March - April 1999 | Vol. 10, No. 2

USRA BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION
Candidates: Keith Calkins | Rosita Cornelius
| Jim Garner | Shelley Ogden | Geoff Peters

There are five (5) candidates for four (4) vacancies on the USRA Board of Directors. Biographical and other candidate information follows. Ballots can be obtained via the March-April edition of RACQUETBALL magazine (printed postcard), or as part of a national singles entry. These are the only two methods of voting.

Keith Calkins -- Mission Viejo, CA
Racquetball has been a big part of my life for the past 30 years. I have served on the Board for the past three years and sincerely believe that the direction of the USRA is dynamic. For the past 20 years I have worked to move both the AARA and the USRA into positions so they could provide greater opportunities for their members. There will always be a will to serve the sport with professionalism and commitment. The current Board has wonderful diversity and members who have great leadership skills and a shared vision for the future. I wish to work with these people for the next three years. I currently represent the USRA on the United States Olympic Committee. The USRA receives a large portion of their funding from the USOC and the communication that is so necessary with the two is greatly enhanced if the representative serves on the Board.

I have served the USRA as treasurer for two years and currently serve on the financial committee. During our last audit it was reported that the USRA financial committee has been paramount to the organization. I would like to continue serving on this committee. I would appreciate hearing from any of our members and would enjoy sharing my thoughts about being on the Board. I take responsibilities seriously and my participation in racquetball has always been for personal satisfaction and growth as an individual.

Rosita Cornelius -- Santa Maria, CA
As a fifteen-year player and sponsored athlete, I am excited about the opportunity to serve a sport that has brought so much to my life. Currently, in addition to working a full-time career, I am the racquetball director at the Pismo Beach Athletic Club and have served in this capacity for the past three years. I am an accomplished tournament player, sponsored by Ektelon and PowerBar and selected as Ektelon’s Player of the Year for several years in a row. I’ve served on the CARA Board of Directors for two years and am active in publicizing racquetball locally by taking the sport to local schools to promote the connection between feeling good about racquetball and feeling good about oneself.

I’m also a proponent of developing the sport at the local level, lobbying for players’ needs and participation at community levels. I feel I am a qualified candidate with energy, enthusiasm and leadership skills that could benefit the board. I am also the President of the Board of Directors for the local Boys and Girls Club as well as a member of several civic organizations. Serving on the USRA Board of Directors would be a great honor for me.

Jim Garner -- Pelham, AL
In 1990 my son expressed an interest in racquetball, and this was the beginning of my serious involvement with the sport. I have served as a Junior Regional Director and am currently President of the Alabama Racquetball Association. As director of “The Rumble”, an elite camp for juniors, I have helped develop some great junior talent. The USRA Leadership conference has helped me to share common goals, problems, and opportunities with other racquetball leaders. As a player, a tournament director and a club owner, I have enjoyed promoting racquetball. I believe the experiences that I have had prepare me to contribute to the USRA as a board member.

I, like all of you, would like to see our sport prosper and would like to provide leadership to see this accomplished. I am an unabashed junior advocate. Junior participation is the future of racquetball. We have to get more juniors, women, and seniors on the courts. Racquetball has given this Dad a lot of great quality time with his son, as well as helped me to meet a great group of folks along the way. I would appreciate your consideration and vote for the USRA Board of Directors.

Shelley Ogden -- Cincinnati, OH
I have been privileged to serve on the USRA Board of Directors for the last three years. This past year I have been elected to the position of Vice President. These past years have been a culmination of a positive and exciting 24 years involved in the sport of racquetball. I began teaching in 1975, working as a program director in 1977 and have worked and played competitively ever since. I have managed clubs, front desk service areas, run racquetball programs and instructed. I am currently program director, racquetball pro and membership director at a club of which I have been employed since 1981. My experience running tournaments and grass roots programs as well as playing competitively on a national level has enabled me to see many sides of the sport.

I have been involved in many exciting changes in racquetball in the last three years on the Board. We upgraded the national tournaments, helped the U.S. OPEN to its prestigious stage, improved the AmPRO program and brought manufacturers into the grass roots and out reach areas of programming. I am encouraged by the prospects of upcoming years in this still young sport. Yes, racquetball is surviving and moving forward every year on a professional level. I would love to continue to be a part of that decision making process in the next three years.

Geoff Peters -- Chicago, IL
The USRA, and racquetball, are at a critical juncture in our history. Growth has stagnated, manufacturers are cutting back, and we have been unable to market racquetball to the masses that have bypassed us in search of “trendier” activities. To turn the corner we need to: 1. Increase exposure in the “mainstream” marketplace; 2. Cross-market the “fitness” attributes of playing; 3. Increase marketing and programs for juniors and female players.

I’ve been involved in racquetball since being taught the game at Lake Forest College in 1973 and first competed in an organized tournament in January of 1974. I founded the Wisconsin Independent Racquetball Association (later affiliated with the USRA) and have served on Illinois State Racquetball Association Board of Directors for a total of 14 years including two years as President. In 1996 I was recognized by the USRA with the Presidential Award.

Like many of you, I never was, and never will be an Open level player. I play racquetball for the joy of the game, the exercise and the camaraderie. I’d like to serve on the USRA Board as a player’s representative who will implement our desire to promote and market a game we love.