Oregon Dominates Girls Divisions 
Team Oregon was especially dominant in the girls divisions. Oregon girls took first in Girls 8 Multi-Bounce and Girls 8, 10, 12, and 14 singles, and took 2nd and 3rd in 16's. In girls 12 and under, Oregon captured 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. 

For the past 10 years, Oregon juniors have racked up an impressive number of National and World titles. Led by Ashley Willhite with 16, nine Oregon juniors have earned 6 or more Junior National and/or Junior World titles each.

Team Oregon is well represented on this year's Junior National Team. This year 4 Oregon kids earned the right to represent the U.S. at the Junior World Championships-Jenny Cary, Ashley Legget, Charlie Pratt and Joey Lakowske. Last year they were joined by Bart Crawford and Dan Sheppick.

Secret to Oregon's Success
What's the secret to Oregon's incredible success in Junior Racquetball? Certainly one secret is in the numbers. A state that sends a lot of good players to Junior Nationals stands a good chance of winning. Oregon always sends the biggest team.
How does Oregon continue to attract and retain large numbers of junior players? To answer that, it helps to understand the history of junior racquetball in Oregon.

It all started in junior racquetball hotbed, Klamath Falls, Oregon The genesis of Oregon junior racquetball is the small farming town of Klamath Falls, which continues to churn out a stream of world-class junior players such as past junior greats Brooke Crawford (2 time Female Junior Racquetball Athlete of the Year), her brother Bart, and Erin Frost, as well as current stars Ashley Willhite, and sisters Brittany and Ashley Legget. 

In the mid-1980's, three forward looking racquetball enthusiasts, Toby Tobias, Mike Markus, and Ernie Martinez realized that the future of racquetball lay in hooking kids on the sport. They developed an excellent junior program in Klamath Falls, focusing on participation. When Portland hosted the first junior regional event in 1989, 50 kids from Klamath Falls made the 280 mile trek to Portland.

Several parents were so jazzed by the experience of regionals and seeing all the players from Klamath Falls that they began to dream about what it would be like to grow a state-wide junior racquetball program. Led by attorney Gary Kerwood, the pioneering group formed a non-profit 501 (c) 3 tax-exempt corporation with a board of directors, officers, by-laws, official meetings, and assigned roles and responsibilities.

In 1991, Oregon sent a small team of players to Nationals. Toby Tobias was so excited about his Nationals experience that he convinced the rest of the OJRA board that they should try to send as many kids as possible in 1992. Energized by that goal, Oregon sent about 25 kids in '92 and came home with what turned out to be its first of ten consecutive overall Junior National team championships.

Focus on Participation
The Oregon Junior Racquetball Association (OJRA) was off and running. Gary Kerwood points out that one of the reasons that the OJRA has been so successful is because it is specifically designed to get lots of kids playing and enjoying racquetball. Junior tournaments are run using the 'Olympic format' (3 consolation divisions) so that all kids, regardless of ability, play lots of matches and nearly everyone brings home trophies or medals. Although Oregon continues to churn out top-notch players, focusing exclusively on the few best players has never been the goal of the OJRA.

The OJRA's high school league, where over 275 kids competed in 5 league matches and a state championship this year, is also designed to encourage participation. Players with similar skills face off in league matches and team results are emphasized over the individual. A high school needs only 3 players to enter a team. Team camaraderie is very high. To encourage participation, team scoring is designed so that a larger team of mediocre players will almost always beat a small team of elite players. As a result, the best players end up recruiting and coaching players for their teams, increasing the overall numbers and skills of junior players.

It can't happen without support from sponsors, clubs, coaches and parents ...
Well-designed tournaments are not enough. It costs money and takes time and energy to run an organization like the OJRA. The USRA and the adult Oregon Racquetball Association helped the OJRA off to a good start with seed money. National sponsors such as E-ForceŽ and HeadŽ/ProPennŽ as well as local sponsors like Players (a racquet shop) and the Oregon Sports Academy continue to support the OJRA with equipment and funding.

 Individuals have also given substantial contributions to the OJRA. Many coaches in Oregon provide their expertise free of charge or at drastically reduced rates to Oregon juniors. Of course none of this would be possible without the support of the athletic clubs that give up precious court time for practice and tournaments. 

Other elements of the OJRA are designed to enable and encourage participation. Adult and junior tournament schedules are co-developed to reduce conflicts. Tournament locations are spread across the state to help share the inconvenience of travel. Each year, the OJRA bestows "Oregon Team Elite" status on the top two male and female finishers in each age group based on junior tournament performance. Juniors can also apply for the prestigious Mike Griffith Award, a cash prize and trophy given to the top boy and girl according to pre-defined criteria.

In summary, the OJRA's formal organization structure with defined roles and responsibilities; the outstanding support of clubs, parents, coaches and sponsors; and the camaraderie and pride fostered by tournaments and formal awards all contribute to the tremendous success of the Oregon junior program.

Oregon would love for other states to develop similar programs and has provided funding to other states. If you are interested in finding out more, please feel free to contact John Ferguson at ferguson85@home.com or Greg Taylor at  rbwzrd@aol.com. John is a former OJRA president and was recently elected to the USRA Board of Directors. Greg is the current OJRA president.