USA Racquetball Hall of Fame Nomination Deadline Approaching!
by USA Racquetball
Hello, Racquetball Fans! Nominations for the USA Racquetball Hall of Fame are due by September 15th of each year, so it is time to start putting them together for 2022.
Throughout the year we frequently see posts or comments saying, "I can't believe So-and-So isn't in the Hall of Fame." Well, often this is because they have not yet been properly nominated or that a USAR member in good standing has not submitted the form and compiled the information. Now is the time to act! If you feel someone deserves a nomination, take the lead on completing and submitting their form.
Nominees must be 40 years old as of May 1st of the year following their nomination. As a summary, there are five primary categories (each with specific criteria) for Hall of Fame nominations:
- Professional Players: Must have been retired for three years.
- Contributors: Individuals who have made a significant impact on the sport of Racquetball on a National level.
- Amateur Open Player: Outstanding performance on National and/or International levels.
- Amateur Age Player: Outstanding performance in Age Group 40+ competitions at the National level.
- Outdoor Player: Outstanding performance in the Outdoor major events over time. (Note: this is separate from the WOR Hall of Fame.)
A complete guide to the Hall of Fame nomination process is here: https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Racquetball/Programs/Hall-of-Fame/Nominations
This page includes the procedures for processing nominations; the categories; the schedule of consideration for candidates; a description of the Hall of Fame Committee; and the voting guidelines.
Here's a list of the current members of the Hall of Fame: https://www.teamusa.org/usa-racquetball/programs/hall-of-fame
The Hall of Fame is extremely selective; there are only 73 people throughout the entire history of our sport who have been inducted: 24 Professional, 25 Amateur, 23 Contributors, and 1 Outdoor.
Voting is limited each year, too. No matter how many nominations are received, only a handful go forward to be voted upon each year. A "no" vote on a candidate in a given year does not preclude them from being submitted, and possibly inducted, in a subsequent year. Previously submitted candidates may be re-submitted. Candidates may be nominated up to three times in a five-year period but then must wait at least five years from the last nomination before being nominated for the same category.
Properly completed nominations must be submitted and received by September 15th, either via email to the USA Racquetball office or by U.S. Mail to the address below.
communications@usaracquetball.com
Racquetball Hall of Fame
ATTN: USA Racquetball
1661 Mesa Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
The forms for submitting nominations are available here: https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Racquetball/Programs/Hall-of-Fame/Nomination-Formats
The current members of the Hall of Fame Committee are listed here: https://www.teamusa.org/usa-racquetball/leadership/standing-committees. Anyone on the Committee can answer questions about the process, including Hall of Fame Committee Chairperson Larry Haemmerle, so feel free to reach out with questions.
Thanks, and we look forward to getting lots of nominations this year!
Todd Boss
USAR Board of Directors
Member, Hall of Fame Committee