Above: USA Pan Am Champion Rhonda Rajsich and Coach some years ago.
Some explanation for racquetball nation is in order to explain what World Games and Pan Am games mean to racquetball. Most of the racquetball public is familiar with the pro stops, USA Racquetball championships, and IRF tournaments. What the public might not be so familiar with would be the World Games coming up this summer in China and the Pan Am Games which happens every four years.
I had the honor of being Head Coach in the first three Pan Ams racquetball was featured. Our team traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1995, Winnipeg, Canada in 1999, and to the Dominican Republic in 2003. I also got to coach in the World Games in Holland one year. Why are these tournaments so important?
Well first, our athletes are not just playing for our country’s Racquetball governing body. They are playing for their country’s Olympic/Pan Am team.
I distinctly remember the trainers, USA Olympic Committee dignitaries, famous mainstream coaches and athletes, and others asking this question to me daily; ” Coach, how did we do today?”
Each day is a step to medals for our country and we rubbed elbows with the Olympic legends. Our Racquetball athletes represented us, all of us, on the USA team.
It was an awesome experience which featured:
Press briefings
Interviews
Coverage by national reporters such as Sports Illustrated and athlete’s local newspapers
The Best trainers in the world (in all of the Pan Ams I coached the trainers held our team together and we had many upsets thanks to them)
Receptions-where else could you have a conversation with in no particular order
The late George Steinbrenner
Princess Ann
Softball great Jenny Finch
Stanford Basketball coach Tara VanDerveer
US Open and Wimbledon Tennis Champ Stan Smith
Back to racquetball. The racquetball public is often confused thinking their dues go to pay for the USA team to compete in these events. Actually, when I coached it was the opposite. These events and our showing helped generate income for USA racquetball. Nobody’s dues paid for anything. The prestige of having your sport represented on a world stage was a great experience.
The world tournaments are great for our sport, not bad. Ask anyone lucky enough to be involved as an athlete, coach, referee, or support staff.
This coach wishes all the best for the qualifying athletes and coaches from all over the world in this upcoming year’s World Games.