Support for the USA Racquetball Team at the World Games

We need your support for the USA Racquetball Team to compete at the 2012 IRF World Championships in the Dominican Republic, August 4-11, 2012  The cost to send one athlete is $1785:

$750 flight

$550 hotel (shared room)

$385 meals for 11 days

$100 entry fees

Our Delegation consists of the following players:

                              Men                                                  Women

#1 Singles       Rocky Carson                                    Rhonda Rajsich

#2 Singles       Jose Rojas                                         Cheryl Gudinas

Doubles:          Tony Carson                                      Rhonda Rajsich

                       Jansen Allen                                      Kim Waselenchuk

These dedicated athletes have competed in our National Championships and on the two pro tours, paying their own way, in order to earn a position on OUR National Team.  They deserve the support of each and every one of us.

Due to US Olympic Committee cuts in support, we need help to send our deserving athletes to the IRF World Championships.  Please help with $20, $50, $100, $200, or more.  Any amount would help.  Remember, Team USA is Your Team.

Please click on or copy the link http://www.usaracquetballevents.com/cartProduct.asp?modelID=969&cartID=&productGroupID=49&categoryID=171&brandID=102  and this will take you to our donation page.  It’s very easy to navigate.  

TEAM ROLLOUT SIGNS RHONDA RAJSICH

If you have followed along with Rollout, you know that we have been making some major announcements throughout the sport over the past few months. July is going to be a huge month for Rollout, and the new faces representing this brand are just some of the reasons why. 

RHONDA RAJSICH

Currently ranked #2 on the WPRO, Rhonda Rajsich has brought her talent and personality to Rollout, and will be a major part of the Rollout family for a long time! Rhonda's resume in racquetball goes on for days, and includes countless WPRO titles, National and International Championships, US Team appointments, and also the reputation of being one of the most well liked and respected players in the entire sport. Stay tuned for more on this brand new partnership between Rollout and Rhonda Rajsich!!!

2012-2013 WPRO Season

Posted by The Racquetball Blog 

The Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) has posted its schedule for the 2012-13 season. There are 10 Tier 1 or Grand Slam events on the schedule, which is balanced between events in 2012 and in 2013 with five in each. There's also a Tier 3 event - the traditional Wilson Tour for Hope in Cincinnati.

The WPRO season begins in late August with the Ektelon Texas Open in Dallas. Then there will be a break of over a month before the US Open in Minneapolis in early October.

In November, the WPRO will play in Mexico, which will be its first event outside the USA since September 2010, when they were in Cali, Columbia, and two weeks later in Seattle before ending the year with the Christmas Classic in Arlington, Virginia.

Two of the five events in the second half of the season are new and they are the first two events of 2013. The WPRO will begin the new year with the Winter Freeze tournament in Dayton, Ohio in early January and then in late February they'll be in Overland Park, Kansas for the Winter Classic.

The WPRO season will end with the Battle at the Alamo in San Antonio in April, the SCS Title and Escrow Pro-Am in Herndon, Virginia and finally with the Ektelon Nationals Presented by Penn in Fullerton, California. The WPRO was in Fullerton this past season, but only as a Tier 3 event. Next year they plan to have a Tier 1 event in Fullerton.

Of the eight Tier 1 or Grand Slam events this past season, seven of them are on the schedule for next season. The only exception is the Denver event, but three events have taken its place: in Mexico, Dayton and Overland Park.

All in all the schedule represents a nice progression for the WPRO from what seems to be a stable base of support. The spacing of events might be a bit better, as there are no events in September or March and multiples in November and May. But that's not something that's entirely within the WPRO's control.

We look forward to the next WPRO season, which is only a little over two months away.

2012-13 WPRO Schedule
Dates - Tournament - Location

August 24-26  -  Ektelon WPRO Texas Open, Dallas
October 3-7  -  US Open Championships - Minneapolis
November 1-4 - Abierto Mexicano de Raquetas, Mexico

November 16-18  -  Seattle Event, Seattle
December 7-9  -  Christmas Classic, Arlington, VA
January 4-6  -  Winter Freeze, Dayton, Ohio

January 25-27  -  Wilson Tour for Hope, Cincinnati
February 22-24  -  Winter Classic, Overland Park, Kansas
April 19-21  -  2013 Battle at the Alamo, San Antonio

May 3-5  -  2013 SCS Title and Escrow Pro-Am, Herndon, Virginia
May 22-27  -  Ektelon Nationals, Presented by Penn, Fullerton, California

(note: Tier 1 events in bold, Grand Slam events in bold italic)

Follow the bouncing ball…. 

Posted by The Racquetball Blog 

Jenny from the Block ~ JEN SAUNDERS WPRO #7

By Sarah Warhaftig

It’s no surprise that Jen Saunders’ first sport love was ice hockey.  In Thompson Manitoba, Canada, kids often learn how to skate before they walk, and Jen was no exception, learning how to first play ice hockey before any other sports.  However, after a one day racquetball clinic at the courts attached to the ice rink, Jen entered her first racquetball tournament and has been playing the sport ever since.  Reflecting back, racquetball was the first individual sport that Jen tried, and after being on team sports with all boys, she was excited to have the chance to be the one to, “take all the shots.”

Jen received the nickname “Cool Spice” from her fellow competitors for her casual and even keeled demeanor off the court.  On the court, however, that demeanor changes, and she becomes fierce competitor, battling for every point. 

Currently, Jen works for the Racquetball Manitoba, whose support she greatly appreciates, recognizing their support of her training and touring for Canada as well as with the WPRO.  She has to bring work on the road but says it’s a very fair tradeoff.  According to Jen, playing for Canada has been the greatest honor in her life, and her training focuses on winning Canadian Nationals and representing Team Canada in international tournaments. 

 Jen said that during her first World’s competition in 2002, she made the finals against Cheryl Gudinas.  She recalls it being a highly competitive match, and it instilled confidence in her to move forward in her racquetball career.  From there, Jen made her first semi-finals in Dallas and was thrilled to be playing in front of cousins who made the trip to see her.  And what’s more, the tournament was Keely Franks Kennedy’s tournament, a close friend of Saunders. 

Similar to many of the other top touring WPRO players, Jen is excited to see the WPRO become a consistent and exciting tour.  She would love to see both the WPRO and IRT have the capabilities to pay their athletes, especially so young racquetball players can aspire to play racquetball as a career.

Jen spends her time off the racquetball court adoring her nieces and nephews, and she stays active with golf and slow-pitch softball—of course, when it’s not snowing.  Jen is a huge sport fanatic and probably can come up with any statistic you may need one day.  She holds season tickets for the Winnipeg Jets and enjoys the WPRO travels, often taking time out to see live sporting events in many of the cities that host tournaments.  The list is quite long, but she recalls seeing the Vikings, Broncos, Bulls, Padres, Wilds, Diamondbacks, and Coyotes games all during her travels.  Her one modest request? Jen has asked that if you are reading this article, please host a tournament in a city where she has yet to see a professional event.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Saunders_(racquetball)

ESPN W STORY ON RHONDA RAJSICH

http://espn.go.com/espnw/journeys-victories/8013007/espnw-racquetball-player-rhonda-rajsich-fights-third-world-title