at 404-317-7992.

June 2010 Newsletter

Check out this month's USA Racquetball Newsletter, the June edition. This issue contains a recap from the recent USAR National Singles Championships in Houston TX as well as information about the new location for the 2011 National Singles in Fullerton, CA. There is also event news regarding the Racquetball Warehouse-WOR Outdoor Racquetball Championships, July 8-11, 2010 held in Huntington Beach, CA.

Inside is also a schedule of recent upcoming USAR Instructor Clinics that will be held at various cities all across the U.S. The USAR 2010-2011 Season National Event Calendar is also available for those who want to make their travel and hotel accommodations early and get a head start on planning. There is also new information and announcements from the Men’s International Racquetball Tour (IRT) and Women’s Professional Racquetball Tour (WPRO).

If you are looking to elevate your racquetball game read about the upcoming USAR High Performance Training Camp, August 9-14, 2010 in Colorado Springs, CO.
The newsletter is also available on the front page of the USA Racquetball website.

http://www.usra.org/Portals/18/docs/newsletters/june2010usarnewsletter.pdf

Another 24 Fitness with Racquetball


24 Hour Fitness will grow to 50,000 square feet at Westfield Downtown Plaza, becoming the mall’s second-largest operator in an expansion planned to be completed in fall 2011, the gym chain and mall announced this week.

The San Ramon-based fitness chain will add 20,000 square feet from the former Copeland’s Sports space to its existing 30,000 square feet. This will bump the gym into the tier of large, amenity-rich fitness complexes such as those operated by locally based Spare Time Clubs and California Family Fitness.

24 Hour Fitness’ expansion also is a welcome show of support of the mall, which struggles with vacancies as it plans a revitalization project.

In its multimillion dollar expansion, 24 Hour Fitness will add basketball and racquetball courts, indoor lap pool, new group exercise rooms and cardio areas, a news release said.

“It is Westfield’s philosophy to continually look for opportunities to improve our properties and the expansion of 24 Hour Fitness reflects a similar commitment to the revitalization of Downtown Plaza and downtown Sacramento,” Russell Dougherty,

Westfield Downtown Plaza general manager, said in the release. “Last year, Westfield began work on a number of physical enhancements throughout the Plaza including the addition of state-of-the-art LED lighting, a fresh new color scheme, upgraded directional signage and other visible improvements to the unique court areas, all designed to enrich the overall shopping experience.”