... after a three-year uphill climb, the women’s pro tour enters another new phase ...

Notes & Quotes

LPRA No. 12 Amy Foster.  Photo: Vicki Hughes

To kick-off a new century, the USRA took over the struggling Women’s International Racquetball Tour, gave it a new logo, renamed it the Ladies Professional Racquetball Association, and set out to re-invigorate interest in women’s racquetball on the whole. The ambitious plan was for the USRA to underwrite, organize and take over the administration of the tour for three years, market and stabilize it, then hand over the reins and watch it take off. Now, at the end of that term, the USRA feels that the tour is on solid ground and ready to fly. 

When the USRA acquired the then-WIRT in 2000, the tour was definitely in decline. There were few stops, little prize money, and participation was low. “There were only three stops — other than the premiere U.S. OPEN and the Pro National events — for women,” recalls USRA Executive Director Jim Hiser, who also served as LPRA Commissioner for most of the past three years. “To get the women’s tour on a fast track, there needed to be an immediate investment of personnel and finances, and the USRA was the only entity able to make that type of commitment, at that time.” But there was also an ulterior motive.

A strong women’s pro tour wasn’t just good for the sport in general, but also offered direct benefit as a training ground for top U.S. Team athletes. “The LPRA is important to the USRA because our U.S. Team is comprised of the top women’s pros,” said Hiser. “It has given our top players an opportunity to maintain their abilities at a high level.” And that translates into gold medals for U.S. athletes in international competition. 

Hiser went on to add that having a women’s pro tour has also kept some of the younger players involved, given them role models to look up to, plus offered a real opportunity to compete at a higher level. This has influenced them to stick with racquetball rather than to migrate towards other sports, which they’d be more likely to do in the absence of a professional arena.

In the role of commissioner, Hiser set three goals to accomplish within three years. He wanted to develop credibility within the women’s pro game, create a season consisting of 10-14 stops, and attract a national sponsor that could support the LPRA after the USRA had stabilized the tour.

LPRA tour regulars are close knit, support charitable causes and give a mean interview. Photos: Denise Frank & Vicki Hughes.

In the first year, the number of tour events nearly doubled from five in the 1999-2000 season to nine in 2000-01. The average number of players competing in events also rose from 21 to 26, or 25%. Not only were the numbers at each event up, but the overall number of ranked pros realized nearly a 50% increase in the first year.

Those numbers have continued to rise each year since the takeover, though not as dramatically. The number of stops has risen to 12, including two outside the U.S. – one each in Mexico and Canada. At press time, the number of LPRA players was 72 and with two more stops on the schedule, that number is sure to surpass last years high of 76, marking the third straight year of growth. In the 1999-2000 season there were only 46 players making appearances at tournaments.

Two of the main reasons for the growth have been the amount of money that the USRA has invested into the tour and the services that they have been able to provide. “We’ve invested over $175,000 in the past three years,” Hiser detailed. “And probably another $50,000 in value-in-kind services.” 

The lion’s share of funds allocated by the USRA has gone towards prize money. Each stop now offers a minimum of $8,000 and this season featured two “majors” worth over $15,000 each. “This has allowed some of the ladies to stay in racquetball,” Hiser explained. “Prior to the LPRA a lot of them were going to leave.” Other funding for the LPRA has gone toward expenses for travel, promotional materials, legal fees and registrations, communications and the everyday costs of operating a professional tour.

USRA staff, over and above their routine duties, incorporated most of the services that have come to benefit the LPRA. Heather Fender took on the responsibility of managing all site and sponsorship details of the tour, and even designed the early LPRA annual calendars and promotional merchandise. Ryan John coordinates LPRA coverage, issues press releases for selected events and maintains athlete bios, photos, and rankings. Linda Mojer created and maintains the LPRA website, including updates of events in progress, historical records, archives, schedules, bios and sponsorship material. RACQUETBALL magazine covers the tour as its official publication, including event promotion, schedules, personality profiles and rankings. Every department of the organization, from distribution to accounting has taken on added functions in the support of the tour. 

“A lot of creative people have invested a great deal of time and effort into getting the tour back on its feet” added USRA Associate ED, Linda Mojer. “We’re all a little anxious about making sure that those long hours haven’t gone to waste.” It’s expected that any new investor will realize that it takes a great deal of behind-the-scenes effort to make even a relatively-small tour, like the LPRA, run smoothly. Staff resources alone will be a substantial line item in any new operating budget. 

Up and coming Adrienne Fisher (top left) relies on the advice and mentoring of veteran Jackie Rice.

Having gained a better understanding of these complexities, the players themselves have begun to take a more active role in supporting some of these functions, and are more vocal in offering input on the overall operations of the tour. A player council was established at the 2002 Choice Hotels U.S. OPEN with Kim Russell, Jackie Rice, Kersten Hallander, Rosy Torres, and Jo Shattuck elected to represent the interests of the athletes on the front lines. The player council plans on having much more say in how the tour is run and promoted.

So the USRA is, tentatively, loosening its grip on the tour, in favor of more self-direction, and the prospect of new ownership. Both Hiser and Assistant Commissioner Ed Willis have stepped down, and the search for a new administrator has begun. “Right now we are trying to find a new commissioner that can run the tour for years to come and potentially attract sponsors to help support it,” said Hiser.

Although the USRA will no longer be funding the tour, it doesn’t plan on leaving the LPRA high and dry. “The USRA will continue to support the tour with services,” Hiser explained. “But our financial commitment will be limited.” In-house promotional services through the media department, plus magazine and website outreach will continue until the ladies can take on those responsibilities as well. In the interim, the USRA will maintain close ties with the new commissioner and provide assistance with organizational, administrative and record-keeping details.

“It might seem that the USRA is rushing to divest itself of the tour” added Mojer, “but in fact, we’re a little hesitant to simply hand it over without some pretty solid assurances that it will be well managed.” After carefully developing the tour into a valuable commodity, the USRA will be looking for both financial resources, and long-term commitment, from any prospective new owner.

It’s a delicate balance, making it essential to the survival of the LPRA that a national sponsor, or sponsors, be secured to help the tour financially. “Unfortunately we didn’t attract a national sponsor [in that three year period],” said Hiser. “But we believe that the tour is in a position where that can happen now.”

Hiser’s optimism is well founded. The tour offers an attractive package for prospective sponsors, with a well-established calendar featuring several on-going annual stops, a rising level of competition and growing interest in the game. Last year the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA) reported a 2.7% increase in racquetball participation.

The SGMA also issued new demographics, citing 5,296,000 racquetball players in the U.S., with more than a third of them women (34.3%). A full 25% of those over-five-million are “frequent” players who take to the courts 25, or more, days per year. That translates into a target market of nearly 500,000 active women who play racquetball every other week, on average, plus another 1.3 million women that play casually.

And let’s not forget that the sport isn’t limited to female spectators. Just look at tennis to see the impact that a women’s sport can have on the male population! Where sponsorship and exposure is concerned, the LPRA has every bit as much to offer as any other women’s professional tour sport.

Racquetball has other demographics in its favor as well. Among frequent players, 51% are college graduates, with an average age of 35, and an median household income of $69,200. “Some advantages for a sponsor would be association with a women’s professional tour that could give them national exposure,” explained Hiser. “The sport has excellent demographics and if they (potential sponsors) are interested in hitting a female market, the LPRA tour would be a perfect fit.”

The USRA, and all the women of the LPRA, are keeping their fingers crossed for a successful “next phase” for the tour. Interested, or have some leads you think might be worth pursuing? Contact Jim Hiser, or 719-635-5396, ext. 130. 

We asked tour regulars to comment about the tour, and their hopes for the future ... 

• What has the tour meant to you? 
• Prior to playing the tour full-time, the only chance I had to play the best women players was at the national singles and doubles tournaments. I knew if I played on the tour regularly, that the experience would foster the confidence I needed to do better at the national tournaments and possibly attain my long term goal of making the US National Team. It worked after playing just two years full-time on the tour. As a bonus, playing the tour has allowed me to see places and meet players from all over the country and world that I might not otherwise meet at a national tournament. -- Kersten Hallander
• The tour has given me a chance to raise my level of play and meet new and exciting people. It has also provided me with opportunities (travel, etc.) that not many people my age have, as well as taught me valuable life lessons, such as the importance of hard work and dedication. -- Adrienne Fisher
• The tour has been an extremly pleasant experience because racquetball is more of a community sport. I've really enjoyed competing and getting to know some of the ladies on a personal level as well as competing. -- Krystal Czuk 
• It has meant an incredible amount of discipline. Health. Well being. Not only is the tour fun to play in, but I have made life long friends. The most important thing the tour has given me is the discipline for my health and life. -- Rosy Torres
• The tour has offered me so much over the years. I have had the wonderful opportunity to grow as a person and an athlete. I have felt what it was like to win and lose in all circumstances. Both victory and defeat have chiseled at my character. I have learned so much about myself because of it. I have been able to reach new heights that I never thought possible. I have learned that in all of this, it is just that, a learning experience. -- Jackie Rice

• How long have you been playing on the tour? 
• I have been playing part-time for the past 4 years, but I'm really trying to play as many of the prostops as possible. -- Krystal Czuk 
• The tour was a big part of my life for 2 1/2 years. During that time, I only missed 1 stop. The thing that was most important to me was the level of competition you get exposed to at a stop. Playing in Texas, there are some very good players, i.e. Kim Russell, Liz Alvarado, Phyllis Morris - just to mention a few, but at a stop both the pro and the open divisions are stacked deep with quality players that one cannot avail themselves to anywhere outside the national tournaments. It taught me that I had to show up with my best game every match. It is just great! -- Denise Mock

• How does the LPRA compare to the WIRT and WPRA?
• I have been playing on the tour since 1988 with my twin sister, Joy. We started out playing a couple of events. We saved our money after each event until we had enough to go to another event. As I can recall, I was in the top ten in the first year I played (not competing full time). The tour was a lot different back then. It seemed like there were a lot more players involved in the administrative part of the tour. The top players were definitely involved, unlike the current tour. To be blunt and honest, the top players gave back to the tour a lot more. They helped plan the social parties and other events at the tournaments (a lot like the US Open). The tour of today is coming around, thanks to a handful of players and the support of the USRA. -- Jackie Rice
• In the few WPRA tournaments I played in the late 80's and early 90's, I have to say I was very impressed with the organization and its professionalism. The WPRA was run by the players for the players and I hope the new LPRA can follow in its successful footsteps. The WPRA had many years of 12-14 stop seasons and decent prize money. Of course, back then, they had the luxury of providing sponsors TV exposure but that was only until the mid 80's. The LPRA mimmicks the WPRA most closely in that we have had 12 stop seasons over the past few years and people are talking about women's racquetball again and even some of the top players have gained sort of a celebrity status in the racquetball world. -- Kersten Hallander
• It is more active than in some years past, and the competitiveness seems to be growing. I think the tour was also great in the early 90s when Adams and McKinney were dominating. There were several ladies who would occasionally win events, even though those two were usually in the finals. The average age now is probably early 30s. We need to get that number down a tad and get some younger gals stepping up consistently, although, the women's game is a "thinking" game, and it takes awhile to become savvy, as we do not rely on power as much as the men. The men have the benefit of both thought AND power, which aids them in making up for occasional poor shot selection. The ladies don't have that luxury when we make errors in shot selection. -- Cheryl Gudinas
• The WPRA really knew how to promote the women and ran top-notch tournaments. There would always be player functions (sometimes more than one) at each tournament. Tickets were sold for semis and finals. The directors really made you feel like you were a professional athlete. However, rules of conduct and dress code were much more strict than they are now! -- Brenda Kyzer

• What is the most important thing that the tour offers you as an individual? 
• I get a feeling of being rewarded for hard work. It makes me feel good that I can excel in something I love so much. It also makes me proud to tell others that I am a professional athlete. -- Brenda Kyzer
• The tour offers the opportunity to travel while meeting new people and playing the game I love! -- Krystal Czuk 
• Female competition. Most often I play men who are often better athletics than strong racquetball players. The women at this level are >both strong athletics as well as strong racquetball players. -- Denise Mock 

• What do you think it the most valuable thing that the tour would offer to a major corporate sponsor? 
• The exposure to approximately 400,000+ individuals with very attractive demographics. Not only would they get exposure in Racquetball magazine but also on our web-site and in all of the clubs we play tournaments as well as each player's club and local playing community. Here is one example: If we were to make another LPRA poster displaying our tour schedule and prominently displaying our corporate sponsor we could really offer that corporate sponsor an incredible shelf life of exposure at 100's of clubs across the country. If each of these clubs has at least 2,000 members, that would be at least 400,000 exposures if it was just 200 clubs. In Southern California alone there are 26 LA Fitness [clubs] with racquetball courts, not to mention 20-30 other active racquetball clubs. Our poster would be up in each of these clubs for at least 9 months which is the duration of our season. The poster coupled with other efforts, for instance handing out product samples, and word of mouth exposure could translate into well over a million impressions for the right sponsor. -- Kersten Hallander
• The women are very personable. They realize that they have to put into the game to get something out of it. They are good sports and can provide a family entertainment experience. Girls need roll models. The pros on the tour can provide such models. They are professional, articulate, and caring. I think it would be a great idea to get one of the girls on the cereal box with different athletics from different states. It would be an ideal way to start getting our face to the public. -- Denise Mock
• It would offer a fresh view of a sport that many people have played on a local level; however, probably didn't know that such a high level of professional play existed. -- Krystal Czuk 
• Exposure to one of the most popular unpublicized sports in the world, one that people stick with throughout their entire lives because anyone can play and be competitive at any age. -- Adrienne Fisher

• What did you think about the rule changes, and returning to basic play? 
• Thank goodness we changed back to the regular rules! The old rules were good for our first season, to generate interest in the LPRA. However, after awhile people just wanted to watch us play regular tournament styles. I think most of the players are very happy we are back to regular scoring and rules. -- Lori Jane Powell 
• I understood the reason for changing our scoring format so that it would create some interest in the women's game again and it did. I am glad though that we have returned to the same scoring format as the men's tour so there is some consistency between the two tours and even between the amateur and professional games. I do hope that the future of professional women's racquetball continues to grow. Now more than ever, women's sports have gained a national spotlight and I don't think anybody can argue that women's professional racquetball isn't as exciting and athletic as any women's sport. -- Kersten Hallander
• I wish we would just keep the rules consistent with the guys because it is easier for a spectator to follow if they know the rules are the same. -- Krystal Czuk 

• What about administrative changes, and a new commissioner? 
• I sincerely hope that the new commissioner will be able to help us gain a little more visibility while also securing more prize money at events. I am curious to see who will apply and eventually be chosen but am looking forward to some hopefully positive changes on tour while I also thank the USRA and our old Commissioners Jim Hiser and Ed Willis. Without their help we would not be where we are today. -- Ramona Vonondarza
• I think Ed was a great commissioner and it would be best for the tour if we didn't have one specific so called "commissioner" but a couple of small sub-groups of people working towards the same goal. -- Krystal Czuk 

• What are you hopes for the tour; where will it be in five years? I hope the tour continues to grow; however, I really believe it is up to us players to promote the sport. -- Krystal Czuk 
• In 5 years, I would like to see the tour stronger than ever, with 15 events or more a year, where most of the ladies can make a living playing the game. I say this, knowing that in 5 years, I most likely will not be at the top of my game! I can see myself getting involved in helping to run the tour also. -- Cheryl Gudinas
• My long range hopes are to have 8-10 stops, each with a $15,000 - $20,000 minimum prize purse. I hope we get more international players and a good marketing/sponsorship person in the future. -- Lori Jane Powell

• What about the international perspective?
• I think the tour is essential to the overall growth of the women's game. Many players from different countries have improved from playing on the tour. The better they get, the better the international competition gets and the better our chance to show that racquetball is a potential Olympic Sport. -- Lori Jane Powell
• Without the tour I would never have the opportunity to play against many of the so talented and great U.S. players on the tour as I would only be able to do so against the very good U.S. National Team. Also, as stated above it has given me the opportunity to play on a "big stage' more often preparing me better for the international events. -- Ramona Vonondarza

• What are your thoughts on the state of the men's tour; should there be more joint events? 
• It's tough to watch as the men's tour grows adn seems (at least from teh outside) to be so successful. The wome really need to find a commissioner that can do for the women what Dave Negrete has done for the men. -- Brenda Kyzer
• I wouldn't mind joint events; however, its better to start on Friday because those of us who have school or work full-time can't afford to miss that much time. -- Krystal Czuk 
• Combining with the men is not a bad idea at some events. We need to do whatever is best for the game, and sometimes being together makes for an especially exciting event, although I know lots of women want their individuality. But do we have that luxury at this time? -- Cheryl Gudinas