Alberta athletes win double Gold at the Canadian Junior Racquetball Championships. Alexis Iwaasa (Lethbridge) won the Girls 12U and 14U age divisions, and Coby Iwaasa (Lethbridge) won the Boys 16U and 18U divisions at the 2012 Canadian Junior Racquetball Championships in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Other Alberta medalists are: Mitchell Brayley (Calgary) with his partner Anthony Schonberger from BC placed second in the Boys U18 Doubles; Brenden Obuck (Lethbridge) with his partner Ashton Duda from Sask. Placed third in the Boys U18 Doubles; Devin Halko (Edmonton) and Ethan Frigon (Sherwood Park) placed third in the Boys U14 Doubles and Devin Halko (Edmonton) placed first in the U14 Bronze division.
Congratulations to Mitchell Brayley who was selected and honored by the coaches of Canada as the recipient of the Sherman Greenfeld award for General Excellence and Sportsmanship at the 2012 Junior Nationals.
Registration is now open for the Lethbridge Open Racquetball Tournament May 11 & 12 at the Lethbridge YMCA. Great food, great ball and fun for all! We hope to see you out! To register please visit http://www.r2sports.com/tourney/home.asp?TID=9732 or email Shanda McKnight at shandam@telusplanet.netor call (403) 328-9699 or 795-4599.
The 2012 Alberta Senior Provincial Racquetball Championships held March 30 - April 1 at the University of Calgary was a huge success. Congratulations to our Gold Medal Winners: Men’s Open Coby Iwaasa; Men’s 50+ Manny Gregorio; Women’s Combined Kathryn Iwaasa; A Division Chad Elliott; B Division James Burrows; C Division Hector Avila; Open/A Doubles Coby Iwaasa/Manny Gregorio; B/C Doubles Amit Nadkarni/Larry Walter.
A letter to Alberta Racquetball...Re: Clinic on March 14 at GPRC Fairview Campus Thank you for organizing a racquetball tour and helping to bring awareness to this sport and our facility as well. Like many areas, we see an up and down cycle in the use of our courts and events such as these are some of the best ways to keep and gather interest in the sport. Shortly after the clinic took place, we had full courts to the point where we had people waiting to use them which hasn’t happened in many years. Barbara did a wonderful job in setting up the clinic and providing the sound equipment needed to run it. Both her and Kris were extremely helpful and knowledgeable about all aspects of the game and were able to show all the drills and keep a good pace to the clinic. Having Kris there to demonstrate was excellent as there would not often present a chance to see racquetball played at the level he is at and it provided awesome encouragement for our group. It was also great to see how well he worked with all the skill levels and age groups that we had. The sound system was also very much appreciated to have on hand, as it made it much simpler in our facility to ask questions and to hear the answers. We are looking forward to continuing to promote racquetball which will be easier now that some of the tools have been provided to us in DVDs, balls and skill sheets. We have been finding that this is great gear that we can use for both the experienced player and the beginner. Many of our teachers who frequent the facility have picked them up so that they can teach their gym classes. They appreciate having drills to give to their students instead of having them aimlessly use the courts. Even for some of our own staff who are not familiar with the game, they can get up to date on it and also be able to provide someone asking questions with a DVD. Once again, thank you so much for coming and hosting this clinic. It was great fun and an awesome learning experience for everyone involved. We appreciate having the opportunity and look forward to working together in the future. Sincerely, Alison Frixel, Recreational Coordinator, GPRC Fairview Campus
Kris Odegard wows participants at the Racquetball Practice Program clinics in Northern Alberta... Our first stop on the tour was the Allan & Jean Millar Centre in Whitecourt, AB. They have two new glass backed courts and a core group of super keen players. Our next stop was the Grande Prairie Multiplex. The facility features four glass back racquetball courts and with the help of two sets of bleachers and a great soundman we were able to accommodate more than 30 participants. One of the highlights of the evening was Kris playing former Junior National Racquetball Champion Jeff Buller in a game to five. Jeff held his own and impressed the crowd with spectacular dives and leaps into the air.
Wednesday, March 14 a clinic was held in Fairview at the GPRC Fairview Campus. One of the highlights of the evening was Kris playing the Mayor of Fairview. (Kris won) Thursday, March 15 we were at the Peace Country Sports Club in Peace River were they have an active league and many experienced players. The last clinic on the tour was Friday, March 16 at the Westlock Community Recreation Centre.
The 2012 Alberta Junior Provincial Racquetball Championships/Training Camp was held March 9 - 11 at the University of Calgary. Congratulations to our gold medal winners: B10U Gareth Smith-doyle; B12U Ethan Frigon; B14U Devin Halko; B16U Coby Iwaasa; B18U Mitch Brayley; G10U Nyah Yaretz; G12U Alexis Iwaasa; G16U McKenzie Brayley; G18U Caitlin Bullerkist. After the tournament, the juniors particpated in a training camp. The training was intense and included on court instruction, classroom sessions as well as skill and fitness testing. The entire weekend was dedicated to helping players improve thier racquetball game and included instruction on: Advanced Skills & Strategies; Shot Selection; Error Detection & Correction; Officiating; and Mental Training Techniques.
Grande Prairie Multiplex officially opens to rave reviews. With the ribbon cut and visitors in the building, the Multiplex is officially open for business – including 4 glass back racquetball courts. We are excited about these new courts and will be hosting a racquetball clinic at the Multiplex on Tuesday, March 13, 2012. Please help us spread the news to racquetball players in Grande Prairie.
The 2012 Tom Holmwood Calgary Open January 27 - 29 was held in memory of Tom Holmwood who spent countless hours helping run events at the Fish Creek Sports Club in Calgary. Coby Iwaasa took home the Gold in the Men's Open Divisions. Other first place finishers were:
Open Division: Coby Iwaasa
A Division: Rod Cline
B Division: Bertram Johnson
Men's 50+: Robert Popowich
Women's Singles: Leanne Neubauer
Men's Doubles Open/A: Trent Foley/Ryan Powell
Men's Doubles B/C: Mike Mcfarland/Milton Iwaasa
The Tom Holmwood Memorial Junior Touranament January 14 - 15 was an exciting event with 32 juniors representing Glen Allan and Fish Creek. Ethan Frigon came out on top in the A Division. Other first place finishers were: James Jewitt, B: Kieran Fuhr, C: Caylen Yaretz, D and Erika Vandenberg, Double Bounce.
We are so sad to announce... that long time racquetball player and recipient of the ARA's Volunteer Recognition Award for his outstanding contribution to the racquetball community, Tom Holmwood has passed away. Tom was the go-to guy at Fish Creek Racquet Club in Calgary and will be sorely missed. His memorial wwas held on Wednesday October 12, 2011 at McInnis and Holloway Funeral Home, 14441 Banister Road SE, Calgary - very near the racquetball club.
ARA Membership Incentive a huge success... the Alberta Racquetball Association will be giving a can of Ektelon Black Racquetballs to all our members again this year. Please fill in your membership form and then ask your coach or league director for a can of balls.
Coby Iwassa, the 2011 Canadian Junior National U14 champion and the U18 silver medalist... placed third at the 2011 IRF World Junior Racquetball Championship in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Jack McBride, Barry Ould and Al Loughlin win Gold at the 2011 Senior National Racquetball Championships... Congratulations to doubles partners Jack McBride and Barry Ould winners of the 65+ Men's Doubles. In singles, Jack McBride won the 70+ Division and Al Loughlin won the 65+ Division. Alberta had a strong showing in many of the other divisions.
Join us on facebook ... the ARA has created a facebook page to help us market and promote the sport of racquetball. Please click on the Become a Fan link to join us. If you do not have a facebook account and need help setting one up, please call us and we will walk you through the process.
