Racquetball: March/April '03 RB:Juniors

March - April 2003
Vol. 14, No. 2 | Contents

RB: Juniors		Arizona Juniors
		Houston YMCA Hosts Youth Outreach
		New Jersey Inspiration
		California Dreamin'

Arizona Juniors
by Frank Taddonio
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The Arizona Juniors Tournament held last September at LA Fitness in Chandler, Arizona was, by all accounts, a huge success, drawing 50 entrants ranging in age from 6-18 years of age. Although open to all Arizona juniors, it was also the wrap-up event for an ongoing junior development program designed by Darold Key.

The program includes a series of eight, two-hour sessions leading up to the tournament, conducted by AmPRO certified instructors at facilities across the state. Program content is drawn from the techniques and procedures offered through the AmPro instructor certification program, and each session focuses on basic skills, conditioning, drills and other fundamentals of the game. The participants are also introduced to the club facility in a tournament environment, and trainers demonstrate exercises that support and enhance the youngsters’ ability to play the game. This includes the use of free weights and machines; and juniors genuinely enjoy rubbing elbows with the grown-ups pumping iron in the club.

The event was held on the same weekend as the Arizona State Doubles Championship, which allowed the more experienced players to see the future of the sport and enjoy the youthful competition. In turn, the juniors were able to watch some very competitive doubles action on the part of the grown-ups.

One of the many highlights of this event was the silent auction conducted to help raise funds for the Arizona Juniors Program. Ektelon and Key Sports were major contributors, while USRA Membership Director Kevin Joyce was very helpful in sharing his expertise and advice with Carolyn Callihan, mom of one of the participating juniors. Carolyn had no experience with “auctioning” but, with Kevin’s guidance, she did a superb job and raised over $400 for the junior program.

The event was filled with spirit, camaraderie and good sportsmanship. All the juniors received a quality t-shirt and the majority of them took medals home, since awards were given to each of the top four finishers.

The grassroots movement is alive and well in Arizona and all the youngsters and their parents departed asking when the next session and tournament would be scheduled. If anyone is interested in taking part in the Arizona Junior Program, would like to get involved in some way, or just wants information, send an email to Darold Key at azra@racquetball.com.

New Jersey Inspiration
by Ray Ferrara
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I’ve been a Racquetball Magazine reader and USRA member for several years now, and I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge someone who has been quite an inspiration in my racquetball career.

Ron Van Horn at the Warren Racquets Club in New Jersey does a lot for the game. Outside of being an instructor and running three round robins per week, he does a lot to attempt to get the youngsters into the game we all love so much. Twice a year, Ron invites myself, and some other dedicated players, to assist in a Junior Clinic. It’s great to see some of these kids compete. I think these types of clinics are what can keep this game alive and it’s important to acknowledge Ron and all those who proactively put these types of events together. Ron is shown second from the left, the author is third from the left.

Have a junior program in your club? Send in a brief write-up with the basics, and why it’s successful. Include a photo and we may be able to share it in a future issue, or on the website. See guidelines for tips on submitting articles & photos.