2017 MN Hall of Fame
AND THE 2017
AWARDS GO TO.... THE LEGEND'S AWARD BOB BORN THE WARREN CLARIDGE AWARD ANDY WIEGAND MN JUNIOR AWARD TO BE ANNOUNCED! |
Junior Racquetball Spotlight
Imagine you are trapped in a 20 foot wide, 40 foot long and 20 foot high room. There are no windows and only a single door. Then suddenly something races by you at over 100 mph! You may be wondering if this is the latest video game or app for your smart phone. Actually, this is just the beginning of the fast paced game of racquetball.
Hi, my name is Ava, I’m 11 years old and I play racquetball. Over the past few months my life has been pretty fast paced too. Approximately a year and a half ago, I was playing double bounce and playing in 2-3 tournaments a year. Things have certainly changed since then. I decided to get serious about racquetball. I switched to single bounce, spent more time practicing and started lessons. In June 2016 I played in my first National RB tournament. Nationals were a lot of fun because I got to meet and play kids from other states. We hung around together and did stuff other than racquetball too. It was exciting to see all the people and make new friends. I was pretty nervous but set out to do my best and try hard to reach my goal of making the world team. I was thrilled to win two gold medals and a silver, which qualified me for the junior world team. This past November, I headed to the Junior World Championships in San Luis Potosi, Mexico to compete in singles and doubles. It was cool to represent my country and get to know my US teammates and coaches. We cheered and supported each other the entire time. We also hung out, went out to dinner and went site seeing together. I was extremely proud and honored to walk arm and arm with my teammates, behind the flag bearer at opening ceremonies. It was magical! Once the tournament started, I got to meet and play kids from all over the world. Since the tournament was in Mexico, I got to speak some Spanish too. Even though we did not speak much of the same language, it was interesting to note that most of us kids had many things in common. Everyone got along with everyone since we all loved racquetball! Not only did we play racquetball, we had fun playing foosball, swimming, hanging out, and exchanging gifts. It was like going on vacation with a bunch of friends, and missing a lot of school. It was so much fun, that words really cannot describe the whole experience. It makes me want to keep practicing and improving to qualify again. My goal at Worlds was to win a medal for my country and the great Minnesota racquetball community. My racquetball family as they are called, supported me in so many ways. I could not have gotten this far without their help and guidance. I ended up winning a bronze medal in 10 and under doubles. Standing on the podium and having that medal put around my neck was a feeling like I have never had in my life and will never forget. But I also will not forget the wonderful memories and many friends I hope to see again soon. There are about 14 million people who play racquetball, including professional players throughout the world and an increasing amount of junior players in our state and beyond. It is a fun, fast paced sport you can play from the age of 4 to 104. It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or an advanced player; there is a place for you. Won’t you come join me on the court? |
We want to hear from you!
We would like you to be a part of the museum by sending us your pictures, videos, and stories. Share your comments on our Facebook page where you will find all of the pictures from the museum or e-mail Randy directly. Visit the museum online at: http://racquetballmuseum.com
We would like you to be a part of the museum by sending us your pictures, videos, and stories. Share your comments on our Facebook page where you will find all of the pictures from the museum or e-mail Randy directly. Visit the museum online at: http://racquetballmuseum.com
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