Dear Members,

 

Welcome! A racquetball season has ended and new one is starting. Wayne Fullerton's valued tenure as President has ended and mine as the new CVRA President has begun. I am looking forward to an exciting season of racquetball in Virginia.

 

I hope you enjoy this issue of the newsletter. One of the goals for the board is to increase communication with the membership, especially via other outlets besides the newsletter.

 

Some new outdoor courts have sprung up in the state, like the ones in Fairfax and Chesapeake. Check out the article in this issue by the Chairman of the Fairfax County Park Authority on the public courts in Fairfax. The courts have already attracted players from surrounding states. Give the outdoor game a try and consider playing in the events that will be coming to them. While you’re thinking about outdoor events, also read about the Military Racquetball Federation event held at Virginia Beach this past June, it was a huge success.

 

We had previously created new award programs such as the collegiate scholarships and Virginia Racquetball Hall of Fame. This last season we’ve issued the first collegiate scholarships and inducted three members into the Hall of Fame. See who the recipients were inside. Also consider who you’d like to be nominated for this year’s awards. The deadline is Nov. 1st and information on nominations can be found on the CVRA website, along with the annual player awards.

 

Please welcome new board members Corey Fritz from northern Virginia and Barbara Durso and Malia Bailey from Chesapeake. They’re bringing new ideas and fresh insights on how to make racquetball in Virginia better. If you’re interested in becoming more involved with the sport and would like to participate on the board feel to contact a current board member. We are always looking for people who want to improve the sport.

 

Among other things, the board is finalizing the renewal of our relationship with Ektelon to continue to provide free racquetballs to our sanctioned events. The choice of balls has been expanded to include the new exciting two-color ball, the Revolution, the ball used by the LPRT.

 

This season, as well as in past, we’re looking at areas to increase participation in events, sanctioned and non-sanctioned, such as adjustments to the schedule of tournaments, tournament policies and entry pricing. Look for the tournament directors trying out new formats to enhance the tournament experience and attract new players. Give them your feedback to let them what you like and don't like. Feel free to let board members know what improvements you'd like to see in future tournaments.

 

The CVRA, along with the USA Racquetball (USAR), is trying to get more people involved in racquetball, not just tournament players. The USAR offers free "eMemberships" for those people who may not compete in tournaments. Check out the main page on the USAR website to get more information and sign-up. Send the link to recreational players about free eMemberships and suggest that they sign-up. They’ll get a better picture of what's happening in the sport.

Good luck in your matches, have fun and play fair.

 

 

Respectfully,

Mark Baron

President, CVRA