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| Canadian Racquetball Newsletter |
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July Issue CONTENTS Ron Brown named Executive Director Junior National Team Announced National Championships coming to Cedar Springs in Burlington Pan Ams Mania!!! Membership Registrations Tournament Updates Ron Brown named Executive Director Long-time Canadian racquetball fixture Ron Brown has been named the new executive director of Racquetball Canada. Ron, who has more than two decades involvement in Canadian racquetball, is familiar to most members through his involvement with coaching the national team and as national director of coaching. Ron says that he plans to take the coming weeks to assess challenges and goals, but said one of his objectives is quite simple. "We need to get more people to our facilities, more people playing, and more places to play." Ron also said that he plans on carrying on some of the work of his predecessor, Jan Coates, working on grass roots programs. "I think that we have lived off the high-performance end of the sport for a long time," he says. "That may have left some of the provinces to tackle grass roots stuff…Jan started some things and I would like to continue them. I like to build stuff." Brown has indeed built stuff in his time as a national team coach. Brown started his involvement in the national team at the original world championships in 1984 in Sacramento. He was also national team coach in 1996, 2000 and 2002 when the Canadian men's team won the world team title, as well as Canada's overall team title in 2000. In addition, Brown has overseen numerous individual Canadian world championship medallists, as well as a number of impressive performances at the Tournament of the Americas, and the 1999 Pan Am Games that were held in Winnipeg. Like with all new beginnings, there are also goodbyes and to that end, fond wishes go out to Jan, who leaves Racquetball Canada after completing some impressive work. Best of luck, Jan! Junior National Team Announced Racquetball Canada would like to congratulate the following players on their selection to the junior national team. Boys18&U -Eric Desrochers-Ancaster, ON; Tim Landeryou-Saskatoon, SK G18&U -Alison Schlichemeyer-Saskatoon, SK; Valerie Lefebvre-Montreal, QC B16&U -James Landeryou-Saskatoon, SK; Nathaniel Husulak-Saskatoon, SK G16&U -Brandi Jacobson Prentice-Saskatoon, SK; Andreanne Chartier- Sherbrooke, QC B14&U -Keegan Larson-Prince Albert, SK; Sean Barclay-Saskatoon, SK G14&U -Claudia Courcy- Sherbrooke, QC; Chelsea Woodmass-Brandon, MB The coaches will be Loren Prentice and Josée Grand'Maitre. Selections were based primarily on the results from the Junior National Championships held in Saskatoon in early May. These players will make up the Canadian team at this year's World Junior Championships in Orlando, slated for December. Many will also play at next year's selection events. Watch for a team poster that will be produced and distributed later this month. National Championships coming to Cedar Springs in Burlington The 2004 National Championships will be held at Cedar Springs Health, Racquet and SportsClub in Burlington, Ont. The bid, put forward by Adrian Webb, was finalized and approved shortly after annual meetings wrapped up in Vancouver. Adrian, who many members know from his involvement with national sponsor ProKennex, has been busy working on the organization. Cedar Springs was a secondary venue at the 1999 National Championships, but next year's event will be the first time the prestigious club will host as the main venue. For those who are not familiar with the venue or the area, Cedar Springs is considered one of the best recreational facilities in the GTA (it is also the home club of many Racquetball Canada members, including national team members Mike Green and Mike Ceresia). Burlington is located on the outer western suburbs of Toronto, but is actually closer to Hamilton. For those travelling by plane, both the Hamilton airport (WestJet, Air Canada & JetsGo) and Toronto (Air Canada, WestJet, JetsGo and Can Jet) are roughly 20 minutes, and a half-hour drive respectively. That may be all the driving you do during the week, because Adrian has secured the Comfort Inn as the host hotel, which is located directly across the street. More details will be available as the date draws closer (traditionally the third week in May, at the close of the Victoria Day long weekend). The goal is to try and get 300 participants. Let's make it happen! Pan Ams Mania!!! The Pan Am Games are just three weeks away and there is now less than a month before racquetball takes place in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Corey Osborne, Francois Viens, Mike Green and Brian Istace make up the men's team, and Josée Grand'Maitre, Jen Saunders, Julie Neubauer and Lori-Jane Powell comprise the women's squad. The Americans and Mexicans will be Canada's toughest opposition, but individual players from Bolivia and Chile are also expected to be strong. Head coach Michel Gagnon has set a team goal of six medals, two of them gold. Watch for the next newsletter for a full competition preview. Racquetball competition starts Aug. 5 and winds up Aug. 10. Membership Registrations Most members have renewed their registrations for 2003, but those who haven't are encouraged to do so through the Web site or by contacting Peter Robinson. Reminders to all members to please keep all contact info updated and provide e-mail addresses if at all possible. It saves the Association significant money over the course of a year if members keep their information updated! Tournament Updates Please ensure that you forward your tournaments schedule to Peter Robinson in order to have it included on the Web site when it is updated over the summer. Want an item you think is important in our monthly newsletter? Contact Peter Robinson at 647.227.5540 or e-mail at xxrobinson@hotmail.com. |
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