To play, or not to play?
September 7th, 2006 by Geoff Thomsen
Here we are, just a few short weeks away from the 2006 USA Racquetball National Doubles Championships. And just like every year, the debate is on as to whether pros should be allowed to play in the Open division. The basic arguments go something like this: “I don’t think pros should be allowed to play in national events because they are intended for amateurs”; and, “I do think pros should be allowed to play in national events because of the benefits from being on the USA National Team”.
So first of all, the only stipulations to play in the Open division at the National Singles or Doubles Championships are: you must be a U.S. citizen, and also a member of USA Racquetball (USAR / USAR). There is no explicit rule that you cannot play on a pro tour (IRT, WPRO), or that you cannot have higher than a certain ranking on a pro tour. Current players who are ranked pros (top 10), and also play at the national events include: Jack Huczek; Rocky Carson; Shane Vanderson; Jason Thoerner; Mitch Williams; Chris Crowther; Rhonda Rajsich; Cheryl Gudinas; Kristen Walsh; Jo Shattuck; Tammy Brown; and Laura Fenton. There are also MANY players ranked 11 and higher who also participate.
Those who compete for a chance to play on the US National Racquetball Team cite several reasons for doing so. First of all, members receive free healthcare benefits for their family. I’ve also heard about small yearly monies paid to assist in training expenses. Other benefits are the ability to train at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, and being able to travel around the world to compete at the World Championships, Pan Am Games, etc (although I don’t believe much of the travel expense is paid for by USA Racquetball, but rather by the players or through donations). I’ve also heard rumors that some pro players’ contracts have bonuses written into them for top finishes at the national events. Not too shabby :)
The biggest complaint against pro participation comes from state / regional / national level Open / A / B / C / D players. They train hard all year, finish in the top spots in their states, and then pay hard earned money travel to Houston / Tempe to face top ranked pro players in the first round (Open division). Should they step down to Elite? Should the Elite players anticipate this and drop down to A? A to B? Should state level Open players just accept the fact that they could never win a national Open title, and just not play? These questions are pretty common in many conversations during these events, and not easy to answer.
My opinions on this are somewhat mixed. I do think that pro players should have ample opportunity to get on the National Teams. It seems like all the top ranked pros from Canada, Mexico, etc. all represent their countries, and the US should follow suit. I also think that it’s unfortunate that pro player participation causes the skill level cascade effect of people dropping down divisions. It almost seems like there should be a special division for National Team qualifying, and another for the Open Division.
What do you think?
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2 Comments.
1. Joe Delgado | September 11th, 2006 at 1:00 pm
They should not play at Nationals. Like you said non-Pros play hard all year, spend a lot of money to get there, and get shutdown or have to sand-bag. It does nothing for the sport. Think attendance has been going down year after year. Gee, I wonder why?
Great site and pics,
–Joe
2. JACK FULTON | September 16th, 2006 at 9:22 am
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS VS YOUR LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL! NUF SAID.JACK FULTON MEMPHIS