FROM THE EDITOR
Who are these People??
by Linda Mojer

Who are these people? I knew you’d ask ... and that I wouldn’t tell you. That’s the point. Our cover features two people that you may never see in the finals of a national event, but their impact on racquetball may be as far-reaching as any of the top names you’re used to seeing in our pages. And you’ll have to read all about what they do to figure out how and why.

Oh alright, here’s a hint ... with the club initiative gaining momentum, this issue focuses on this year’s IHRSA Program Award winners — court clubs commited to the principle of working the sport in the corporate environment. They have an investment. They have a market. They have paid professional staff. The sport delivers for them, and their programs suggest that the sport delivers for their members (that’s you) as well — from Wisconsin to Florida. It’s large-scale.

On a smaller-scale, individuals continue to express concern over the cost of events (nationals particularly) ... relative to the possibility of coming home with a trophy. Nothing sets this stage quicker than an argument that begins with “Who wants to spend $65.00 to lose in the first round?” But the simple fact of the matter is that elite level competition is designed to provide a field that narrows exponentially. Half of the people who enter an event will be out in the first round, half the next, and half the next, until there is a winner. It doesn’t matter how much you pay, those 50/50 odds won’t change. Do you invest?

And time! Too many quotes from high school medalists indicated that competing in multiple divisions was too taxing, given the timeframe. But how many entrants would be willing to commit to a longer format (a full week, say) for national events, to assure adequate time to recuperate between matches that are guaranteed to get harder with each round? No? Then you may have to play back-to-back matches in two divisions, and hope that your opponent had to do the same. Do you train harder?

The good news is that racquetball has quietly grown so large that the court club environment has begun to recognize and develop its captive market share of recreational players. At the same time, the competitive environment continues to offer an adrenalin rush to its market share of die-hard tournament goers. Where do you fit? What’s your motivation ... do you play for fun, or to win? I’m right in the middle — it’s fun to win!