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World's Top Racquetball Coaches Converge on Colorado Springs for Level Two Clinic

International & Collegiate Coaches Learn from Racquetball's Top Experts

The top racquetball coaches in the world have converged on the Colorado Springs U.S. Olympic Training Center for the U.S. Racquetball Associations' Level II Coaches Clinic. On-court sessions are being held at the Lynmar Racquet Club, the official training facility of the USRA. The clinic marks the first time an international group of coaches have gathered together for such a clinic.

This year's clinic includes six coaches from this summer's Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Ron Brown (Winnipeg) is participating in the clinic representing Canada. Brown coached the Canadian Racquetball Team to three silver medals at the 1999 Pan Am Games and men and women's singles gold medals at the 1998 IRF World Championships.

South America is represented with coaches from Argentina, Venezuela and Chile. Former-U.S. National Team member Mike Guidry (Carrolton, Texas) took over the reigns for the Chilean Racquetball Team for the Pan Am Games, where he led his team to the country's first-ever Pan Am Games medal in racquetball, with a bronze in women's doubles.

Current-U.S. Junior Team coach Jim Winterton (Syracuse, N.Y.), who was named the 1999 U.S. Olympic Committee National Racquetball Coach of the Year, is also in attendance at the clinic. Winterton stepped down from his position as U.S. National Team coach following the Pan Am Games after serving a 10-year tenure as the most successful national team coach in history.

Winterton's shoes were filled by his assistant coach, Tom Travers (Westlake, Ohio), who is also in attendance. The USOC Developmental Racquetball Coach of the Year, Dennis Fisher (Provo, Utah), is accompanied by two fellow-collegiate coaches at the clinic, Pat Bernardo (Albany, N.Y.), Ed Arias (Madison, Wis.) and G. Kyle Smith (Texas). The coaches attended sessions with speed training coach Scott Phelps, who has worked with various amateur and professional teams including the Dallas Cowboys.

Following the completion of the clinic, coaches will be tested to receive their Level II certification. It is the hope of the USRA that the coaches will return to their countries and colleges to set up their own racquetball clinics in order to help the sport grow at both the grassroots level in the United States and internationally.