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 

Longoria wins 2012 SCS Title & Escrow WPRO Tournament

Follow the bouncing ball.... http://theracquetballblog.com/

Posted by The Racquetball Blog

Paola Longoria continued her unbeaten streak in the 2011-12 Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) season with a win over Rhonda Rajsich in the final of the SCS Title and Escrow Pro-Am in Herndon, Virginia, winning 7-11, 3-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-8.

Neither player drove serve very much, choosing instead to use half Z serves. Longoria hit them to Rajsich's forehand while Rajsich hit them backhanded to Longoria's backhand. Although they did use other serves, but those were what they relied on.

After winning the first two games, Rajsich looked good to complete the upset in game three, as she was up 5-1. However, Longoria came back to lead 8-7. But Rajsich took the next two points to get the lead back at 9-8.

However, Longoria pushed it to 10-8 with the 10th point coming on a skipped overhead return by Rajsich on that half Z to her forehand, and then Longoria closed it out to force game four, winning 11-8.

Longoria led all the way in game four, although Rajsich made it close late when she drew within one trailing 8-7. The game point was another skipped serve return by Rajsich, as Longoria won 11-7.

In game five, Longoria looked like she was going to close it out easily, as she quickly grabbed a 6-0 lead. But Rajsich is a fighter - she dove more than 20 times during the match - and she fought back again to tie the game at 8-8. Rajsich's 7th and 8th points were the result of skips by Longoria, who may have been feeling the pressure.

However, in the end it was the #1 player who once again came out on top, defeating the #2 player 11-8 in the fifth game.

This is the last WPRO Tier 1 event of the season, but they will play a Tier 3 event later this month in Fullerton at the USA Racquetball Ektelon Nationals May 23-27.

WPRO 2012 SCS Title and Escrow Pro-Am - Herndon, Virginia


Final

Paola Longoria d. Rhonda Rajsich, 7-11, 3-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-8

Follow the bouncing ball.... 

Posted by The Racquetball Blog at 1:14 PM 0 comments

Labels: WPRO

Rock And The Role

d The Role

Rock And The Role

Gigi Rock, WPRO Commissioner, Outsider and Thinking Big.

by: -----Restrung Magazine 

The email reply went as such, "The trials and tribulations I have gone through in seven months almost makes me want to throw in the towel….wow..the things I’ve learned…sure I’m game to put this down on paper...". As provocative a statement as that is, Gigi makes sure to point out, that her Rock keeps her in line with who she is. When her husband, who goes by "Rock", sees her getting caught up in the frustrations in her work life, he will simply walk her outside for 15 minutes, so she can breath and calm down. Upon accomplishing the cool down, he simple states, "Now get over it and get back to work."

When the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization was looking to to fill the lead spot left by former commissioner Shannon Feaster for professional and familial reasons, Gigi Rock was tapped to fill the position. Whereas, Feaster was once an actual player in the WPRO, Gigi, who openly talks about not playing racquetball, over a short time, got put into the mix after an encounter with Rhonda Rajsich and Feaster, as they attended weekend networking events taking place during the 2010 Superbowl in Miami. Rock, having a deep entertainment and charitable events management background can be thought of as a direct contrast to Feaster, who still serves on the President's Council of Fitness, Sports and Nutrition.

As it goes, Gigi and Rhonda remained connected. During a phone conversation, Rhonda mentioned that the WPRO was in the process of searching for a new commissioner. As they were speaking, Rhonda casually worded that Gigi should fill the position. They both laughed. Shortly after that conversation though, Rhonda mentioned the conversation with Shannon, who by speculating that it may not be a bad idea, sparked the vetting process for Gigi Rock.

It was an overall positive engagement, though it did have signs that foreshadowed some tough aspects Rock faces each day in her drive to advance the WPRO's mission. At one point in her interview with the organization's board of directors, she inquired about women professional racquetball players participating in the Olympics and took note that she was actually told that the Pan American Games would be the best they could do. (...to which, began her own inquiry with the IRF.) But its the restrictive sentiment behind that kind of language that Rock faces regularly in her drive to advance opportunity for the athletes of the WPRO.

READS LIKE TROUBLE

Almost immediately upon her securing the commissioner position, Rock seemed to stir up controversy. At the start of the 2011-2012 season, Gigi removed the WPRO from being a featured division at the 3 Wall Ball outdoor Las Vegas event, in it's second year for the new ambitious outdoor endeavor. She wasted no time in holding a hard line to equal prize money for the women. What ensued was a series of public postings online that quickly got ugly. It was the first example of how Rock's "outsider" status and uncompromising stance would clash with how the sport has been operating over the past two decades.

Gigi Rock operates from a marketer's perspective and she is quick to state that her main priority is the interest of her players, something she views as currently well undervalued. When speaking with her, one quickly gets that she wears this on her sleeve, as she talks about the incredible athleticism of the women of the WPRO. What they look like. How competitive they are. She sees tremendous value in presentation, detail and what is possible. Her thinking leads to her fighting for what she feels her players need right now.

She also wants them, all of them, thinking about what they are. Their ability. Their recognition. And the thought that they should go beyond just showing up at clubs to play racquetball. She wants all of them, in their own ways, following the lead of her two top players, Paola Longoria andRhonda Rajsich, who appear seasoned in front of fans and cameras. Top WPRO players are professionals and Rock feels they have the right to embrace everything possible with those rights. 

Fighting for those rights as she knows how, directly and to the point, has caused tension between the WPRO and some who are comfortable with the established norms. Her feeling is that if she can't control what the women professionals are presented and how they are viewed, then she will find other ways to facilitate her mission. To her it's about the words "No" and "Why Not?". It is also about openly addressing the bias towards men as it relates to money and coverage in the sport of racquetball that has been historically prevalent. 

Having suitable presentation and benefit for her athletes is about money. The commissioner insists she maintains good relationships with the WPRO's major sponsors. Though she admits that funding is still hard to come by. To move forward with her vision, Rock works by the premise that most of the money circulating within the sport is already taken. Some manufacturers "don't even want to talk to us." It's in that line of thinking, where Gigi has crafted her strategy of looking outside the sport for backing, support and media services. That's where she spends her time and energy. It also serves as subtle message, "Watch us grow, with or without you." 

GOT MAIL

As the head of the WPRO, she communicates clearly that her mission is to grow interest in her athletes. It's a mission filled with "outside the box" big ideas, crossover and follow ups with sporting industry contacts. All for her players. Her mother bear attitude has caused some ripples in what some have come to expect through the years. She openly pushes anything that promotes her players and exposure for the WPRO. Some of her thinking flies in the face of traditional conservative views of what women racquetball players should be. She receives a good number of emails, and although the majority of them are positive, many are negative in nature. She states that, without even getting to know her, or even a proper greeting, she will get statements like "Why don't you get off your high horse?"...in the vain of who do you think you are? 

She takes it in stride, though she relies on the support from her husband and daughter. She also leans on Deputy Commissioner Andy Kulback, who ensures all WPRO stops meet the specific guidelines set for each event, allowing Rock to concentrate on the big picture.

AND THE WOMEN OF THE WPRO

She openly communicates with them and runs everything by them. They have a voice with her. Some have taken to her completely, and some are still learning how to ride her train during this, her first full season. The women professionals are the ones the work and the pressure is all about, and for some, well, only they know how they feel about her. 

You will spot Gigi Rock at all the major WPRO events. Working the sidelines, advocating for times and music and access for her players. For her, every event is an opportunity to see what works and what doesn't and what can be done better. She sits back and watches. She networks, pushes and learns. And what you might hear, when sitting by some of the most elite women players as the commissioner approaches is, "Here comes Gigi, she's gonna change the rules."

-----Restrung Magazine 

http://restrungmag.com/page/rock-and-the-role

About Restrung:

Restrung Magazine shares a view of racquetball, influenced by diversity, community, competition and opinion.

http://restrungmag.com/profile/RESTRUNGMAG

The Fastest Game Just Got a Little Faster

The 5280 – Mile High Pro-Am Denver, CO

By:  Sarah Warhaftig

WPRO athletes all have their training secrets before tournaments: diet, training and mental work.  However, coming to the city that sits one mile above sea level may not have been an easy factor into their plans.  The first ever Mile High Pro-Am took place over the weekend of March 8^th at the prestigious Denver Athletic Club downtown.  Tournament Director Debbie Beldring worked tirelessly to provide a top-notch event that included a full amateur draw in one of the most picturesque cities in the country. 

A handful of WPRO players arrived a bit earlier to adjust to the altitude and the speed of the already fast Ektelon Fireball, hoping to gain some advantage over their sea level playing competitors.  Cheryl Gudinas said, “I didn’t feel the altitude with my breathing, but needed to slow down the pace of the ball especially on ceiling balls.  Next year, I would come out a day earlier, it takes two or three days to really adapt, but once I did adjust I loved it.”     

Thursday night’s traditional sponsor doubles paired reining mixed doubles state open champion Kevin Holmes with #9 Jen Saunders out of Canada to take home the title.  A fantastic atmosphere to start the event DJ George Coleman kept the crowd going with music all weekend long, and sponsors enjoyed the social atmosphere of the club.    

Match play began on Friday with only one upset, as veteran Cheryl Gudinas returned to the WPRO draw and quickly dispatched of rising young star Cristina Amaya out of Colombia in three straight games. Saturday’s quarterfinals had all top seeds advancing with the exception of Krystal Csuk who is having her best season yet defeating Adrienne Fisher.  

The most exciting match was between Susy Acosta and Rhonda Rajsich.  A similar getting style and fast game had this one going to five with Rajsich squeaking out the victory.  Top seed Paola Longoria proved she was on a quest and continues to frustrate her opponents as she defeated Canadian Jen Saunders in three straight.

 

Saturday night’s semi-finals were standing room only as crafty veteran Kerri Wachtel battled athletic Rajsich in a four game match.  A unique matchup, Wachtel gave Rajsich bouts of trouble, but in the end Rajsich pure shooting was too much for Wacthel.  Longoria battled it out with Csuk – a hard hitting contest Csuk looked comfortable and was shooting well, but Longoria’s experience and consistency outlasted Csuk and Longoria advanced in three straight. 

The finals had a familiar paring as Paola and Rhonda set off to face each other again. The winner of this match was going to be whoever got out of the box the fastest and could apply the most pressure to her opponent. Both players do a fantastic job of covering the court and since balls stay up a little longer in the altitude, the fans thought that Rhonda’s athleticism and ability to keep rallies going would work to her advantage. That turned out not to be the case as Paola showed that she is equally able to cover the court. Both players came out hitting big serves and driving the ball at every opportunity. Paola stuck to her strategy from the semifinals, hitting drive serves to Rhonda’s backhand and z-serves to her forehand. Rhonda reached into her entire bag of serves, looking for something that would be effective. After a fairly even start to game 1, Paola found a little bit of a groove and took advantage of every ball that Rhonda left up, winning game 1, 11-6. Paola got out to a fast start in game 2, never really letting Rhonda get into the game, winning 11-3. Rhonda reached down deep at the start of game 3, keeping things close, but Paola showed why she is # 1, closing out the match at 11-5. 

With every first tournament on the WPRO schedule, the WPRO is extremely thankful for the wonderful sponsors and patrons who made the event happen.  The Colorado Racquetball community and players once again stepped forward to make this a successful event.  American Motors, the Title Sponsor and family owned by racquetball phenoms Victor, Nancy, Adam and Erika.  A special thank you to Layer Cake Marketing and Kimberly Graham whose husband Ralph is a top tournament player in Colorado for providing a wonderful media opportunity for players Rhonda Rajsich and Paola Longoria to make appearances on both ABC and NBC Denver morning shows.  Thank you to Subaru, GOSubaru, EAS Nutrition and GrahamGolden technologies.

Hall of Fame ~ Professional Female Racquetball Players

The Racquetball Hall of Fame was created in 1973 by the USA Racquetball, the following are the professional elite female athletes of racquetball that have been inducted over the years.

1988

Peggy Steding | Odessa, Texas (deceased: 4-17-36 to 11-17-91) (Professional Athlete, Inducted 1988) Peggy started playing racquetball in 1971. She had always been athletic and was attending Odessa College on a tennis scholarship. She had also competed in basketball, volleyball and fast-pitch softball, before discovering racquetball. Peggy dominated women's play in the early 70's and continued playing in the senior divisions prior to her death in 1991. In 1992 the USRA Female Age Division Athlete of the Year award was renamed the Peggy Steding Award in her honor. It is said that Peggy elevated the game of racquetball for women during her reign as champion.

1991

Cindy Baxter | Reedsville, Pennsylvania (Amateur Athlete, Inducted 1991) Cindy was instrumental in building a reputation for the U.S. National Racquetball Team in the eighties by distinguishing herself as a major competitor on the international racquetball scene. Early in her career, Cindy became the first U.S. athlete to win three consecutive gold medals in the World Games, first in 1981, again in 1984, and again in 1986. Her achievements in the sport have been documented by the Guinness Book of Records, and have yet to be matched.

1994

Jo Kenyon | Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (Amateur Athlete, Inducted 1994) Jo Kenyon was the 15th inductee to the USRA Hall of Fame, on the basis of her long-history of age group competition. A retired veterinary receptionist, Kenyon took up racquetball at the age of 50 and quickly laid claim to over 25 national title over the ten year period preceding her induction. Her love of the game, and the tournament environment, helped her become one of the top female age group competitors -- even after undergoing a hip replacement in May of 1998. Only three months after that procedure, Kenyon was back in top form, winning a silver medal in doubles, followed by a renewed string of gold medal finishes in subsequent seasons.

1996

Mary Low Acuff | Asheville, North Carolina (deceased: 7-9-19 to 2-4-05) (Amateur Athlete, Inducted 1996) Hall of Fame athlete Mary Low Acuff dominated the "upper echelons" of age group competition among women beginning in 1984, with career wins that include forty-five national titles, nine silver medals and a scant two bronze medal finishes. In 1994 alone, Mary Low took five national titles and a world championships victory, then followed up in 1995 with a record of nine national wins and another world title to her credit. The mother of eight was a long time supporter of the USRA and is a legend in racquetball, who continued to compete in every tournament available to her. In 1999, Mary Low was joined by her husband Earl in the Hall of Fame -- the two are the only husband-and-wife pair to share this honor.

1997

Lynn Adams | Libertyville, Illinois (Professional Athlete, Inducted 1997) Lynn Adams won 325 of her 369 professional matches, for a .887 winning percentage. An eight-time player of the year (1982-88, 90), Adams won six pro tour season titles (1982-83, 85-88) and seven overall championships (1982-83, 85-88, 90). Even more impressive is Adams’ courageous fight against multiple sclerosis throughout her life and racquetball career.

Heather McKay | Brisbane, Australia (Professional Athlete, Inducted 1997) Heather McKay (Brisbane, Australia) had lost only two matches in two decades of international squash dominance before turning to the sport of racquetball in 1980, at the age of 39. McKay didn’t waste much time earning the title of best women’s racquetball player in the world, winning the pro national’s in 1980 and ‘81. She again won the coveted title in ‘84. Before returning to Australia in ‘85, the Canadian national amassed nine national titles and the ‘84 Steding Cup, given yearly by the women’s pro tour for outstanding contributions to women’s racquetball.

2001

Caryn McKinney | Atlanta, Georgia (Professional Athlete, Inducted 2001) Well known for her court-sense, Caryn McKinney dominated the Women’s Pro Racquetball Association [WPRA] Tour throughout the 80’s and into the 90’s, where she consistently placed in the top five. During her professional career she reached the semifinals in nearly 50 pro events, winning eight. Her career peaked in 1989 when she captured the WPRA National Championship, the top spot in the rankings and was named the tour’s Player of the Year. As late as the 1998 U.S. OPEN, McKinney remained competitive on the women’s pro tour, reaching the semi-final there against an tough field of up-and-coming current tour regulars. Well respected as an instructor and coach, she taught at the Elite Olympic Training Camp for eleven years, longer than any other instructor.

2004

Fran Davis | San Francisco, California (Contributor, Inducted 2004)Fran Davis is known throughout racquetball as one of the top clinicians in the game.                            She has also been successful as a coach for the U.S. National Team. She served as Assistant Coach for the 1990, ’92, ’94, ’96, ’98, and 2002 IRF World Champions and in 1987 she was named the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) Racquetball Coach of the Year. She was also part of the 1995 U.S. Pan American Games coaching staff, helping them to sweep the competition in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Shannon Wright | Fridley, Minnesota (Professional Athlete, Inducted 2004)Shannon Wright dominated women’s racquetball throughout the late 1970’s and early 80’s. During her 12-year career she racked up over 35 professional tournament victories, captured seven National Championships, and finished #1 on the Women’s Professional Racquetball Association (WPRA) Tour four times.  She is said, by some, to have revolutionized women’s racquetball with her hard-hitting style and aggressive play.

2006

Connie Martin | Gresham, Oregon (Contributor, Inducted 2006)Connie Martin has been involved in the teaching and programming of racquetball since 1975.  Currently Connie is the Program Director for Cascade Athletic Clubs in Gresham, Oregon, the commisioner of the Oregon Racquetball Association and coaches the Gresham High School Racquetball Team and the Mt. Hood Community College Team.  She was the founder and executive director of PARI (Professional Association of Racquetball Instructors), now known as AMPRO.  She has published numerous books on racquetball programming including the original PARI teaching manual and the YMCA training program for Junior Racquetball.  Connie Martin and her club were the recipients of the first International Racquet and Sport Club Association (IHRSA) award for outstanding service.  Additionally Connie played the Women's Pro Tour and was a member of the US Racquetball Team in 1987 winning 2 golds and 1 silver at the World Championships.

Susan Pfahler (left) & Mary Lyons (right) | Neptune Beach, Florida (Amateur Team, Inducted 2006)In both Open and Age Division competition, the championship record of doubles team Susan (Morgan) Pfahler and Mary Lyons is unmatched in racquetball history.  No other pairing, male or female, can claim 17 doubles titles.  Their run began in 1984 with Women's 25+ titles and a bronze medal in Women's Open.  Over the next two decades, they accumulated a total of 17 gold medals, including a double gold in 1992 (Women's Open and Women's 35+) followed by five consecutive wins in the Women's 35+ division from 1993 to 1997.  From 1997 to 2005, they captured their Age Division title each year.  Both players have earned the respect and admiration of their peers through long and outstanding performance, good sportsmanship, teamwork and fair play.

2009

Jacqueline Paraiso | San Diego, California (Amateur Athlete, Inducted 2009)Jacqueline's esteemed record on the Pro Circuit closely mimicked her prowess as a DOUBLES LEGEND.  Her acclaimed Titles include 3 Overall Pro Tour Championships, 2 US Open Titles, 18 First Place finishes, and 23 Final appearances.  Even more impressive were her accomplishments in Doubles that boast a treasure chest of Gold Medals that includes 16 National Doubles Titles, 5 Olympic Festival Gold, and 3 Pan American Games Gold - over 75 Gold Medals in all!  The highlights of Jacqueline's International career are the Gold Medals she won with here twin sister, Joy MacKenzie, at the 1995 and 1999 Pan American Games. Jacqueline has qualified more times for a position on the US Team than anyone in the history of the sport and has made more appearances for Team USA than any other racquetball player, man or woman.  In 24 appearances over 20 years she won 1 Silver and 23 Gold Medals!  Paraiso and MacKenzie played together 7 times for Team USA, winning Gold each time.