Greetings to all! Although we’re sad that the Festival in St. Louis cannot take place next month, we’re excited that the 2021 National Junior Championships & Adult Team Qualifying, presented by Penn, will be held in Des Moines, Iowa, July 14-18, 2021, at the Wellmark YMCA. This was the site of the 2018 USAR National Junior Championships, and it’s a first-class facility befitting an event of this importance.

Please see the full update article elsewhere in this Serving Up the News publication. We are looking so forward to being in Des Moines and reconnecting with Junior players, their families, and of course, the Adult Team USA hopefuls!

Just eleven weeks later, the US OPEN will be going into full swing. Exciting times coming! (P.S. Have you made your reservations yet? Time’s a wastin’!)

MOST RECENT BOARD MEETING -- HIGHLIGHTS

The Board met for its monthly meeting (generally the last Monday of each month) on April 26th via Zoom, and following are some points of interest.

Fourteen Board members and Executive Director Mike Wedel were in attendance.

WOR/Outdoor Discussion (Michelle De La Rosa and Dan Whitley)

Many outdoor tournaments are being scheduled. There is much excitement surrounding plans for Outdoor Nationals at Huntington Beach in July and 3Wallball in Las Vegas in October.
Work continues on the WOR section of the USAR website, which is nearly ready to roll out.

Social Media Utilization/PR (Mike Wedel)

Executive Director Mike Wedel facilitated a discussion regarding the best ways to address misinformation on social media, to provide timely facts and relevant information to help the racquetball community stay aware of the Staff’s, Board’s, and Committees’ efforts to serve and enhance the sport.

National Rules Commissioner Selection (Stewart Solomon)

Stewart described the selection process to fill the open National Rules Commissioner position vacated by Otto Dietrich.
The group is conducting interviews and reviewing submitted materials.
Otto himself is participating as part of the group, which is very helpful.
Next steps will be to formulate a recommendation to bring to the President and Board of Directors.

Board Decisions

Hall of Fame Committee - Board Vote to Approve Recommendation

Dan Whitley delivered the committee’s report on behalf of Hall of Fame Committee Chair Jim Hiser.
The Board approved the Hall of Fame Committee’s recommended recipient for the 2021 Joe Sobek Outstanding Contribution Award.
Award announcements will be forthcoming.

U.S. Team Committee - Board Vote to Approve Recommendations

Cheryl Kirk delivered the committee’s report on behalf of U.S. Team Committee Chair Larry Haemmerle.
The Board approved the US Team Committee’s recommendations as presented relative to Adult and Junior Qualifying Events, dual citizenship process for Juniors, and Elite Athlete Health Insurance (EAHI).

Executive Appointed Position (USAR Bylaws August 2020, Article VII)

The Board approved President Dan Whitley’s recommendation to appoint Stewart Solomon to a two-year term under the Executive Appointed Position category, effective at the Annual Meeting in May 2021 and concluding at the Annual Meeting in May 2023.

Next Meeting: Monday, May 24, 2021

GET TO KNOW YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The makeup of the USAR Board of Directors is 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 attributes brought from multiple areas of business, education, and racquetball experience.

View Board members’ photos and profiles. Just click on each photo to see the profile, and click on the name to send an email!

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We hope you are finding this newsletter feature interesting, and we always welcome suggestions and/or questions for future articles. Please contact Stewart Solomon (VP) or Cheryl Kirk (Secretary).

stewart.usar@gmail.com

cherylkkirk@aol.com

If you have questions about the Staff’s activities, please contact Mike Wedel.

mwedel@usaracquetball.com

Stay safe and healthy, everyone!

Board of Directors Update -- Serving Up the News -- May 2021

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