As many of you are aware, Bally’s Total Fitness was purchased at the end of November by the parent company of LA Fitness. LA Fitness announced recently that they would be closing several Bally’s locations in Washington state, and it appears that they will be doing the same nationwide. [EDIT: We were originally informed that all clubs would be closing. Several of the clubs are closing, but some will stay open. Click here for the list of clubs that were acquired and what clubs are being closed]

This …

2011 Eighth Annual Year End Celebration BBQ is brought to you by the Washington Racquetball Association Board Members and will take place Saturday, July 23, 2011 from 11:00am – 3:00pm at West Fenwick Park, 3824 Reith Road (42nd Ave. S. and Reith Rd.),
Kent, Washington.  All WRA Members and Guests are Welcome!  This end-of-the-year party to say thanks to all those who have supported
the WRA and the USA Racquetball Association.

We do not know what the weather will be like so please check the WRA website for status of the BBQ. 

Everyone has been asking for a Certification Course and May 6 & 7, 2011 are the dates. It is on Friday, May 6, at 4 – 10pm and Saturday, May 7, at 9am-4pm.  The course will be hosted by the Washington Athletic Club in Seattle, WA (address on R2Sports).  USA Racquetball Instructors Certification Clinic is the ONLY course recognized by the governing body, USAR.   Your membership in the USA Racquetball instructors program gives you the most comprehensive insurance, the only insurance recognized by USA …

USA Racquetball has changed their event and membership system. The birth date is now a mandatory field for enrollment. They are trying to eliminate duplicates. It will be under a trial period until May to see if it makes a difference.

The USAR’s Board of Directors agreed that a doubles team should be allowed to have either partner serve first each time the team comes “in” to serve and that an “out’ should be assessed to the team if a partner who has lost the serve attempts to serve again during that inning. Here is the pertinent rule wording:

Jason Mannino and Fran Davis would love to see you at a camp in 2011 or you can purchase their book, “Championship Racquetball” which will be released at the end of February 2011. Visit www.FranDavisRacquetball.com to pre-order the book or sign up for the Seattle camp (February 4-6, 2011 at the WAC). Holiday Special: save $100 off the camp price (regularly $499).

It may be subtle to some, and real obvious to others, but the WRA web site now has a new look. In order to add some functionality and allow for added interactivity with and between members, the WRA web site is now driven by the popular WordPress blog system. Stay tuned for announcements as we increase what the WRA web site can do for its members. If you have any ideas or thoughts on what you would like to see on the web site as far as form or function, …

Do you love racquetball? Do you want to make racquetball the best sport in Washington State? The Washington Racquetball Association needs your help! Contact Brian Gillespie at brian@washingtonracquetball.org. We’re looking for volunteers to help in several key areas:

Tournaments

Tournaments take a lot of support to make them successful. The Tournament Committee sets up sanctioning agreements between the WRA and Tournament Directors, designates a WRA Representative who deals with verifying and updating all WRA membership details at the check-in desk during each …

Effective February 1, 2009, the USAR will be increasing the amount charged for annual dues. The new rate will be $50.00 per year (an increase of $1.25 per month). You can renew your WRA/USAR membership NOW for a year or two and save $15 a year. Please let us know if you have any questions. Here is the official notice from the USAR.

The Motorola IRT World Racquetball Championship presented by Verizon Wireless to air on ESPN Classic

Denver CO– The 2008 Motorola World Racquetball Championship presented by Verizon Wireless will air on ESPN Classic.
Here are the match times. Times listed are eastern.

Semi #1 Jason Mannino vs. Rocky Carson
11/8 12:00pm and re-aired on 11/113 2:00 am

 Semi #2 Kane Waselenchuk vs. Alvaro Beltran
11/8 12:30pm and re-aired on 11/11 2:30 am

  Final Rocky Carson vs. Kane Waselenchuk
11/15 12:00 pm and re-aired on 11/18 2:00 am

Check your local listings at http://sports.espn.go.com/espntv/espnGuide