December 15, 2021 Board Update
by USA Racquetball
We start off this month’s Board update with two pieces of great news!
Giving Tuesday, on 11/30/21, was extremely successful, with $6,688 raised through the course of the day. No matter the amount given, every dollar mattered so much. Several matching initiatives increased the total, and USA Racquetball could never find enough words to thank each and every person who donated. We’re proud to say that we achieved 100% participation by USAR Board members. Thanks to the efforts of Renée Isherwood and Aimee Ruiz, our social media outreach was extremely active that day in keeping Giving Tuesday top-of-mind. THANKS TO ALL!
The IRF World Racquetball Championships took place from 11/30/21 through 12/6/21, with the U.S. Adult National Team competing in Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles against 13 other countries representing North and South America, Asia, and Europe. The U.S. Team returned home on Tuesday, December 7, with their carry-on bags a bit heavier than when they arrived. They WON the IRF World Racquetball Championships and brought home multiple medals and trophies to show for it! Besides taking top honors in Team Combined Overall, they also earned 1st place in the Men’s competition and 2nd place in the Women’s. Congratulations to the 6 athletes and 4 staff members, whose mood could only be described as euphoric as they boarded planes for home! (See full coverage in this newsletter.) While impressive results have come over the years, this is the U.S. Team’s first World Championship win since 2014 in Burlington, Canada, and we couldn’t be prouder that the Championship Cup is coming back to the U.S.A.!
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MEETING HIGHLIGHTS -- USA Racquetball Board of Directors -- November 29, 2021
Thirteen Board members were in attendance via Zoom along with Executive Director Mike Wedel.
Following are some points of interest:
Executive Director Update (Mike Wedel)
Mike reported on a variety of topics. They included:
- New Ranking Programming and Doubles Ranking Algorithm with R2 is LIVE
- National Event Calendar -- 2022 and Beyond
- Referee and IP Testing Upgrades Underway
- Membership Report
- The Real Racquetball Show
- Serving Up the News
Finance Update (Steve Czarnecki)
Financial performance through September, as well as the end of September cash on hand amount, remain in line with expectations and budget. Membership revenue, while significantly less than 2019 levels, has shown modest recovery in recent months. The 2022 budgeting process continues with plans for budget approval prior to the end of the year.
Scholarship Committee (Dan Whitley) -- Per the Scholarship Committee report, application information is posted on the website with the deadline to apply set for December 31, 2021. See the article under Quick Hits in this newsletter.
IRF World Championships Update -- November 30-December 6, 2021 (Cheryl Kirk)
In addition to Daily Blogs, Board members were given a brief report on the first few days’ activities following the U.S. Team’s arrival in Guatemala. See full coverage in this newsletter.
The balance of the meeting was held in closed session as the Board focused on the current Strategic Planning initiative (on track for year-end 2021 completion).
Next Meeting: December 20, 2021, via Zoom
--ADJOURNED--
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GET TO KNOW YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The makeup of the USAR Board of Directors is diverse and robust, including four state association presidents, two pro tour commissioners, the NMRA president, several business owners, and three elite racquetball athletes. They bring a wide range of skills and knowledge gained from multiple areas of business, educational, and racquetball experience.
Visit https://www.teamusa.org/usa-racquetball/leadership/board-of-directors to view Board members’ photos and profiles. Just click on each photo to see the profile, and click on the name to send an email.
Please visit the USAR website at https://www.teamusa.org/usa-racquetball -- About/Bylaws, Article VII, to learn about Board of Directors Position Categories: At Large Elected, Board Appointed, Executive Appointed, and Athlete Representatives
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We hope you are finding this newsletter feature informative, and we always welcome suggestions and/or questions to include in future updates. Please contact Stewart Solomon (VP) or Cheryl Kirk (Secretary).
If you have questions about the Staff’s activities, please contact Mike Wedel.
Stay safe and healthy, everyone!