One of the truly remarkable ladies in our sport, Sue Carow of Glenview, Illinois, passed away on May 25 at the age of 63. 

Sue was a pioneer in racquetball and an incurable gym-rat at the Lattof YMCA. She taught lessons, played and practiced constantly, and truly loved the sport. She would play anywhere, anytime — just for the opportunity!

As many know, she won our State Championships in Illinois several times, in both Open and Age group competition and was an early participant (and feared competitor) on the Women’s Pro Tour (WPRA) in the late 70’s and early 80’s. (Yes, the math is correct, she was “over 40,” although we were not allowed to mention it at the time). She was a lady who played, partied, and lived life on her own terms — while raising a wonderful group of kids as a single Mom. She was inducted into the Illinois Racquetball Hall of Fame in April of 2000 — a well deserved honor. We will miss her. 

Memorials may be made to Palliative Care Center of the Northshore, 2821 Central St., Evanston IL 60201-1221.

The FRA has consistently sent representatives to the annual leadership conference, maintains 100% compliance on sanctioned event reporting, hosts a public website, publishes a regular quarterly newsletter for its membership and perpetuates itself by identifying and training new leaders to direct the efforts of the FRA in the future. [Photo from FRA website: Bill and Kassi Herr]

South Carolina Racquetball Players Association – President: Gray Norris. The SCRPA was at a standstill in June of 1998 when Gray Norris accepted the position of president. His first task was to assemble a volunteer board of directors and get the association back on track. Within one year of his appointment as president, the SCRPA witnessed an increase in membership, began publishing a regular quarterly newsletter and strengthened their sanctioned tournament calendar. As a result, the SCRPA regularly maintains its state in the top 25 with its membership. In addition, Gray committed to sending representatives to the annual leadership conference the last three years and maintained 100% compliance on sanctioned event reporting. As president, Gray’s term ended in June 2001 after recent elections. The foundation he has helped develop will assure a smooth transition of leadership roles. 

Honorable mentions: 
Illinois State Racquetball Association – Laurel Davis
Kentucky State RB Association – Jim & Christine Wright
New Hampshire Racquetball Association – Kelley Beane
Utah Racquetball Association – Enrico Dubach

Joe Sobek Contributor: Kelley Beane
Submitted by Mike Normand
Earning the USRA’s Joe Sobek Contributor award seemed to cap an exceptional season for Kelley Beane. At home in New Hampshire, Beane had been given the “local version” of the honor, the John Cummings Award, just last year. That memorial award is named after a club manager (now deceased) who used to do just about anything to get people involved in the sport and promote racquetball (giving out his own equipment, court time, money, or whatever it took; he was a relentless enthusiast of the game). It is the highest honor given to anyone who is involved in the New Hampshire racquetball community, and in the last fifteen years it has only been give out 3-4 times, twice to Kelley Beane (in 92 & 2000). At the national level, her work with the U.S. Junior Team earned her the USRA’s 2001 Joe Sobek Contributor Award.

From Kelley: “Just wanted to take a moment to appropriately say thank you for selecting me for the Joe Sobek award in Houston this year. Being totally unaware that I would be receiving this award, my “speech” was short and I felt more like a deer in headlights! 

In addition to those I thanked at the banquet, I would like to thank the USRA and its board for giving me the opportunity to work with the junior team. To the junior team, thanks for keeping me young, and I am always learning something new from all of you. Cheryl Gudinas, thanks for believing in me on the sidelines and giving me that confidence to take me to another level of coaching. 

I was fortunate enough to know Joe Sobek for a short while near the end of his life, and this award is therefore very special to me. We would always invite Joe to our tournaments as he lived a couple of hours away, but he would always politely decline. Finally he accepted our invitation and came to our biggest event in January. What an honor it was to meet the humble man who created this great game. He was thrilled to have a chance to watch Cliff, Eric Muller, and the likes play and everyone was excited to have a chance to talk with him about the game. For myself it was a chance to tell him how thankful I was that he invented this sport and that I just couldn’t imagine my life without it, or more importantly without the people I have met through racquetball in it. I have a wonderful picture of he and I that’s on the wall at the club, and I will hang this award right below it. From the bottom of my heart, thank you."

Normand furtively scanned that photo shown above, which is dated 2/23/93 and bears the handwritten sentiment, “Dear Kelley, It’s hard to believe that a pretty girl could run such a fine tournament. Thank you for the nice time. Regards, Joe Sobek”. 

Halverson Fair Play Award: Chris Coy
Chris Coy, the 2000 Sports Illustrated Young Sportsman of the Year [see the March/April issue], can add another trophy to his wall after being tapped to receive the 2001 USRA John Halverson Fair Play Award. The John Halverson Fair Play Award is given yearly to an individual or group that has shown an exceptional gesture of fair play, consistently shown a spirit of fair play, or has promoted fair play. Coy, who received his award at the 2001 U.S. National Singles Championships Awards Banquet, earned the award for his all-around sportsmanship and spirit of fair play, in follow-up to his national recognition by Sports Illustrated earlier this season. 

Team NC: Thirteen of the 33 players from North Carolina attending the 2000 US Open posed last November. L-R: Mike Norelli, Mitch Williams, Wiley Fisher, Brian Bottomley, Turbo Troutman, Johnny Harris, Brent Walters, Eddie Alberty, Janet Myers, Ed Remen, Holly Remen, Wayne Sweatt, Lynn Stephens. [Photo courtesy Lynn Stephens]

Today & Tomorrow? This shot came in too late to accompany the story published in the May/June issue, but four-year-old future pro hopeful Gabriel Evans (ranked in Texas) sure looked happy to meet IRT #4 John Ellis. [Photo courtesy Rudy Reyna].