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New Racquetball Season 12/13 |
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Written by James "JJ" Johnson
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Thursday, 10 May 2012 09:56 |
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Hello Fellow Racquetball Players
It is almost that time of year again for the new racquetball season to begin; normally this occurs around the 1 of June each year. That is also about the time when all of the sponsored players in your area will begin parading around the courts showing off their new fashionable clothing, shinny equipment and looking good. Don’t let these stylish folks scare you away from the courts because some of them are just wearing the clothes and playing with their shinny equipment but may not be what you may think they are or about them. Many of these folks will be willing to assist you if you show up but if you don’t come to the courts because you are afraid then they can’t help you.
I will assure that there will be plenty of tournaments for you to indulge/participate in during the 12/13 racquetball season. All that you have to do is get involved and make plans to attend one of the numerous tournaments. Yes, I know that the couches and televisions are very comfortable and enjoyable with the remote controls next to your right or left hand but you must get up and get involved to enjoy yourself physically with some racquetball tournament fun. We in the military as well as the local communities need to begin supporting each other’s tournaments because the notion of the FMWR and local folks is that there is no or little interest in racquetball and that is the reason that you are beginning to see more and more courts being converted into other activity rooms.
In my last article, I mentioned this very fact about racquetball courts being converted into other than the intended purpose. Folks if you want to help keep our sport alive in the military and local communities then we need to begin utilizing the courts more or the few remaining will also be converted. Numerous installations/clubs have begun to using Challenge Latter’s in an attempt to continue to grow the interest of players that are competitive in nature and that just want to have fun and get in a great workout.
Yes, challenge ladders, tournaments, after work play are ways to attempt to gain interest but if these folks only play occasionally and not participate in tournaments then the perception is still there is no interest by the club owners and FMWR folks.
Bottom Line: Folks let’s get out and support our loved sport and not watch it die or be killed by the non-players. |
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Valentinus Exceeds Expectations |
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Written by Vic Farrier
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Thursday, 01 March 2012 17:09 |
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 The Wiesbaden Valentinus Racquetball Tournament proved to be much more than the hype presented! Thus far the Valentinus Tournament has proven to be the biggest event held by the American-European Racquetball Association this year! 44 competitors came from across our host nation of Germany to put their skills to the test, in the ten divisions that were offered in the event. Awards were given for the top three places in each division. The sheer volume of competitors prompted the tournament to be moved from Wiesbaden Army Airfield, to McCully Barracks, in Wackernheim, Germany. Tournament Directors, Bobby Breese and Sean Troyer with the support and assistance of Mr. Jon Lacy (WAAF Fitness Center) and Vinnie Arcoutte, coordinated the set-up and operations of the event.
As with many AERA events, this tournament boasted healthy B and C Division that were filled with fierce competition. The bulk of the matches played in the tournament were from the B and C divisions. It was an arduous task but the tournament was played through to the semifinals in each division on the first day of the tournament. Vinne Arcouette, stepped back into the tournament scene by assisting with tournament operations, insuring that matches were continually played and updating the results real time in the R2Sports system! This was the second tournament hosted by Wiesbaden FMWR, and surely not the last of this season.
This event was also an eye opener for quite a few of the lower division players, many of which are moving up in skill and gaining confidence at playing at a higher level. Overall, the tournament was a huge success, exceeding all expectations, and proving that the sport of racquetball is still alive in the community! One behalf of the Tournament Directors, Bobbie Breese and Sean Troyer, we want to thank all who participated in the tournament, because with out you, there would be no tournament. Also a special thanks goes out to Mr. Jon Lacy for his support and work to insure that the facility was prepared for the tournament, and to Vinnie Arcouette for volunteering his weekend to assist with running the tournament. Finally, we want to congratulate the division winners of the tournament! ().
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Last Updated on Friday, 02 March 2012 02:11 |
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The First Naples Shootout! |
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Written by Dan Navo
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Tuesday, 21 February 2012 21:34 |
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Racquetball is alive and met with enthusiastic players in Naples, ITALY! MWR (with co-sponsors: Mr. James Scribner and Team Ektelon's Dan Navo) hosted a 1st Annual "Racquetball Shoot-out" for the new year on Sat. 21 Jan 2012. Dan & James had collaborated with MWR's sports coordinator (Ms Kelly Berger) in laying the foundation for this event which the turnout was a HUGE success! The breakdown of the categories are as follows: Age group (18-34 / 35+) and Class group (B Div / C,D, Nov). 23 players in all had signed up in their respective categories and all had shown up the day of the tournament eagerly waiting for the doors to open at 0900. With the amount of player/participants and having only 2 courts in our facility, MWR was gracious enough to have opened the doors for business 1 hour prior to their normal operating hours. Every minute of the operating hours was utilized to its fullest extent in order for each player to get their games in before close of business. Players also decided they would "roll" thru lunch in order to finish off in time too. Although, there was still enough time to eat in between their next challenges. Dan & James had also provided some healthy fruit, snacks, and drinks for the players' enjoyment. Right after another, as each match ended another would begin and this continued throughout the day. As each match progressed, the competition level of each play just got more intense! As the intensity level rose, it brought out each player's level of competitiveness eventually leaving only one player on top!
Winners of each division are as follows:
B Div:
1st - Dean Hawkins (late entry)
Runner up - Philip "Chaps" Pelikan
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Last Updated on Thursday, 01 March 2012 15:06 |
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We now have cloth patches for sale....Get one for your bag, shorts, or whatever you would like to use it for. The cost is $3.00. We will have them available at all tournaments or if you happen to be in the Mannheim/Heidelberg area, catch up with the AERA President, 
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